1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12)
Here the Lord Jesus told the crowds and his disciples not to imitate the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees, who could talk but could not do. They gave heavy burdens to others, but they themselves would not lift a finger to move them, and did nothing.
38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. (Numbers 15:38-39)
The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament required the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel so that they could see and remember to obey all the commandments of God. However, they made their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long in order for others to see.
1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
Here the Lord Jesus said that we should not do good deeds in front of people, deliberately for them to see. Here the Lord Jesus did not mean that we should not do good deeds in front of people, but that the motive for doing good deeds should not be for people to see. If the motive is for people to see, you have received rewards from people, you cannot receive rewards from the Father in heaven.
The scribes and Pharisees also loved the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues, and being called rabbi in the streets. Rabbi means teacher.
The Lord Jesus continued: Whoever is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever is great must serve others, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. God gives grace to the humble.
May God bless you and your family!
Gospel Matthew study
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40)
A Pharisee, an expert in the law came to ask the Lord Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment in the law? ” The Lord Jesus told him two great commandments:
The first great commandment is in the Book of Deuteronomy of the Old Testament:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Here it talks about loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength.
The second greatest commandment is in the book of Leviticus of the Old Testament,
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)
Here it talks about loving your neighbor as yourself.
In the parallel passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark, Lord Jesus also talks about the two great commandments
30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ There is no greater commandment than these. ”
(Mark 12:30-31)
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
Here the Apostle Paul says that the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. If you love your neighbor, you will not do harm to him, and love has fulfilled the law.
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Here it says that what God has prepared for those who love him in heaven in the future are wonders, what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived.
May God bless you and your family!
Sadducees questioned about the Resurrection
23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. (Matthew 22:23-33)
The Sadducees and the Pharisees were both Jewish sects. The Sadducees were centered around the chief priests. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, but the Pharisees did. So the Sadducees came to question the Lord Jesus about the resurrection.
5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. 6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. (Deuteronomy 25:5-6)
According to the Old Testament law: “If a man dies and has no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother”
The Lord Jesus told them that God’s power can resurrect people. When resurrected, people will not marry, just like the angels. The Lord Jesus continued to say: “God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” That is to say, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive.
The Bible says that the Lord Jesus resurrected Lazarus who had been dead for four days. I have read testimonies that the dead are still being raised nowadays.
The Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross and resurrected from the dead three days later. His resurrection gives us hope of resurrection.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Here the Apostle Paul tells us that when the Lord Jesus comes again, the dead in Christ will be resurrected first, and then we who are still alive in Christ will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord and be with the Lord forever.
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Here Paul says that when the Lord Jesus comes again, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and have an incorruptible body, and we will also be changed, and our bodies will be changed into glorious and incorruptible bodies.
I hope more people will come to believe in the Lord, become new person in Christ, and have
Pay taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22)
Here we see that the Pharisees and the Herodians came to test the Lord Jesus, asking him: “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” The Herodians were a Jewish sect, supporters of King Herod, the king of Judah. At that time, the Jews were under the rule of Rome, and Caesar was the emperor of Rome. Here the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus in his words. If the Lord Jesus said not to pay taxes to Caesar, they would accuse him of inciting rebellion. The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and he knows everything. He knew that they came to tempt him, so he answered: “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” That is, pay tax what is due to Caesar, and offer to God what is due to God.
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”(Luke 23:1-2)
Here we see that later the Lord Jesus was arrested by them and brought before Pilate, they falsely accused him of forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar. The Lord Jesus did not do so, but they still falsely accused him. If he had done so, it would have been even worse. They did not believe that he was the Christ and the King, and this became the reason for their accusation.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:7)
Here the Apostle Paul said that we should pay taxes if we own tax, we should be law-abiding people.
I hope more people will believe in the Lord Jesus and accept him as the Lord and Savior of their lives.
May God bless you and your family!
