Read: Matthew 4
Matthew four can be divided into two main sections. The first is found in 4:1-11, where we observe the onslaught of the Evil One against the Savior. The second is found in 4:12-23, where Jesus begins his public ministry and calls his first disciples.
Read MoreRead: Genesis 4
Genesis Four describes the nature and consequence of sin and is placed here in the Genesis narrative to highlight that aspect in the lives of two of the children of Adam and Eve. Throughout Scripture, we are repeatedly told that the nature of sin and its wages are death. We are also told that all have sinned; each inherits a sinful nature from our parents. Due to the rebellion of our first parents, sin passes to each subsequent generation and will continue to do so until the Lord Jesus returns.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 3
Matthew 3 highlights the work of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ. His mission was to preach the kingdom of God and call people to repentance. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets and described as the greatest of them all. He is the Elijah-type figure of the New Testament, proclaiming hope and forgiveness through Christ. The chapter also highlights the baptism of Jesus by John.
Read MoreRead: Genesis 3
Genesis three is often considered the darkest chapter in the Bible. It is the narrative of the fall of mankind into sin and misery. Though Adam and Eve were Fashioned by God, brought into his presence, dwelling with him in the garden, they determined to rebel against the command of their Creator by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The chapter is not without hope, however. Embedded within the bad news is the good news of the Gospel. The entire chapter is a summary of the human condition. All mankind is born into sin, but the hope of the Gospel remains a free offer to them.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 2
The main focus of this second chapter is the visit of the wise men as they followed the star to where Christ was living. The thematic structure of this chapter parallels that of Exodus 2 when the king of Egypt sought to destroy the Christ-like child in the person of Moses.
Read MoreREAD: Genesis 2
Genesis two has been regarded by most scholars to be a microscopic look into the creation of man. It is another account of the creation of our first parents. Additionally, this chapter highlights the nature and importance of the Sabbath and that of marriage.
2:1-3
This section highlights the importance of the Sabbath day. That day is significant and set aside by God for the express purpose of worshiping him. On the other six days, God called his work “good.” On the seventh day, no such reference is made. Instead, he calls it holy – a day set apart from the other activities accompanying creation week. There is a second observation of significance in this section: the absence of the phrase “evening and morning,” which we find connected to the other days of creation. There is a good reason for that: the seventh day is the day of worship, and worship never ends. Man was made on the sixth day to worship God on the seventh. All of our life is to be an act of worship, and we were made to glorify God with everything we do, say, or think (1 Cor. 10:31; WSC 1).
Read MoreRead: Matthew 1
1:1-14
The gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy ending with the birth of Christ. Matthew’s genealogy is designed to show us the kingly line of Christ and is divided neatly into three 14 generation cycles.
1:18-25
This section highlights the birth of Christ. The critical aspect of the narrative is found in 1:18, where we read that his name “will be called Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.” At the very beginning of the earthly ministry of Christ, we have a clearly stated purpose for his advent: the salvation of sinners. The whole purpose and mission of the Savior is to give his life a ransom for sin.
Read MoreRead: Genesis 1
The opening chapter of the Bible starts with a grand declaration, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” There is no defense of God’s existence. There is only a statement that it is God who created all things, visible and invisible.
God determined to create all things in the space of six days, and the account of it is given to us in 1:3-31. The following is a short summary of the days of creation:
Read MoreWe live in a world of instant information. Yet, with our access through various mediums and devices, God’s people are more biblically illiterate than ever in history. Not long ago, parents catechized their children, conducted family worship each evening, and spent time praying together as families. Not long ago, missing worship (both services) would have been unthinkable. Things have changed in our modern world, and I am not convinced they have changed for the better. The fruit of our failures to catechize, conduct family worship, and teach the importance of corporate worship each Lord’s Day is rotten. Its effects are visible across the spectrum of our culture and, worse, our churches.
Read MoreAnother new year is upon us, and if you are anything like me, you take the time to reflect on the previous year and make plans and goals for the new one. In some sense, this time of the year allows you to hit the "reset" button on your lives and adjust what needs to be changed related to your families, your relationship with Christ, and other essential matters. It is the second item, your relationship with Christ, that I want to focus on briefly, especially related to the fundamentals of the Christian life.
The basics are very important. If you watch sports, you will notice that when athletes competing at the highest level are in a tight spot and the game is on the line that their fundamentals are what gets them that hit that is needed or golf shot within feet of the hole, or the important pass to win the game. So much depends on the basics – the fundamentals. It is no different in the Christian life.
Read MoreStarting on January 2022, I will be writing a brief devotional each day of the week covering a Bible Reading Plan that I have developed. My goal is to see the members of the church engage in concerted Bible Reading and study over the next year. The plan will look as follows:
January 1:
Genesis 1 | Matthew 1
January 2
Genesis 2 | Matthew 2
Exodus 1 -- The people of God are located in Egypt under a Pharaoh that did not know Joseph.
Exodus 3 -- Moses is called by YHWH at the burning bush and commissioned to lead the people out of Egypt.
Exodus 7-11 -- The nine plagues/signs of YHWH.
Exodus 12 -- The institution of the Passover and the tenth plague/sign.
Exodus 14-- The crossing of the Red Sea
