2: The line of the Messiah must come from a certain tribe in Israel, because this tribe, the tribe of Judah, was the tribe of the kings. To be the King of Israel, the Messiah had to be from that tribe.3: The mention of Tamar is here interesting. In fact, several persons are mentioned that…

1: Matthew was concerned with showing that Jesus Christ is indeed the rightful Messiah. No one else could be the Messiah. Jesus is the King of the Jews, without a doubt. Though few are convinced by argument, it is important that the record be written. Matthew shows that Jesus is indeed who he claimed to…

15: At the end of this challenging verse we find Joshua’s resolution to follow the Lord. However, there is a great misconception about the timing of this statement. We generally think of this happening at the beginning of Joshua’s life. But, it actually was at the end, just before he died. Thus, his statement was based upon…

19: Jesus says, ‘therefore’ referring to his previous statement. In other words, the Great Commission is powered by and authorized by Christ. It is his program for this world. He tells his disciples to be teachers of all nations, everywhere. Then, those who, by implication, respond to this teaching, should be baptized. Here we find…

18: Although we often think of the Great Commission as Jesus’ most important words before going back to heaven, these words about his power are quite important as well.For one thing, this statement reassured the faith of the disciples. It let them know yet again that the crucifixion was all a part of God’s plan.…

15: That the soldiers would take the money is not at all surprising. They really had no choice, unless they chose to tell the truth. That the Jews would easily believe the story is also not terribly surprising. They were looking for signs from the Messiah that they should have never expected, and largely ignored the signs…

12: The Jewish counsel met once again to decide on a deceptive, though not very convincing, cover-up. They had to give the soldiers involved some money, and may have had to pay off the soldier’s superiors, and maybe even Pilate. This money may very well have come from the temple treasury, rather than their own pockets,…

11: While the ladies were making their way to find Jesus’ disciples, the guards from the tomb had recovered from their terror. Evidently the angel had departed. These soldiers went into the city and reported to their superiors. In this case, their superiors were the chief priests, since this particular band of soldiers was under the priests during the feast.…

7: They would see Jesus even before they came to Galilee, but Jesus had given the angel this message. He wanted his followers to understand his next steps. He wanted them, being only human, to realize that he was not some kind of ghost now. He had risen, and he was free to go wherever he might.8:…

6: The angel reported the exact facts. This was his job. Many might expect a messenger of God to simply say something and expect everyone to believe. In this case, the angel was very interested in substantiating his statement in their minds. He invites them to consider the evidence.Notice also the angel’s words about the resurrection.…