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Key Verse: Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” This chapter includes a tough passage. First of all, it seems uncharacteristic of Jesus to be going about cursing trees, especially trees, as Mark tells us, that are out of season. Secondly, even though we’re accustomed to Jesus using hyperbole […]

Key Verse: Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” A rich young man comes up to Jesus and says, “What must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus’ response is a little strange. He says “Why do you ask Me about what is good? There’s only one who […]

Key Verse: Matthew 18:3 “Unless you…become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Even the disciples had egos. This must have been at the root of their question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Like you and me, they would want to hear Jesus say, “Frankly, […]

Key Verse: Matthew 16:16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In chapter 16, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” And the answers were predictable. “Some say John the Baptist, others said, Elijah, some said Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you, […]

Key Verse: Matthew 15:28 “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” This is a strange story, to say the least. It’s a story of a Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon-possessed, who came to Jesus crying out for mercy that her daughter might be healed. Apparently she was […]

Key Verse: Matthew 14:27 “Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid.” Matthew takes a moment to tell us about Herod and his beheading of John the Baptist, then he gets into the remarkable miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus, who was involved in a very people-intensive ministry, seemed […]

Key Verse: Matthew 13:11 “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven…” In this chapter Jesus tells one of His better-known parables, that of the sower. Most parables have only one point and they generally make it well. The major point of this one parable comes in the […]

Key Verse: Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” This is the first of what are known as the Sabbath controversies in the gospels. On this occasion, Jesus’ disciples were picking some heads of grain and eating them as they walked through some grain fields on the Sabbath day. […]

Key Verse: Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” In this chapter, we have two contrasting sides of Jesus’ ministry portrayed. First of all, He very bluntly and directly condemns Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, cities that were not repenting of their sin, not […]