Exploring God's Word

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD

An Easy To Understand

Verse by Verse Testament Commentary

By Barry J. Holcomb

Published by

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS BOOKS

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD

An Easy To Understand

Verse by Verse Testament Commentary

Smashwords edition

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By Barry J. Holcomb

Copyright © 2013 by Barry J. Holcomb

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INTRODUCTION

Over the years I have used many commentaries and study materials to help me get a better understanding of Scripture. I have found that most commentaries are written by highly educated people, who in turn use terminology that often left me more confused than when I started. Four years ago I set out to write a commentary on the New Testament which would be easy to understand and could be used by everyone regardless of their level of education. God gave us the Bible to instruct us on the only way to be saved from our sins and obtain eternal life spent with Him in heaven. In it we are told how we are to conduct ourselves once we receive Salvation and become His children. Not only does the Bible tell us what we are to do, it tells us how to do it. God’s Word opens our eyes to the tricks the devil uses to disrupt our walk with God. It is in the Bible where we learn how to overcome the devil and to break the bondage of sin. We will not face one problem or addiction that can’t be overcome by using the tools God has given us in His Word. The Bible contains all the weapons we will ever need to fight the spiritual battles we face in our life-time on earth. It is critical we study God’s Word and learn how to use the weapons He has given us. This commentary is designed to be read along with the Bible to help the reader gain a better understanding of Scripture. All Scripture references are from the King James Bible, but you can use this commentary with any translation of the Bible.

I also write a monthly inspirational letter called Dear Neighbor which can be viewed on Facebook at Barry J. Holcomb. If you have any questions or comments, you can post them there or contact me personally at:

Barry J. Holcomb #514068

CRCC

1115 East Pence Road

Cameron MO 64429

Email: Christian.soldier@rocketmail.com

SPECIAL THANKS

First and foremost I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the unending Grace and Mercy He has shown me. It is because of the love Jesus has shown me that I am able to take my next breath. When I was buried neck deep in mire, Jesus pulled me out and set my life on the course He had planned for me. Thank you Jesus for saving me. I want to thank my loving mother and my beautiful daughter Brittnie for staying right by my side all these years. No matter how dark the days have been the two of you have never left my side. Your love has kept me going when I did not want to go any more. Thank you for loving me even when I was undeserving of your loyalty. Cody, there has not been one day pass that you have not been in my thoughts and prayers, I love you son. Thank you Reno for always believing in me. The love and care you have given me and Brittnie will never be forgotten. Thank you dad for the life lessons you have taught me. I want to thank Grandpa and Grandma Holcomb for taking me to church and introducing me to Jesus when I was a little boy. Thank you Carl for all of the hours you poured into editing the manuscript for this commentary. I thank God for blessing me with a friend like you. In closing I want to thank God for sending His Son into the world to die for a sinner like me.

WITH ALL MY LOVE,

Barry J. Holcomb

IN LOVING MEMORY

A.J. and BETTY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SPECIAL THANKS

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE ORDER THEY WERE WRITTEN

MATTHEW

MARK

LUKE

JOHN

ACTS

ROMANS

I CORINTHIANS

II CORINTHIANS

GALATIANS

EPHESIANS

PHILIPPIANS

COLOSSIANS

I THESSALONIANS

II THESSALONIANS

I TIMOTHY

II TIMOTHY

TITUS

PHILEMON

HEBREWS

JAMES

I PETER

II PETER

I JOHN

II JOHN

III JOHN

JUDE

REVELATION

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE ORDER THEY WERE WRITTEN

MATTHEW

1:1-17 These verses give us the genealogy from Abraham to Jesus. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. Then fourteen generations from David to the carrying away into Babylon. Then fourteen generations to Jesus.

1:18-20 In Isaiah 7:15 we are told, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel [God with us]. Isaiah gave this prophecy between 740-697 B.C. We are not told the exact reason Mary was chosen. All we know is, she was a virgin and, she was to be married to Joseph. Before they had ever had sex she was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Joseph did not want to publicly shame her, so he decided to put her away privately. This meant he was going to obtain a legal divorce; this was what he would have to do to dissolve a betrothal. In those days Mary would have probably been stoned to death for adultery. While Joseph was trying to figure out what he was going to do, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him, that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

1:21-25 Jesus means Savior, and He came into the world to save us from our sins. He came to be the perfect blood sacrifice that was required by the law. Jesus could not be born of man, otherwise He would have had man’s sin nature, and God has no sin in Him.

