The Lord’s Supper Matthew 26:17–30 This is my blood of the covenant. Matthew 26:28 In some ways, it is a pity that debate about the literal or nonliteral meaning of Christ’s words has been so fierce, since it has tended to obscure the equally important (probably far more important) teachings about Jesus’s death that we…

A Lasting Memorial Matthew 26:6–16 What she has done will also be told in memory of her. Matthew 26:13 An interesting twist to the story of Mary anointing Jesus is that it was a memorial for him, in view of his death and burial, though what she did actually became a memorial to her. Think…

Doing Good Matthew 25:31–46 As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Matthew 25:40 The works Christians perform do not save them, but the works are evidence that Christians love and trust Jesus. And here is a point worth noting. The evidence of a credible…

Unprepared Matthew 25:1–13 And the door was shut. Matthew 25:10 Here are two lessons from this parable of the ten virgins. 1. Being prepared for judgment is not transferable. No person can get by on another’s faith. You cannot be saved by the life of Christ in someone else. Many people delude themselves along these…

Who Is Jesus? Matthew 21:1–11 The whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” Matthew 21:10 Matthew ends his account of the triumphal entry by telling us that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, “the whole city was stirred,” as it had been thirty-three years earlier when the Magi came to inquire, “Where is he who…

Serving God to the End Matthew 19:30–20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. Matthew 20:16 What Jesus had in mind when he told the provocative parable of the workers in the vineyard is suggested by the most important verse that both introduces the story and ends it: “But many who are…

Overcoming Failure Matthew 17:1–23 They could not heal him. Matthew 17:16 There are always valleys. But as far as failures are concerned, although we will certainly also have those, we do not need to have as many as we do or experience them so often. Fortunately, Matthew 17 has provided pointers to the way we…

The Great Confession Matthew 16:13–20 But who do you say that I am? Matthew 16:15 Jesus asked his disciples two probing questions. First, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v. 13). The disciples would have been in a better position than Jesus to have known what people were saying about him,…

Clean Hands or Clean Heart Matthew 15:1–20 What comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person. Matthew 15:11 Do you stand before God with clean hands only, that is, with mere ceremonial religion, or do you come with a new, clean heart? Washing our hands in a religious way is not the issue today,…

Faltering Faith Matthew 14:22–33 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Matthew 14:30 True faith involves an actual trust in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior. It means that a person actually commits himself or herself to Jesus. To use the…