Matthew 1

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4- Then they cross the sea and “a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but he was sleeping.”

So they are about to sink and Jesus sleeps well! The natural elements have no influence on him! And the disciples must wake him up! THIS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS WHAT JESUS SAYS WHEN PEOPLE ARE DEAD IS SIMILAR TO WHEN THEY SLEEP AND THEY NEED TO BE WOKEN UP!

 

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5- Then Jesus cures two demon-possessed men and the demons ask Jesus to let them go into a herd of swine and the entire herd rushes over the precipice into the sea and dies in the waters. And it appears that for Jesus any action is similar it takes it the same way whatever it is!

 

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-6 Chapter 9: Jesus cures a paralyzed man. He says:

“Take courage, child! Your sins are forgiven.”

And as usual, the religious leaders accuse him of blaspheming!

As an answer he cures the man!

 

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7- Then he is asked to resurrect a ruler’s daughter and the man knows exactly what Jesus can do and the religious leaders too! While he goes to the house man, he cures a woman who touches his outer garment and he notices it. Then he arrives at the ruler’s house and resurrects her daughter after having said that she is sleeping and people laughing scornfully at him. Jesus takes the situations as they occur, he adapts and he always knows what to do, he is flexible, only thinking on completing God’s mission!

 

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8- Then Jesus meets and cures two blind men. As usual he tells them not to speak about what has happened but they speak publicly, they can’t shut their mouths. Then He cures a speechless man possessed of a demon and he goes on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.

 

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9- Chapter 12: Jesus cures a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath so the religious leaders accuse him and conspire to kill him. Then he cures a blind and speechless man and the religious leaders accuse him. In fact, that’s the only thing they can do.

 

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10- Chapter 14: Jesus feed 5,000 men (and women and young children) by multiplying bread and fish. Then he tells his disciples to take the boat to go to the other side of the sea. And Jesus walks on the sea to meet them despite the windstorm and he gets into the boat and the windstorm stops. When they arrive in Gennesaret some people recognize him and sick people are brought to him and he cures them. So Jesus keeps acting all the time without interruption.

 

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11- Chapter 15: Jesus cures the possessed daughter of a Greek woman who keeps asking for Jesus’ help and he finally accepts to help her even if she isn’t a Jew. Then he cures lame, maimed, blind, speechless and many others and he feeds them by multiplying bread and fish (4,000 men and women and young children).

 

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12- Chapter 17: Jesus cures an epileptic boy who is possessed because his disciples can’t cure him. When he cures people, he does it as if it was nothing special just as if he was eating or drinking or sleeping!

 

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13- Chapter 20: As Jesus goes out of Jericho Two blind men attract Jesus’ attention so he cures them because he is moved with pity and immediately they recover their sight and they follow him.

 

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The selection of the 12 apostles:

1- Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they are fishermen and he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” So they abandon their nets and follow him. Going on from there, he sees two others who are brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They are in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets and he calls them. They leave their nets and their father and follow him.

 

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1- Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees two brothers, Simon (1), who is called Peter, and Andrew (2) his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they are fishermen and he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” So they abandon their nets and follow him. Going on from there, he sees two others who are brothers, James (3) the son of Zebedee and his brother John (4). They are in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets and he calls them. They leave their nets and their father and follow him.

2- Matthew Chapter 9: Jesus catches sight of a man named Matthew (5) sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later as he he is dining in the house, look! Many tax collectors and sinners come and begin dining with Jesus and his disciples.

 

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1- Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees two brothers, Simon (1), who is called Peter, and Andrew (2) his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they are fishermen and he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” So they abandon their nets and follow him. Going on from there, he sees two others who are brothers, James (3) the son of Zebedee and his brother John (4). They are in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets and he calls them. They leave their nets and their father and follow him.

2- Matthew Chapter 9: Jesus catches sight of a man named Matthew (5) sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later as he he is dining in the house, look! Many tax collectors and sinners come and begin dining with Jesus and his disciples.