2:1-3 The prophecy of where Jesus was to be born was given in Micah 5:2. The number of wise men is not actually given, but tradition holds there were three of them, due to the number of gifts that were offered to Jesus. Some believe the star they followed was some sort of supernova or a conjunction of planets. This is very unlikely due to the way the star moved and then settled in one place over the house of Jesus. This star was more like the Shekinah that guided the Israelites in the days of Moses (Exodus 13:21).

2:4-8 The chief priests knew the scripture, so they were well aware the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. Their lack of faith prevented them from going with the Magi to find the Christ. Herod had no intentions of worshipping the Messiah. He was afraid he was about to lose his position as king, so he was going to kill the baby Jesus.

2:9-12 When the Magi left Herod they followed the star until it stood over the house where Jesus was. It is important to notice the wise men found the child at a house, not a manger. By the time they found Jesus, Joseph and Mary were settled in a house, and Jesus is referred to as the young child. The gifts they brought were suitable for a king. God warned the Magi not to return to Herod, so they went home a different way.

2:13-15 God telling Joseph to take Jesus into Egypt was not only to save His life, but it also fulfilled the prophecy given in Hosea 11:1. They stayed in Egypt until Herod died.

2:16-18 Herod was so determined to kill Jesus, he sent his armies out and made them kill every child two years old and younger. This vile act of Herod’s fulfilled the prophecy given in Jeremiah 31:15.

2:19-23 It is not known exactly how long Joseph kept his family in Egypt. Recently scholars have set the date of Herod’s death at 4 B.C. If this is so, then Jesus’ stay in Egypt could have been as short as a couple of weeks. God once again uses Joseph’s dreams to speak to him, first telling him to go home, then to go into Galilee.

3:1-2 When John the Baptist told the people to repent, he meant more than just a changing of one’s mind. He was telling the people that they had to turn from their sins.

3:3-5 The coming of John the Baptist was foretold in Isaiah 40:3-5. The clothes John wore were in no way made for comfort. Camel hair is very course and a leather girdle about the loins had to be very uncomfortable. This is the same type of clothing Elijah wore (2 Kings 1:8). In Leviticus 11:22 we are told it was permissible for him to eat the locust. John seems to have been satisfied with the barest of essentials. He did not want anything about his clothes, or his food to take away from the message he was sent to preach. Where he was preaching was a full day’s journey from Jerusalem. Even though the distance was great, we are told many made the trip to hear what he had to say.

3:6 The symbolism of this baptism was most likely rooted in the purification rituals the Jews were familiar with. When a Gentile was converted to Judaism they were baptized in a like manner. So for the Jews who were coming to John it was a very humbling experience to submit to being baptized. They were openly admitting they had been living similar to the sinful Gentiles, which they greatly hated. The baptism of John is different from the baptism of Christians. Those who were baptized by John were making a public profession to turn from their sinful lifestyles. The baptism Christians take part in is a public showing we have placed our faith in Christ, making Him the Lord of our lives; thus taking part in His death, burial, and resurrection. Both baptisms are used as a symbolic gesture showing a turning from a sinful lifestyle to living a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.

3:7 There were about six thousand Pharisees, and they were very legalistic concerning the ceremonial points of the law, such as all the washing rituals. Their name means separate ones. On more than one occasion Jesus corrected them for using their tradition to nullify Scripture (Matthew 15:3-9). The Sadducees denied the supernatural such as angels, and the resurrection of the dead. To the extent the Pharisees were legalistic, they were rationalist. If they could not rationalize something it must not be true. They tended to be wealthy, aristocratic members of the priestly tribe. The only thing these two groups have in common throughout Scripture is their opposition to Jesus.

3:8-10 There is no fruit in just claiming repentance with your mouth. The fruits of one’s repentance will be shown in the way they live their lives. God is not interested in words, He wants action. Many of the Jews believed since they were the descendants of Abraham they were God’s chosen and were spiritually secure. Those who are spiritually secure are those who place their faith in God through His Son Jesus. John says the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. All those who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ will be cut down and cast into the fires of hell. It does not matter whether it is a Jew or Gentile.

3:11-12 Those who were baptized by John were showing they had made a decision to turn from their sins. The washing they received when they went into the water symbolized them becoming clean. The baptism we receive from Jesus is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is done when we place our faith in Him. It has nothing to do with water baptism. All water baptism is, is a public profession of our faith and a symbol of us being made clean through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, it is not symbolic; the Spirit of God literally enters us and seals us as the children of God for all eternity. The Holy Spirit never leaves us.

