Matthew 26:36-46SummaryIn Matthew 26:36–46, we find Jesus retracing Adam’s steps and bringing the story of redemption full circle through his perfect obedience in a very different kind of garden. As b...  Read More

In Matthew 5:31–32, Jesus addresses the topic of marriage and divorce. Rather than simply giving us a list of acceptable reasons for divorce, Jesus calls us to see marriage as God intended: not merely...  Read More

In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus takes the command against adultery deeper than outward behavior and exposes the desires of the heart. Sexual sin is not merely a problem “out there”; it reveals something wit...  Read More

In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus shows us that true righteousness goes deeper than outward obedience. The command against murder reaches into the heart, exposing anger, contempt, and broken relationships....  Read More

Jesus did not come to abolish God’s Law, but to fulfill it. In Matthew 5:17–20, he calls us to a righteousness that goes deeper than outward obedience and reaches the heart. The gospel does not make h...  Read More

In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus calls his people to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Christians are not called to withdraw from the world, conform to it, or seek to dominate it. Instead,...  Read More

Matthew 5:10-12SummaryAll the beatitudes call for us to live a certain way, to live like Jesus. And today we find where this living leads us – of course to blessing but perhaps surprisingly to persecu...  Read More

Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Biblical peace is more than the absence of conflict; it is shalom, the wholeness and flourishing of life as God intende...  Read More

Jesus tells us that true happiness is found not in wealth, comfort, recognition, or even the best things this world can offer, but in seeing God. We were made for him, and nothing less can finally sat...  Read More

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Mercy is not simply something Christians do from time to time; it is something that increasingly defines who we are. Those who hav...  Read More

Matthew 5:6SummaryIn the fourth Beatitude, Jesus declares, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” As we move through the Beatitudes, we see a progres...  Read More

Matthew 5:5SummaryWhen we hear the word meek, we often contrast it with strength. I was recently watching the Wizard of Oz with my children, and after Dorothy and her friends meet the wizard who intro...  Read More