Jesus Responds…..

I love the book of Matthew in the New Testament. One of the four Gospels, Matthew was my go-to-book when I was younger. It’s where I read about Jesus’ birth, His ministry, His death on the cross, and His resurrection on the third day. It’s where we read about our calling, at the end of the book, when Jesus calls His disciples together before ascending to heaven to tell them to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”

Did you know that twenty-six of the twenty-eight chapters of Matthew contain words spoken by Jesus? This is seen in Bibles who highlight Jesus’ words in red. He was a teacher to those He physically stood in front of 2,000 years ago and is a teacher to us today “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). You might say “how is He a teacher to us?” Here are some examples in Matthew of how Jesus addresses the issues at hand:

Jesus responds - with obedience and humility when getting baptized by John the Baptist. (see Matthew 3:13-17)

Jesus responds - with loyalty when tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread. (see Matthew 4:3-4)

Jesus responds - with trust in His Heavenly Father when the devil tries to coerce Him to thrown Himself down. (see Matthew 4:5-7)

Jesus responds - with faithfulness toward God when the devil seeks an exchange of all of the kingdoms on earth for complete adulation. (see Matthew 4:8-10)

Jesus preaches - with a call for people to repent. (see Matthew 4:17)

Jesus preaches - with a call for people to leave their sinful ways and follow Him. (see Matthew 4:19)

Jesus preaches - on an obscure mountain in Galilee, the Beatitudes. (see Matthew 5:3-11)

Jesus preaches - the manner in which we should pray, the Lord’s Prayer. (see Matthew 6:9-13)

Jesus preaches - the priorities we are to have in our daily lives. (see Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus preaches - against being critical of others; live the Golden Rule. (see Matthew 7:1-12)

Jesus preaches - to do the will of God. (see Matthew 7:13-27)

Jesus heals - showing His compassion for a leper, a centurion (a Roman army officer) and his servant, Peter’s mother-in-law and others. (see Matthew 8:1-17)

Jesus ministers - to those with physical ailments as well as those who need His mercy and grace. (see Matthew 9:1-38)

Jesus preaches - to His twelve disciples the mission that lies ahead of them. (see Matthew 10:5-42)

Jesus invites - all to come; those weary and burdened sinners; for those who come, He tells them “I will give you rest.” (see Matthew 11:25-30)

Jesus lectures - the Pharisees who claim to be good but what they produce from their lives is bad. (see Matthew 12:25-45)

Jesus preaches - through parables. (see Matthew 13:1-52)

Jesus displays - power and the love of the Son of God by conducting many miracles, including the feeding of the five thousand and walking on the water. (see Matthew 14:13-36)

Jesus lectures - the Pharisees on their traditions, calling them “hypocrites!” (see Matthew 15:1-11)

Jesus responds - to Peter’s misunderstanding of Him being the Christ. (see Matthew 16:21-28)

Jesus commands - Peter, James, and John to “tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” (see Matthew 17:1-13)

Jesus speaks - about being betrayed. (see Matthew 17:22-23)

Jesus lectures - about sinning, reconciliation, and forgiveness of others. (see Matthew 18:1-35)

Jesus preaches - about marriage, divorce, and children. (see Matthew 19:1-14)

Jesus tells - his listeners that salvation is impossible “with men”; there is nothing good that mankind can do that will guarantee him or her eternal life with God in heaven. No riches; no good deeds. Only God can bring about salvation. (see Matthew 19:26)

Jesus reveals - the values that He has of man versus the values that mankind has of itself. (see Matthew 20:24-28)

Jesus states - firmly His displeasure of what the people have done to the “temple of God.” (see Matthew 21:12-13)

Jesus proclaims - the two great commandments. (see Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus warns - His disciples about the hypocrisy and the pride displayed by so-called teachers and Pharisees. (see Matthew 23:1-39)

Jesus tells - His disciples about deceitfulness from false prophets, nations rising against nations, and “there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” (see Matthew 24:4-14)

Jesus speaks - of His return. (see Matthew 24:29-31)

Jesus warns - His disciples that “you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (see Matthew 24:32-51)

Jesus provides - guidelines for preparing for the coming of the Son of Man, being active and responsible with the stewardship given, and being compassionate with those that have little or nothing. (see Matthew 25:1-46)

Jesus asks - His disciples “why do you trouble the woman?” who had anointed Jesus with expensive fragrant oil. (see Matthew 26:6-13)

Jesus discusses - matters concerning betrayal by one of His disciples, the meaning of the partaking of the bread and drinking of the wine at the Last Supper, and the actions taken by His disciples later that night. (see Matthew 26:17-35)

Jesus prays - at the Garden of Gethsemane. (see Matthew 26:36-46).

Jesus cries out - from the cross, saying “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (see Matthew 27:46)

Jesus states - to His disciples before ascending to heaven that “all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (see Matthew 28:18-19)

The book of Matthew - the first of the four books of the Gospel, the Apostle Matthew enlightens us with God’s plan to redeem His people. Redemption through the blood of Christ who took God’s wrath for our sins. John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That’s powerful! Several hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah said this: “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” The angel of the Lord tells Joseph in Matthew 1:23, “and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” Indeed He is!