3:13-17 John understood who Jesus was, and he knew Jesus had no sin to repent from. This is why he did not want to baptize Jesus. Jesus’ baptism identifies Him with sinners, but not as a sinner. Jesus being baptized showed us that all who come to Him are to follow His example. Jesus never did anything just to do it. Everything He did and said had meaning. His baptism was His first public showing that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. In the same manner, our baptism is our public showing we are the children of God. We see all three parts of the Godhead present at Jesus’ baptism, and even hear the words from God the Father declaring Jesus His beloved Son.

4:1-7 God does not tempt anyone, but He does use Satan to fulfill His sovereign purposes. We see examples of this here and in the book of Job. In Scripture we read that Moses also fasted forty days and forty nights when he was on Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 9:9). Elijah also fasted forty days when he fled to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). Satan knew with all certainty who Jesus was. When we read him use the term if you are, he is really saying since you are the Son of God prove yourself. Jesus had set aside His divine powers, and Satan was doing his best to get Jesus to violate the will of God. We must keep in mind when all this was going on Jesus was incredibly weak after not eating or drinking for forty days. In Jesus’ battle with the devil He does not lay out long-winded arguments. For the first temptation He simply quotes one verse of the Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). God tells us that we are to trust Him to provide for us in all situations. It is important to take note of the fact that Satan tries to use the Word of God against the Jesus who is the Word of God. Satan knows the Scripture better than any of us ever will and he tries to twist it any way he can to deceive. Here in the second temptation Jesus doesn’t get angry and argue with Satan, He simply quotes (Deuteronomy 6:16).

4:8-11 Here Satan shoots his best shot, offering Jesus the world. Satan is the ruler of this world, so he felt it was in his power to offer it to Jesus. (SEE John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 John 5:19). Make no mistake; God is in control of everything, and Satan can do nothing without His permission. Satan’s level of arrogance went so far as to think he could offer God what was already His. In response, Jesus shoos Satan away the way one would a fly. He paraphrases (Deuteronomy 6:13-14). The temptations Jesus faced were greater than anything we will ever face. Jesus did not use His divine powers to defeat Satan. He did not make long-winded arguments. He simply used God’s Word. He did not quote a bunch of Scripture. He used four verses, from two chapters, of one book to defeat Satan. Jesus teaches us to keep it simple when we are battling temptation. The more we fight and argue with Satan the greater the chance we have of losing. If we fight temptation with Scripture and move on quickly, we will be victorious.

4:12-17 Capernaum was an important trade route, and when the Gentiles went in and out of Israel they had to pass through it in the region of Galilee. This is also where Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew were from. In Jesus’ time this was a very important part of the world, due to its location. It was under Roman occupation. All of this tells us that there were many Gentiles in the area who were witnessing the things Jesus was doing and teaching. Here the prophecies given in (Isaiah 9:1-2 and 42:6-7) were fulfilled. Verse seventeen marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry with the command to repent. Repentance is the foundation of all of Jesus’ teachings. He teaches us we must turn from our wicked ways and come to Him for cleansing.

4:18-22 When Jesus calls these men, He does not give them a long speech to convince them to follow Him. Jesus tells them Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. These men did not hem-haw around weighing the pros and cons. They dropped everything, left their jobs and families, and followed Jesus. On a side note there are four men named James in the New Testament. The James Jesus called here is easily distinguished from the others because every time he is mentioned his brother John is mentioned with him.

4:23-25 Jesus focused His ministry on three things: teaching, preaching the gospel, and healing the un-healable. People were coming from all over the region to be healed and to hear His words. Decapolis was a confederation of ten Hellenized cities that was a Gentile stronghold. This league of cities was formed shortly after Pompey’s invasion of Palestine in (65 B.C.). The main reason this league was formed was an attempt to preserve Greek culture. This would have included all kinds of idol worship.

5:1-2 There was a great multitude of people following Jesus. He led them into a mountain, and the Scriptures say when He was sat He began to preach. Notice He sat down to preach this message, which is the greatest Sermon ever given. He did not jump up and down ranting and raving. It seems even when giving us the most important teachings, Jesus stays completely calm.

5:3 The Greek word used here for blessing is (makarios, it means: Possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by the fullness from God. To be makarios, Blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart. (Zodhiates New Testament Word Study Dictionary). Jesus is describing more than an emotion. He is describing those who realize they are hopelessly lost without God. We receive this blessing when we repent and humbly come to God for the free gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

5:4 Jesus is speaking of those who mourn over their sin with a godly sorrow which produces a repentance that leads to salvation. The comfort we have is in knowing that when we come to God through Jesus we are eternally adopted into God’s family and nothing can ever separate us from Him.

