Matthew 12:49   Jesus was not, by this illustration, saying that his disciples were a better family to him than his own. His family was still his family. But, the disciples were closer still to him than his family because they believed in him and followed him. And, among them there was at least one who…

Matthew 12:48   Jesus intention here was not to deny the identity of his family. What he was doing was making a powerful statement about the kingdom. The family ties that the Jews held so dearly were not as strong as the ties between those who practice the will of God. Christians are to have a…

Matthew 12:47   Jesus did not lose contact with his family during his ministry. He did not shun them or act as if they were unworthy of him. He did not publicly attack them for their disbelief. He was quite busy, so he probably did not have a lot of contact with them. But, he did…

Matthew 12:46   We are here reminded on the humanity of Christ. He was, and is, completely human, though completely Divine.Bible Reading: Numbers 14:1-15:41Scripture Memory: 1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us. You are incredible! We can never truly…

Matthew 12:45   Jesus would not stay there on earth forever. The Jews needed to accept him into their hearts. Yes, some of them would still have the chance to do so after his ascension. But, today is always the day of salvation. The time to accept him is always now. Later is never the message.…

Matthew 12:44   The demon returns to the man that he was cast out of. The man has attempted to put his life in order by himself. This attempt will lead to just this outcome. It makes an empty, though organized, mess. We must have Christ in us in order to be anything other than empty…

Matthew 12:43   The Jews though that demon spirits inhabited desert places. Thus, Jesus speaks of the demon that left the man wandering through dry places seeking rest. This gives us a small glimpse of how the minions of the devil, and even the old snake himself, operate. They are at their greatest rest when they…

Matthew 12:42   The Queen of Sheba, who Christ here refers to, came to see about all that she had heard concerning Solomon. Although she was a Gentile, she was impressed not only with the greatness of Solomon, but also with the greatness of Almighty God. She recognized God’s hand and his wisdom in putting wise…

Matthew 12:41   Jesus knows how the judgment at the end will play out, for he is the judge. The story of Jonah was so fitting to show these false leaders of the Jews how hypocritical they were. Jonah really did not want the Gentile people of Nineveh to repent, and yet they did. Here, Jesus…

Matthew 12:40   The story of Jonah was so appropriate for Christ to pick. The book of Jonah reveals the love of God in such a unique way. Just as Jonah spent time in the whale for his disobedience, Jesus spent some time in the grave for all of ours. Bible Reading: Numbers 1:1-2:34 Scripture Memory:…