See the Grave Matthew 28:1–10 Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 Think for a minute about why we should see the grave and how we may profit by it. First, we see the grave that we might understand the condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is not just…

The Burial’s Significance Matthew 27:57–61 [Joseph] laid [the body] in his own new tomb. Matthew 27:60 Jesus’s burial has theological significance for us. This point strikes us when we study what is said about the grave in the Old Testament and about the burial of Jesus in the New Testament. Old Testament texts speak of…

Passing Responsibility Matthew 27:11–26 I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves. Matthew 27:24 Pilate was trapped by his own scheming. He had miscalculated. But his stubborn character still came through. He was caught, but he did not want to be defeated by the Jews’ religious rulers whom he obviously despised. “Then…

Judging Jesus Matthew 26:57–68 He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? Matthew 26:65 Jesus’s claims matched what the Old Testament taught about the Messiah. 1. The Messiah was to have been born in Bethlehem, as Jesus was (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7). 2. The Messiah was to be virgin born, as Jesus was…

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…