5:5 The word meek should never be confused with the word weak! These two words are polar opposites. We are to exhibit self-control in every situation no matter how great or small. The power to have this self-control comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

5:6 We are to have a hunger for the righteousness of God. We are to seek it with all our being. God will satisfy all our hungers only when we depend on Him to fill us from His table.

5:7 Those who have been called into God’s family have been shown mercy beyond any human understanding. Now we must be merciful to all.

5:8-9 The only way our hearts will ever be pure is if we put or faith in Jesus where we are cleansed by His blood. Those that do this will see God in all His glory in heaven. The peace keepers are those who do their best to keep the peace with all men. This does not mean we should go around and put our nose in everyone’s business, it means when it is within our power we are to do our best to keep the peace.

5:10-12 Everyone who openly expresses their faith in Christ will face persecution at some point in life. When it comes, we are to face it with joy knowing God has already turned the persecution into blessings. Jesus says we will receive great rewards in heaven for our willingness to stand firm for Him.

5:13-16 Jesus says those who claim to be His followers are, the salt of the earth and are to be the light of the world. Salt is used to enhance and to preserve. Pure salt cannot ever lose its saltiness. All salt is not pure salt. The salt that was common to the area of the Dead Sea is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals. This salt is not good for seasoning, or preserving. The only thing it was used for in Jesus’ day was to put on the foot path to kill the weeds. Christians are to be pure salt and keep ourselves free from the contaminants of the world so we can be used to further the gospel message. When our lives reflect Jesus, we will be lights to the lost and the stumbling.

5:17 Before Jesus goes any further with His Sermon, He makes it perfectly clear He is not attempting to do away with any part of the law, or alter it in any way. Jesus makes sure no one can ever interpret what He is teaching to mean we no longer have to obey the laws God gave us. The laws were given to teach us right from wrong. Jesus is dispelling all of man’s interpretations of the law. He is teaching us what the true meaning of the law is, and how we’re to follow it. Jesus is the Word so it stands to reason He is qualified to tell us what it means. Jesus came to do what man could never do and fulfill every aspect of the law both morally and ceremonially. He was and is the embodiment of everything the law’s types and symbols pointed to.

5:18 Jesus emphasizes the inspiration of Scripture; He makes it clear the law will be viable until the Earth passes away. We that are in Jesus are no longer under the law, but this does not mean we do not have to obey the law. We are no longer to observe the ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic Law, (SEE: Colossians 2:16-17).

5:19 This verse teaches us two very important things. First, Christians who sin and teach men it is okay, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. This tells us a person does not lose their salvation for sinning. Second, those who live and preach the word of God properly will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says there are least, and greatest in heaven. This means there are different ranks for us in heaven. In (Matthew 20:23) we see it is God’s prerogative how we are ranked. This verse tells us we are ranked based on the way we live our lives while on earth.

5:20 The Pharisees had fallen so far that they were more focused on doing all the ceremonial cleansings than they were on cleansing their hearts. Jesus is telling us we must be focused on keeping our heart clean, and living in love for all. Our walk with God is not about outward appearances. It is about what is on the inside of us. Only God can judge the inside, and He does.

5:21-22 Jesus is quoting from Exodus 20:13, and Deuteronomy 16:5. Under the rabbinical teaching, the law of God had become altered from its true meaning. Jesus is the Word, and is explaining what the true meaning of His word is. We are not to ever allow our anger toward people to fester. No matter what they have done to offend us, we must forgive them. When we get angry we are never to resort to name calling. Doing this is the equivalent of throwing logs on a fire. Not many of us believe we are capable of murder. Jesus is teaching us that if we don’t get our anger in check quickly we might do something we normally would not do, such as murder.

5:23-26 Jesus tells us we must agree with thine adversary quickly. Sometimes this means we must be humble and make amends even when we are not in the wrong. We are to always do our best to make peace with people when it is within our power to do so. Anytime we allow angry feelings to fester we let Satan get a foot-hold in our lives. Before we make any offers to God, or ask Him for something we must search ourselves for any grudges we might be holding. If we find any, we must first do our best to make amends. We have no control over whether the person forgives us, or even accepts our apology. It is not our job to make them. Our job is to forgive them and let go of our anger. Sometimes we can only let go through some serious prayer and fasting. We must do whatever it takes to cleanse our hearts of anger.

