Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Planting God’s Church: Matthew 13:31-35

Published November 23, 2021 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 13:31-35 (NCV)

³¹Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. ³²That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches.”

³³Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise.”

³⁴Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people; he always used stories to teach them. ³⁵This is as the prophet said:

“I will speak using stories;
I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made.”

Read Matthew 13:31-35 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Sometime during the middle of Jesus’ ministry, He shares a series of parables that teach about the kingdom of heaven. Some of these parables were long and detailed, while others were short and simple. However, regardless of the length of each parable, a key spiritual truth is conveyed that we can discover if we look carefully.

Our passage includes two short parables, and while both parables are excellent, one contains a key principle that can help shift our mindset and our focus. This principle is found in the first of these to parables, in the one most commonly known as the parable of the mustard seed: “Then Jesus told another story: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches.’” (v. 31-32)

From my earlier studies and analysis of Jesus’ parables regarding the kingdom of heaven, I have learned to look for a character or item that represents God from within the parable. In this parable, we have two options that could represent God.

Our first candidate for representing God is the man who planted the mustard seed. In my mind, this makes the most logical sense. I can see God as planting someone, something, or some idea in order to help it grow. From my experience and observation, it seems as though God likes taking people who are otherwise believed to be insignificant and turning their lives and stories into testimonies that have a much larger impact.

Our second candidate for representing God is the mustard seed that was planted. I don’t think this is as logical, however if it were the case, since God is a Creator, His kingdom is always growing and expanding – which means that it did start small and it has grown ever since. In some ways, this conclusion does make sense, especially when we look at how the mustard plant benefits the wildlife around it.

However, what if the mustard seed represented something different? What if the mustard seed that God planted was a small group of disciples?

Running this idea to its conclusion, we see the group of disciples forming the early church (with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit), and the church has grown ever since. If the mustard seed represents the church then tucked within this parable is a mission and identity for the church – at least the “church” that God planted.

This parable ends by saying that the mustard plant “becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches.” (v.32b)

With this conclusion, we see that the mustard seed was not planted to produce mustard or because of anything it produces itself. Instead the mustard seed was planted to benefit the creatures that lived near it. The parable specifically mentions wild birds, which could easily mean people who are not God’s followers.

In this parable, I see a mission that says the church should be known as a place that is safe for outsiders to come; I see a mission that says the church should be a place where people can come to grow closer to God and experience His love; I see a mission that says the church should be a place where people realize that people are broken, hurting, and sin-filled, but that together, we are also united by what God has done for each of us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In this parable, I see a challenge for us to be outward focused and loving like God has loved us.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Flashback Episode — A Death that Brings Life: Matthew 27:45-56

Published November 22, 2021 in Audio Journal Entries

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For the past three episodes, we have focused in on Jesus’ final moments on the cross, using Mark, Luke, and John’s gospels. For this episode, let’s look at the moment Jesus takes His last breath from Matthew’s gospel, and discover an event that only Matthew includes and an event that would make this weekend stand out in history as completely unique.

Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 27, and we will be reading from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 45, Matthew tells us that:

⁴⁵At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ⁴⁶About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ⁴⁷When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. ⁴⁹The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.

⁵¹Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. ⁵²The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.

⁵⁴An army officer and those watching Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵Many women were there watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had always supported him. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Did you catch the crazy detail that Matthew includes? While other gospel writers include the detail that the temple curtain rips in two, from top to bottom, only Matthew includes the detail that there was an earthquake right at the moment of Jesus’ death and that this earthquake resulted in the resurrection of many holy people.

We can speculate that the holy people who were raised were many of the Old Testament prophets, but really the text doesn’t give us any clue. All we know is that those raised were holy, or righteous, people who had died.

All this brings to focus an amazing truth: Jesus’ death brings life. Jesus’ death on the cross opens the way for all those who have died believing in and trusting Jesus to be raised to life when He returns.

However, this isn’t the only thing we can see that is amazing during the moment Jesus died. Matthew describes how an army officer, along with others present, were terrified during the earthquake, and at the resurrection of these people, this officer proclaimed that, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!” (v. 54)

Luke’s gospel describes this officer praising God and declaring that Jesus was indeed innocent. This is also powerful, given that this officer would have been present for plenty of deaths, crucifixions included, and nothing like this had happened before.

It’s also interesting to think that both thieves were still alive when Jesus died, so they would have experienced the earthquake as well and perhaps even seen some of those who were resurrected.

In this passage, we discover that the temple curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was split in two, specifically from top to bottom. While this would have occurred at the same time as the earthquake, I wonder if both were connected in any way beyond simply being two things that happened at the exact moment Jesus died.