3- Matthew Chapter 10: The names of the 12 apostles are gthese:

- First, Simon, the one called Peter,

- And Andrew his brother;

- James the son of Zebedee

- And John his brother;

- Philip

- And Bartholomew;

- Thomas

- And Matthew the tax collector;

- James the son of Alphaeus;

- And Thaddaeus;

- Simon the Cananaean;

- And Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.

So Matthew tells about the first five and then he enumerates all of them.

 

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JOHN THE BAPTIST VS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Matthew Chapter 3:

-John the Baptist comes preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying:

- “Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.”

- Now John is clothed with camel’s hair and has a leather belt around his waist. His food is locusts and wild honey.

- Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country around the Jordan are going out to him, and they are baptized by him in the jordan River, openly confessing their sins.

- When he catches sight of many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he says to them: “You offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, produce fruit that befits repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I, for my part, baptize you with water because of your repentance, but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.”

- Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to john, in order to be baptized by him. But the latter tries to prevent him, saying: “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”

- Jesus replies to him: “Let it be this time, for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.”

- Then he quits preventing him

- After being baptized, Jesus immediately comes up from the water; and look! The heavens are opened up; and he sees God’s spirit descending like a dove and coming upon him.

- Look! Also, a voice from the heavens says: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”

Apparently the religious leaders were deaf! But they paid the price for it!

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders

Matthew 7: When Jesus finishes these sayings, the effect is that the crowds are astounded at his way of teaching, for he is teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes.

- Imagine you were there listening to Jesus!

- Knowledge vs Ignorance

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders

Matthew 8: And a scribe comes up and says to him: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus says to him: “Foxes have dens and birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.”

- Apparently this one wants to follow Jesus but he is used to a certain standard of living and it doesn’t work with Jesus.

- Jesus knows what we think when we think!

- He follows his Father’s interests not his that’s why he is going to build a world for us not destroy the Earth and there will be no seats for those who are destroying it: remember the Israelites: they didn’t get into the promised land, they stayed at the door!

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders

Matthew 9: On seeing their faith, Jesus says to the paralytic: Take courage, child! Your sins are forgiven.” Now certain scribes say to themselves : “This fellow is blaspheming.” Jesus, knowing their thoughts, say: “Why are you thinking wicked things in your hearts? For instance, which is easier, to say, “your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “get up and walk”? However, in order for you to know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins-” then he says to the paralytic: “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.” And he gets up and goes to his home. When the crowds see this, they are struck with fear, and they glorify God, who give such authority to men.

- Religious leaders = superficial? Liars? They have seen or heard about Jesus’ miracles and they know what he does and who he is?

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders

Matthew 9: But on seeing this, the Pharisees say to his disciples: “Why does your teacher say to his disciples: Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Hearing them, he says: “Healthy people do not need a physician, but those who are ill do. Go, then, and learn what this means: “I want mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.”

- Jesus wants people to listen carefully to his message and be saved, religious leaders do business and want people to listen to them to serve their own interests and go to destruction exactly as it happened each time when Jerusalem was destroyed!

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders


Matthew 9: Jesus says: “Leave the place, for the girl DID NOT DIE but IS SLEEPING.”

- Another powerful verse! When someone you appreciate a lot dies, how do you think about the situation?

 

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Jesus vs the religious leaders

Matthew 9: As Jesus moves on from there, two blind men follow him, shouting out: “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” After he has gone into the house, the blind men come to him, and Jesus asks them: “Do you have faith that I can do this?” They answer him: “Yes, Lord.” Then he touches their eyes, saying: “According to your faith let it happen to you.” And their eyes RECEIVE SIGHT.

- We see two blind men, they know who Jesus is and what he can do and they don’t want to miss the opportunity so they keep searching him and he asks them a question and THEIR EYES RECEIVE SIGHT like a gift but they had to struggle to get it! Do we really strive to take the opportunity Jesus gives us before it is too late? If we want Jesus to come to us, we have to sincerely come to him and look for him! It is a personal choice and it is our decision, not others! Jesus warned the inhabitants of Jerusalem and those who escaped were saved, the others died or were taken into slavery! It doesn’t matter if people listen to their religious leaders or not, they decided and they paid the price, that’s it!