5:27-28 Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 5:18. It is one thing to look at a person and admire their beauty, this is not a sin. We sin when we look at them with sexual lust in our hearts, we become guilty of adultery. This teaching is never to be altered into a person thinking, Since I’ve already thought it, and I am guilty, I might as well do it. No. When we have lustful thoughts, we must repent from them and seek God’s help to overcome our sin.

5:29-30 Jesus is not suggesting we mutilate ourselves in an attempt to overcome sin. He is telling us if we have anything in our lives that might cause us to sin, we need to get it out of our lives. For example, if you lust every time you go to the beach, then don’t go to the beach. Jesus telling us to pluck out our eye, and cut off our hand is an example of the lengths we are to go to rid our lives of sin. Nothing is worth having in our lives if it has a negative impact on our walk with God.

5:31-32 The rabbis had altered Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and were teaching it gave men permission to divorce their wives for any reason as long as they gave a writing of divorcement. Moses gave this command to protect women from womanizing men who would get tired of his wife and put her away so he could go get a new one. Jesus clarifies the law. He says the only way a person can divorce is in the case of adultery. If a person gets a divorce for any other reason and remarries, they are guilty of adultery because God will not acknowledge their divorce.

5:33-37 This teaching comes from Deuteronomy 23:21-23. Swearing by things does not make our words any truer than they already are. Jesus tells us we are completely powerless over the things of heaven and earth, so it is quite vain to swear by them.

5:38 This law was established in Deuteronomy 19:21 to assure the punishment fit the crime. This was never meant to be a sanction for personal retaliation.

5:39-40 In these verses Jesus is teaching us how we are to respond to personal attacks. He is not talking about criminal offenses or acts of military aggression. He is telling us how we are to respond to attacks on our dignity. We are to be humble in all situations.

5:41-42 Here the word compel comes from the Greek word aggarevo. It means to press into service. Certain couriers had the authority to take men, horses, ships, or anything else that might hasten their journey. If we are ever pressed into helping someone, we are to go beyond what is expected of us. Our lives are to always to be lived as an example to others. If we are able to help someone we are never to turn them away.

5:43 Here Jesus points out what Leviticus 19:18 says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self. The second part of this verse hate thy enemies comes from the Pharisees altering Psalms 139:22 which says, I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. When we read these Scriptures in their proper context from 139:19-24 we see it is not our personal enemies that are being spoken of, it is the enemies of God. David says he will hate them with a perfect hatred. David goes on to ask God to search his heart for any unrighteousness.

5:44-47 We are to show our enemies love. When people curse us, we are to bless them. When people do something bad to us we are to pray for them. Thus taking the matter to God and turning it over to Him, not trying to take care of it ourselves. The way we respond to things should show people how children of God conduct themselves, in all situations. We must never give place in our hearts for hate to fester. God sends His rain upon the saved and the unsaved. It is His sun that shines on all of us.

5:48 The standard set here is unattainable for us in the flesh. God can never lower this standard, nor can He ever expect anything from us but perfection without compromising His own perfection. Thank God Jesus came to meet this perfect standard for us, and through Him we are made perfect in God’s eyes.

6:1-4 When we do our alms they are to be done for God, not for the praise of men. The word hypocrite comes out of the Greek theater; it means someone who wears a mask. Some of the synagogues had a big brass horn set over the collection plate so the coins would ring out when tossed in it. Those who gave much would get the attention of others. Jesus says those who seek the praise of men, their reward is the praise of men. Those who do their alms in secret to please God receive their reward from God. God knows the motive for everything we do.

6:5-8 Once again Jesus warns against seeking the attention of others. It seems some had made a habit of standing in the temples giving long-winded prayer so others would see how great their prayers were. When we pray to God it is to be personal between us and Him. When we pray to God in secret, He will reward us openly. Jesus is not saying that we should not pray with other believers, or that we should not pray over our food in public. He is warning us not to pray for the purpose of seeking the praise of men. We are to pray from our hearts. We are not to pray from a chart, or use chants repeating the same words over and over again. Jesus is not saying we should never repeat a prayer. In (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus gives us an example of persistent prayer. God knows what we need before we ask Him. He wants us to humbly come to Him with our needs so we will give Him all the glory for fulfilling our needs.

6:9-13 Here Jesus teaches us the things our prayers are to be focused on. The first thing we are to do is give glory to God, recognizing His position as Lord of our lives. We are to seek His will in all things; usually we have to ask Him to reveal his will to us. We are to ask Him to forgive us for our sins, and we are to forgive anyone who has wronged us. We must never forget the amount of mercy God has shown us, forgiving all our sins. We are to show others mercy as well, and forgive them. We are to seek God’s wisdom to keep us from falling into any of the traps Satan sets in our paths. We close our prayers the same way we open them, by giving honor and glory to God.