We’ve already seen how the earthquake was connected with the holy people who were resurrected, but the temple curtain tearing is included in other gospels without the earthquake or the resurrections. Both Mark and Luke include the detail that the curtain was split in two and they do this without connecting this detail to an earthquake – which might mean that the curtain tearing from top to bottom was more significant than a group of dead people returning to life.

So then, what is so significant about this curtain split?

In the temple, there was a space where only one person, the High Priest, could go, and he could only go there one time a year. In this space, which is called the Most Holy Place, was the Ark of the Covenant, and formed into the lid of the ark was a special place called the mercy seat. The mercy seat represented God’s throne and the place where He sits in judgment. It’s worth noting that the place God sits in judgment is characterized and described with the term mercy.

A thick curtain separated the Most Holy Place and God’s presence from the rest of the temple because God’s Holiness consumes and destroys sin, and as sinners, we would be consumed because of our sins. The entire temple on earth shows us God’s desire to live among His people while also protecting them from His presence.

However, when Jesus died, the temple curtain tearing in two symbolized the end of the separation. The curtain now open symbolized that sinners can come before God and ask for forgiveness because Jesus’ sacrifice covers their sins. God’s justice and justness has not changed; God simply took the punishment we deserved and handed it to Jesus, who was able and willing to accept it.

The curtain ripping in the temple is one of the biggest literal and symbolic events that prove Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted by God. If the temple curtain had not split, Jesus’ sacrifice would not have been enough to end the separation between God and His people, and the hope we have in Jesus’ sacrifice allowing us to come before God would be in vain.

At the darkest point in history, while Jesus is dead, the curtain that split in two marks an accepted sacrifice and an accepted sacrifice is a hope and promise we can hold on to when we face dark places in our lives. Even if our faith is weak and people want to discount Jesus’ life, His death, and His resurrection, remember that God validated it all by ripping the temple curtain into two pieces, from top to bottom, which is something no human could do.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Always seek God first and place Him first in your life. If you stumble and feel as though you have failed God, remember that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf, and that He is more than willing to forgive you and accept you back when you come and ask. Because the temple curtain was torn in two, we know Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted, and because Jesus’ death caused holy people to live again, we can know that His death assures us of life – and it makes our promise of eternal life a reality we can count on!

Also, always pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn, grow, and be challenged by the Holy Spirit personally. While other people can give you ideas to think about, never let your relationship with God depend on someone else. Intentionally keep your connection with God strong through continual prayer and regular Bible study.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, chicken out of, or drift away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year of the Cross – Episode 47: At the moment Jesus died, Matthew records two amazing events occurred. Discover what these two events were, and what they mean for us living 2,000+ years later.

Changing Names: Mark 3:13-19

Published November 19, 2021 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 3:13-19 (NIrV)

¹³Jesus went up on a mountainside. He called for certain people to come to him, and they came. ¹⁴He appointed 12 of them so that they would be with him. He would also send them out to preach. ¹⁵And he gave them authority to drive out demons.

¹⁶So Jesus appointed the 12 disciples.

Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter.

¹⁷There were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges. Boanerges means Sons of Thunder.

¹⁸There were also Andrew,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Matthew,

Thomas,

and James, son of Alphaeus.

And there were Thaddaeus

and Simon the Zealot.

¹⁹Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who was later going to hand Jesus over to his enemies.

Read Mark 3:13-19 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Near the beginning of His ministry, three of the four gospels describe the point when Jesus chose the core group of twelve disciples. However, Mark’s gospel includes a detail that the other two gospels don’t, and this detail fascinates me.

Within the twelve disciples, there was a smaller group of three disciples, and this small group, from the point when Jesus called the disciples together, was set apart from the rest. Mark draws our attention onto this distinctive detail at the beginning of his list of Jesus’ chosen twelve. He tells us, “So Jesus appointed the 12 disciples. Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter. There were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges. Boanerges means Sons of Thunder.” (v. 16-17)

From the point when Jesus chose the disciples, He gives three of them new names. Simon (not the Zealot) was given the name Peter. Then the brothers James and John were given the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.

Perhaps the names Jesus gave related to the place each of these disciples were in when He called them. Maybe when Jesus first met Simon, the name Peter fit him better, and it is possible that Jesus met James and John while they were arguing/debating with each other.

Or maybe, Jesus didn’t rename these three disciples because of who they were when He met them. What if Jesus gave these disciples new names because of what He saw these three men becoming? What if Jesus looked at Simon-Peter, and before Simon even knew what God had in mind for him, Jesus could see his place in God’s master plan? What if James and John would ultimately rock the course of history with their gospel, their preaching, and their life’s witness?

While the reason for Jesus giving these three disciples new names is not shared directly, we do know that He did it for a reason. Just because we don’t understand or have an answer for this question doesn’t mean that He acted illogically. Jesus had a reason for renaming these three disciples and it may be a question we have to wait for heaven to get answered.