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14)
Here the Lord Jesus spoke the parable of a wedding banquet, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding banquet. Here the king represents God, and the king’s son represents the Lord Jesus. The king sent servants to invite those who were called. God first called the Israelites, but they found excuses not to attend the banquet, and even killed many servants, prophets sent by God, including John the Baptist. Because the Israelites who were called were not worthy, God’s call came to the Gentiles, that is, non-Israelites. Here we see that God called all people, regardless of good or evil, and the banquet was full of guests. At that time, the host of the wedding banquet would prepare wedding clothes for the guests. The king saw that there was a person who was not wearing a wedding clothes. What does this mean?
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
The wedding clothes mentioned above are the garments of salvation and the robes of righteousness that God has prepared for us.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) (Revelation 19:8)
The fine linen mentioned here in Revelation is the righteousness of the saints.
and to put on the new self, create in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
Here it says that after believing in the Lord and being born again and saved, we must put on the new man, which is created in the image of God, with true righteousness and holiness.
So wearing a wedding clothes means wearing a robe of righteousness, doing righteousness, putting on the new man, and becoming a new man.
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
I hope more people will accept the Lord’s call to believe in the Lord, be born again and saved, become new men, and be able to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb in the future. The Lamb here refers to the Lord Jesus.
May God bless you and your family!
The Parable of the Tenants
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Here the landowner represents God, the vineyard represents Israel, and the tenants represents the chief priests, Pharisees, scribes, and elders. The servant represents the servant of God, the prophet. The son of the landowner represents the Lord Jesus. The landowner sent his servants to the vineyard represents God sent his prophets to preach the word of God to Israel, and some of them were beaten, some were killed, and some were stoned to death. God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to them and was crucified by them. Here the Lord Jesus prophesied that He would be put to death by them. The Lord Jesus quoted Old Testament prophecy:
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (Psalm 118:22)
Here the stone rejected by the builders is the Lord Jesus, who became the cornerstone, on which the church was built, and the church began with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus after his death. Here it is said that the kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to fruitful people. God chose the Israelites first, and the Lord Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God to them first, but they did not believe and rejected the Lord Jesus, and the gospel was preached to the Gentiles, that is, to us, the non-Israelites.
In this parable, we see God’s faithful love and patience, and he gives people opportunities to turn back to Him one time after another.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
I hope that more people will believe in the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, to be born again and be saved, and to have the hope of eternal life.
May God bless you and your family!
Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)
In this parable, the Lord Jesus mentioned two sons. The first son did not agree to his father’s request at first, but later he repented and obeyed his father’s command; the second son agreed to his father’s request, but did not act. Jesus continued to say that the first son was the tax collectors and prostitutes. They did not obey God’s will at first and violated God’s commandments. However, because they listened to Jesus’ teachings, they repented and stopped sinning, became new creations in Christ, and entered the kingdom of God first; the second son was the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. They knew God’s law, but they did not obey God’s commandments. They did not believe when John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus preached to them.
Jesus asked them who was the one who obeyed the Father’s commandments, There is no doubt that those tax collectors and prostitutes who believed in Jesus, although they were sinners, they repented because of their belief in Jesus and became people who obeyed the Father’s command.
Jesus used this parable to tell us that repentance and baptism are the key to be born again and be saved. Jesus said that unless a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. The first son repented and obeyed his father’s command. In fact, the second son could also become a person who obeyed his father’s command. As long as he repented, God would accept them, but they were unwilling. So Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before them.
May God bless you and your family.
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (Matthew 21:23-27)
Here we see that the Lord Jesus was teaching in the temple, and the chief priests and elders of the people came to him and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things?” What does “these things” here refer to? We have talked about the Lord Jesus cleansing the temple earlier, and it is obvious that this is what they were talking about. The Lord Jesus did not directly answer their questions, but asked them, “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” The Lord Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. If they answered that John’s baptism came from heaven, then the Lord Jesus’ authority came from heaven. They did not dare to say that John’s baptism was of human origin, because they were afraid of the people. The people believed that John was a prophet.
Earlier we saw that the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, but the Pharisees did not believe. Right after the Lord Jesus performed a miracle, they asked the Lord Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. The chief priests and the elders of the people mentioned here must know that the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, but they still did not believe. Even if the Lord Jesus answered them directly, they would not believe. They did not believe that he was the Messiah, the Savior who came to save the world. I hope more people will believe in the Lord Jesus, be baptized and born again, be saved, accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior, do God’s will, and walk on the path to the kingdom of heaven.