6:14-15 Jesus is incredibly clear, if we don’t forgive others for wronging us, God will not forgive us for wronging Him.

6:16-18 These verses answer any questions as to whether a Christian is to fast. We are to fast, and when we do we are not to make it a point of letting everyone know what we are doing, hoping to get the praise of others. Fasting is between us and God. This does not mean we can never let anyone know we fast. It means we are to fast for God, not men. Scripture gives us some reasons for fasting. To strengthen personal prayer (Acts 10:30). To express personal repentance (Jonah 3:5-10). A desire to modify personal lust, or to overcome any sin in our lives (1 Cor 9:2). Seeking the Lord’s will (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23). Fasting is to be used to draw us closer to God and get our lives more in line with His will. There are many reasons for fasting, but seeking the glory of men is never to be a reason for fasting.

6:19-21 All the wealth we amass here on earth will not do us any good when we die, unless we use it to bring glory to God. If God has blessed us with worldly riches we are to use it to further His gospel. When we use our riches according to the will of God we bank treasure for ourselves in heaven for all eternity. Everything on earth is temporary, but the things of heaven are eternal. If our focus is on gaining worldly riches for self pleasure, our pleasure will be on earth. If we are seeking to do the will of God, our pleasures will be in heaven.

6:22-23 If we are focused on God and His will for our lives, we will be full of His light. If we are focused on the things of the world we will be full of the world’s darkness. We cannot have it both ways. Darkness cannot abide in the light. Either we are living for God, or for the world.

6:24-31 We are not to spend our time worrying about what we are going to eat and drink, or what we are going to put on our bodies. We are to trust God to take care of all our needs. We are to live every moment of our lives trusting God to provide for us. This does not mean we are to sit in a chair all day and wait on the birds to bring us our food, or the Jones store to bring us some clothes. God gives us jobs to earn money. We are to be content with what we have been given from God. We must not spend our time worrying about promotions, or getting better stuff. God knows what we need and we are to trust Him to provide it. It is okay to put in for a promotion at work, just don’t forget to pray and ask God for His will to be done. When we get caught up worrying about the cares of this world we take our eyes off God.

6:32-34 We are to live our lives seeking to do God’s will. When we focus on the things of heaven, God will give us all the things we need here on earth. We must learn to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow. We don’t know if there will be a next moment, so it makes no sense worrying about it.

7:1-2 As Christians we are not to go around judging people. There is a difference between judging someone and using discernment. We will be held to the same standard we set for others.

7:3-5 If we are not living our lives in accordance with the will of God, we have no business telling someone else about their short-comings. We must first make sure we are living as examples to others. Even then we still have no right to go around and point out other people’s short-comings. If a fellow Christian comes to us for help, we must always be ready to help them. If we see someone stepping off the narrow path, we can give them a gentle correction. We must do it out of love. If we find ourselves itching to tell someone about themselves, or we are looking forward to correcting them, then we must step aside and keep our mouth shut. It should never be joyful to correct a fellow Christian. If we have to rebuke someone it should always be done out of love, and in accordance to the instruction we are given in, (1 Timothy 5:1-2; Matthew 18:15-17). If that brother or sister repents, we must accept them back in the congregation with open arms.

7:6 We are to live our lives as lights to the rest of the world. Our lives are to be spent spreading the Gospel. We can do this by preaching, teaching, most of the time our lives are the best witness we have. If someone is not interested in hearing the gospel we are to move on.

7:7-11 God will always help us when we take our troubles to Him. As His children He always wants the best for us. We must never use this Scripture thinking God is our servant. He is not interested in fulfilling our worldly lust. Before we ask God for something, we should always examine our motives for wanting it. It is God’s will we should always seek to fulfill, not our own. God is a perfect Father, and He has no problem telling His children no.

7:12 There are many different versions of the Golden Rule. Most all of them present it as a negative. For example Rabbi Hillel’s says, What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else. Jesus makes it a positive command, telling us to simply treat people the way we want them to treat us. Jesus does not follow this command with the word unless. So no matter how others treat us we are to always treat them the way we want to be treated. All of the ethical principles of the laws of the prophets are summed up in this one command.

7:13-14 Jesus is the strait gate, and the only way to God. The wide gate is the world, and all that go in at it are entering the pathway to hell.

