Matthew’s Gospel: Christ-child
Awaking from his sleep, Joseph obeyed the angel’s words and took Mary as his wife. His love for her was so great, it negated logic and thus their marriage was an act of faith in God.
Awaking from his sleep, Joseph obeyed the angel’s words and took Mary as his wife. His love for her was so great, it negated logic and thus their marriage was an act of faith in God.
We cannot imagine the joy of the followers of Jesus to have Him back. But this was not the end of surprises.
Neither Pilate nor the cruel soldiers knew that the blood they spilled that day would someday save the world.
The arena grew suddenly quiet as each participant realized the importance of the answer. In the courtyard, Peter moved to a different place by the fire.
The moment came and she knew it. There was no change in the room as she removed the flask from her loose clothing. No one noticed as she broke its seal.
This was no parable; this was about to happen—to them! None of them wanted to believe it, but how could they doubt the words of Jesus?
Finally, everyone would see Jesus the way they did—in all the greatness He was careful to hide every day. They could process this prediction and they did.
Each of the Temples where God Almighty chose to dwell among people ended in this type of destruction. The repeated cause? False worship.
This was not at all what the men expected to hear. They expected Jesus to restore the spirituality of the Temple, not bring down its buildings.
All of this secrecy works on the human level but it is useless in the spiritual realm. God sees and remembers!
Jesus said these men were “greatly mistaken.” Their miscalculation robbed them of life before and after death. The same is true today.
In the public arena, believers have a civic duty to perform. In the spiritual arena, the followers of Christ have a spiritual duty that goes deeper.
In the silence, Jesus locked eyes with each of the leaders, staring until each one dropped his eyes to the ground. No one could think of anything to say.
He would need an animal to ride to lift Himself above the throng and keep the procession from descending into chaos.
We need to fall before the Lord, seeking what He wants us to do for Him, not the other way around!
He knew what was coming and though He tried to warn them, He knew there was no way they could know what was ahead for them.
Jesus smiled down at the man, instantly understanding that this was not a question rooted in humility. It was based in pride.
Jesus said our personalities season our lives, making them pleasant for others to taste. A lack of salt in our lives blends us into the blur of godless living.
Jesus asked the parents of a small child if He could hold the child. Perhaps they knew who He was, but at least they sensed He could be trusted.
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” That was all Jesus needed. He commanded the demon to depart and it did with a cry, convulsing the boy one last time
Yet, this surprising transformation in men was precisely what Jesus had come to bring about. He called all the people nearer.