May God bless you and your family!
The fig tree withered
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:18-22)
Here we see that the Lord Jesus said a word, the fig tree with leaves got withered. The disciples were amazed, and the Lord Jesus said: If you have faith and do not doubt, you can not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. Here we see the importance of prayer, importance of prayer with faith. Moving the mountain to the sea is God’s work, not man’s work. What man does is prayer, prayer with faith. Here we see that the prayer is very important.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)
The Word here is the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus is the Word of God, the embodiment of God’s Word, He is the Son of God, He was with God in the beginning, and all things were made through him. So he said a word, and the fig tree withered, and he says a word and the mountain will be moved into the sea. The Lord Jesus said that if we have faith, we can do the same thing through prayer. I have seen many testimonies people praying to the Lord, the Lord heal the sick and the Lord answers other prayers. I have also personal experience the Lord answering my prayers. Thank the Lord!
May God bless you and your family!
Cleansing of the Temple
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. (Matthew 21:12-17)
The Lord Jesus cleansing the temple appears in all four Gospels. In the Gospel of John it was placed at beginning of the Gospel, and in the other three Gospels it was placed at the end of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus entered the temple and drove out all the people who were doing business in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of the people who were selling doves. At that time, animals were used for sacrifice, and the money was exchanged to pay the temple tax. The temple was a place for prayer and worship of God. The Lord Jesus is the Lord of the temple. He did not allow people to use the temple as a market place and do business there.
The Lord Jesus quoted the following verses from the Old Testament:
these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
Here it says that the temple of God is a house of prayer for all people, not a place for people to do business. In the temple, there were blind and lame people who came to the Lord Jesus, and he healed them. There were little children in the temple shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David”. Hosanna is a Hebrew word which means praise, and the Son of David refers to Lord Jesus. Jesus quoted the following prophecy from the Old Testament:
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)
This verse prophesies that the infants will utter the voice of praise to the Lord, and it was fulfilled in the temple.
May God bless you and your family!
The Lord Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)
This passage talks about the Lord Jesus went to Jerusalem on a donkey. This fulfilled the following prophecy of the Old Testament by prophet Zechariah.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(Zechariah 9:9)
This prophecy predicted that the Lord Jesus would enter Jerusalem humbly, riding on a donkey, that is, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The colt here is a young male donkey up to four years old, and the foal of a donkey is a young male or female donkey up to one year old. The Lord Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, did not ride on a fine horse into Jerusalem, but rode on a donkey. What does this show? It shows his meekness and humility.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)
The Lord Jesus wants us to follow him, walk with him, and learn his meekness and humility.
The Lord Jesus was not born in a palace, but in a manger, a humble environment with animal feed and a floor of dung. John the Baptist should have been baptized by the Lord Jesus, but the Lord Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized.
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)
The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, being in very nature God. In order to redeem mankind, He humbled Himself and obeyed to the point of death, even death on the cross.
Let us learn from the example of the Lord Jesus and learn from His gentle and humble heart.
May God bless you and your family!
Jesus healed two blind men
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)
Here we see that when the Lord Jesus left Jericho, two blind men by the roadside shouted loudly for the Lord Jesus to have mercy on them and heal them. The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion and healed them.
The Lord Jesus not only healed the sick and cast out demons, but also gave his disciples the authority to heal and cast out demons. When the Lord Jesus sent out the twelve disciples and later sent out the seventy-two disciples to preach the gospel, he gave them the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. The Lord Jesus not only healed the sick in the Biblical time, but he is still healing the sick now. I have heard many testimonies of the Lord Jesus healing the sick now.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:17-18)
Here the Lord Jesus said that signs will follow those who believe, they will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. The Lord also led me to pray for the sick, and some of the sick were healed by the Lord.
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name. (Luke 10:17) However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
The Lord Jesus sent seventy-two people out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons, and the demons submitted to them, but the Lord Jesus said: Do not rejoice because the demons submit to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. I hope more people will believe in the Lord, be baptized, be born again and be saved, and have their names written in heaven.
May God bless you and your family!