7:15-20 Our lives should always reflect our profession of faith. As Christians we should be producing good fruit and walking on the narrow path. Jesus is quite clear when He says by their fruit ye shall know them. Believers and non-believers are all watching us to see if our walk matches our talk.

7:21-23 Many people think they are saved because they went to church one Sunday and said a prayer. The only problem is when they left the church they went right back to their same lifestyle with no change outwardly or inwardly. God did not send His Son to show us how to live a perfect life, to be tortured, then nailed to a cross, just to sell insurance policies. Jesus came to offer us a new way to live, and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live according to the will of God. We are saved by faith and faith alone, but once we are saved our lives are to reflect the God that is dwelling inside of us.

7:24-29 Jesus is the only Rock we are to build our relationship with God on. When we are founded in Christ we will be able to withstand all of the storms the world throws at us. If we put our faith in anything else we will fall when the storms come, and they will come.

8:1-4 It is important for us to notice the leper did not doubt Jesus’ ability to heal him. He very boldly said Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Jesus rewarded this man’s faith by healing him and a great multitude of people witnessed this. In Jesus’ day those who had leprosy were considered unclean and made to live outside of the city. Jesus shows us that He will make whole, even those who society had deemed unfit to be around. All we have to do is trust Him to make us clean.

8:5-13 A centurion was a Roman soldier in charge of one hundred men. He would have been a Gentile. Some of the Jews believed they were entitled to salvation because they were descendants of Abraham, and they also believed they were God’s only chosen people. Jesus shows us here that salvation is for all who put their faith in Him. Anyone who does not place their faith in Jesus shall be cast out into outer darkness.

8:14-17 All of the people that came to Jesus believing that He could heal them, were healed. This fulfilled the prophecy given in Isaiah 53:4, surly he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Jesus healed these people with His word.

8:18-22 The phrase let me bury my father was a common figure of speech. What the disciple was really saying was, let me go wait for my father to die so I can get my inheritance, then I will follow you. Jesus tells him to let the dead bury the dead, thus Jesus was telling him to let the world take care of the things of the world.

8:23-27 Even after all the miracles the disciples had witnessed Jesus do, they still panicked when the storm came. Jesus used this opportunity to teach us that He is in control of everything. Before Jesus calmed the storm, He rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. The funny thing is even in their state of panic they did not come tell Jesus to put on His life jacket because the ship was going down. The Scripture say they awoke him, saying, Lord, save us. They understood Jesus could save them if they just ask, yet they chose to panic for a while before coming to Him. Does this sound familiar?

8:28-34 These men where possessed with devils, and no man was able to restrain them or help them. The devils knew Jesus on sight and they were afraid of Him. This Scripture tells us that the devils know they are going to be judged one day. It also show us even the devils obey God.

9:1-8 Anyone could have told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven. Jesus goes a step further and completely heals him, thus establishing His deity. Only God can forgive sins, and only God can make the lame get up and walk. This man was healed because of His faith in Jesus.

9:9 Matthew was a Jew who worked for the Romans. He would have been looked on as a traitor, a thief and a liar by his people. The Jews put the tax collectors in a status below swine. Collecting the taxes was usually a very profitable job. The collectors often extorted money from the people. When Jesus comes to Matthew He doesn’t give him a long speech about the error of his ways. He simply says, Follow me. Matthew did not ask where? He just got up, left everything, and followed Jesus.

9:10-13 The Pharisees erred greatly in thinking that they were righteous. They believed that all the sacrifices and ceremonial things they did made them righteous. Jesus came to save those who know they are lost. When we humbly come to Christ admitting our lowly lost state, He takes us in with open arms and He makes us righteous. It is only though faith in Jesus we are made righteous. Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 saying, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. God is not interested in our rituals. He wants us to love Him and put our faith in Him, not in our works.

9:14-17 Jesus tells the disciples of John that they should be celebrating with great joy because the Messiah has come. There will be plenty of time and reason to fast when He no longer walks among us. When we put our faith in Jesus we become new creatures, and we are given the Holy Spirit. God does not put His Spirit in the old sinner. Jesus did not come to put a patch on the old sinner. He came to make the old sinner a new man through faith in Him.

9:18 Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. Two things we need to pay attention to in these Scriptures are: First, Jairus was a ruler and in a position of power, yet he humbly came to Jesus and worshipped him. This tells us he recognized Jesus’ deity. Second, how great was this man’s faith? His daughter was already dead, yet he KNEW Jesus could heal her and raise her from the dead.

9:19-22 This woman believed if she could just touch Jesus’ clothes she would be made whole. We need to pay special attention to what Jesus tells her; Thy faith hath made thee whole. She was not healed because she touched Him, she was healed because she had faith He could heal her.

9:23-31 Jesus put the faithless people out of the house before He did the miracle. The fame of this miracle went all through the land. Everything Jesus does is to teach us a lesson of some sort. What do you think the lesson here is?

9:32-34 Even though the Pharisees had witnessed the miracles Jesus did, and they knew only God had the power to do the things He was doing, they chose to say Jesus was working these miracles by the power of Satan rather than bow down and worship Him.

9:35-36 These people put their faith in Jesus and were healed of all their ailments. They were willing to follow Jesus even to the point of utter exhaustion.

9:37-38 Jesus was saying there are many people longing to hear the pure word of God who are looking for true salvation, but there are not many laborers to reap the harvest. We are to pray for God to send us great spiritual leaders.

10:1-7 Jesus gave His twelve disciples special powers to heal all sorts of sickness, and to cast out evil spirits. All of this was done in the name of Jesus. Jesus told them to go and preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He told them not to go among the Gentiles. At this time they were to only preach to the Jews.

10:8 The gift of healing was given to the disciples freely, and they were to give it for free. They could have used their powers to become very rich men, and gained great glory for themselves. God has never given us gifts for our personal glory, it is always to bring glory to Him.

10:9-15 The reason Jesus sent them out without money, or extra clothes was, He wanted them to completely rely on God to take care of all of their needs. Jesus told them that if any place did not accept them or their teaching they were to move on, and simply shake off the dust of your feet. We are to do the same if someone is not interested is hearing us when we share the gospel. We are not to stand and argue, we are to move on and let God do as He sees fit with them.

10:16-20 When we preach the word of God we are to be gentle as sheep. This does not mean we are to be door mats, it means we are to use love not might when working for God. Jesus also tells us to be wise as serpents. We see in Genesis 3:1, the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Jesus is telling us we must be wiser than Satan. This can only be accomplished when we rely on the power of God within us. False prophets are usually referred to as wolves in Scripture. Anyone who preaches a message that differs from the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus is a false prophet and an antichrist. There is a very good chance that those who preach the gospel of Christ will face persecution. When this comes we are to rely on God to give us the words to say at that time. We must be able to put our emotions aside and let the Holy Spirit speak through us.

10:21-25 Those who put their faith in Christ will lose family and friends because of their new faith. Some of our friends and family will even hate us and be apt to do all sorts of evil against us. When this happens we are to move on, never forgetting we are part of the family of Christ. We are no longer of this world but of the kingdom of heaven. Just as Jesus who is the Lord of us all was turned on and abused, we can expect the same treatment since we are His servants.

10:26-27 It does not matter how well a person thinks they have hidden their sin, God sees all and knows all. We do not have any secrets from God. We are to be lights to the world. We are to use whatever gifts God has given us. God does not give us gifts for us to keep them to ourselves. Everything He gives us is to either edify the church or further the gospel.

10:28 Jesus tells us that never under any circumstance are we to fear what men can do to us, or what they say about us. The only thing men have the power to do is hurt our feelings or hurt our bodies, they can even kill us, but they cannot harm our soul. Only God has the power to destroy the soul and send it to hell, or to preserve it for all eternity in heaven. What man does is temporary, but what God does can be eternal. We should never let fear of man interfere with us preaching the gospel.

10:29-31 Nothing happens in this world or the heavens without God’s permission. Jesus says, Sparrow shall not fall on the ground without your Father, and even the very hairs of your head are numbered. We are of more value to God than birds, if He takes care of them He will also take care of us all the more.

10:32-33 Jesus makes it very clear there is no such thing as a closet Christian. If we deny the fact that Jesus is the Lord of our lives to men, Jesus will deny us before God. When those who have been given the gift of salvation get the opportunity to share their faith, they better not pass up the chance. Jesus makes it clear we are not to fear what men think of us, but fear what God thinks of us.

10:34-37 When a person accepts Jesus as the Lord of their life, many of their friends and family will forsake them. Jesus tells us He did not come to send peace on earth, but a sword. Jesus came to divide all mankind into two categories: God’s children, who are destined for heaven; and Satan’s children, who are destined for hell. Jesus makes it clear we are not to allow anything to come between our relationships with Him, not even our family.

10:38-39 This is the first time Jesus uses the word cross to His disciples. The cross represented a violent degrading death. The very thought of it put fear into men’s hearts. Jesus tells us to surrender our lives to Him no matter the cost,