But changing names doesn’t stop with these three disciples. When Jesus returns and we enter into our new lives with Him, He promises each of us a new name. The name Jesus will give to us will be a part of us, rich with significance, and it will identify who we are in Christ throughout eternity.

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Trial at Night: Matthew 26:57-68

Published November 18, 2021 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we continue looking at Matthew’s gospel, we also continue looking at what happened when He was arrested and placed on trial. This passage also continues the theme that we have been looking at over the past couple of episodes that emphasized Jesus choosing the cross.

While Jesus was already arrested, and while the religious leaders had already judged Jesus as worthy of death in their minds, they still lacked a piece of concrete evidence that would justify Jesus being executed.

Because they needed this piece of evidence and a public judgment making Jesus worthy of death, the religious leaders hold a trial.

However, far from being a fair trial, they hold this trial in the middle of the night, and with a hastily gathered group of questionable individuals to bring Jesus to justice. We know this was all put together at the last minute because the religious leaders had previously decided to wait until after the festival to look for a way to arrest Jesus, and after Judas Iscariot came to them with an opportunity, they were waiting for Judas Iscariot to present them with the time for the arrest. While there could have been some preplanning the religious leaders could have done, they were rushed on the timing because they wanted this over with before pausing to celebrate Passover.

However, in this rushed, last-minute trial, when everything is about to fall apart, Someone steps in to help keep things progressing smoothly. Let’s read and discover what happened.

Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 26, and we will read it from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 57, Matthew tells us that:

⁵⁷Those people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders were gathered. ⁵⁸Peter followed far behind to the courtyard of the high priest’s house, and he sat down with the guards to see what would happen to Jesus.

⁵⁹The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something false against Jesus so they could kill him. ⁶⁰Many people came and told lies about him, but the council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came and said, ⁶¹“This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”

⁶²Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?” ⁶³But Jesus said nothing.

Let’s pause reading for a moment because at this point in this trial, things are beginning to fall apart. All the false witnesses were contradicting one another, and none of the lies added up to anything worthy of death – or anything that would even be remotely valid in a court setting.

While Jesus said nothing, the trial descended into chaos.

In an interesting parallel, when people reject God in their hearts, societies descend into chaos. Also, when people reject God, we shouldn’t be surprised if God chooses to stay silent.

However, divine providence determined for this to be the time Jesus would die, so in a desperate attempt to find something worthy of judgment, the high priest then turns his attention towards Jesus. Jumping back into the passage at this point, let’s look at what happened. Backtracking briefly and rereading from verse 62:

⁶²Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?” ⁶³But Jesus said nothing.

Again the high priest said to Jesus, “I command you by the power of the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴Jesus answered, “Those are your words. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky.”

Let’s pause briefly again, because what Jesus has said is too significant and easy to miss. The high priest knows that this fake trial to judge Jesus as guilty is falling apart. The case these leaders have against Jesus is falling apart. Nothing in this trial is turning up anything that would judge Jesus as worthy of death.

So the high priest commands Jesus by God’s power to answer one question: Is Jesus the Christ, or in other words God’s Messiah and God’s Son?

The religious leaders had already rejected Jesus, and while I think about the possible responses Jesus could have given, if Jesus had simply said yes to this question, there still would not have been a case against Him. Instead, a simple yes would simply implicate Jesus as being against Rome and the religious leaders would have had a political case against Him. With the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus, they had firmly allied themselves with Rome and they tried to play both sides of this issue. By rejecting Jesus, they ultimately reject God in favor of Rome, while they subtly opposed Roman opposition wanting a Messiah to free them from Roman rule.

Jesus wasn’t against Rome any more than He was against Greece or any of the earlier empires. Instead, Jesus focused on the individual and on helping those who were hurting and those who needed to feel God’s love. A simple yes answer would have brought with it all the baggage and preconceived ideas these religious leaders had placed on the role of the Messiah.

If Jesus had stopped with the response, “Those are your words. [Period]” then the trial against Him would have fallen apart completely.

Instead, Jesus follows up with a response that says in essence, “I am God’s Son, but I am not the Messiah you think I came to be.”

How do the religious leaders respond?

Continuing in verse 65, Matthew tells us that:

⁶⁵When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, “This man has said things that are against God! We don’t need any more witnesses; you all heard him say these things against God. ⁶⁶What do you think?”

The people answered, “He should die.”

⁶⁷Then the people there spat in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. Others slapped him. ⁶⁸They said, “Prove to us that you are a prophet, you Christ! Tell us who hit you!”

In this trial, we discover that it would have fallen apart if Jesus hadn’t given these leaders something to clearly accuse Him of. And when we look at the details of what happened, nothing in Jesus’ testimony is worthy of death. In Jesus’ testimony, He shares that He is the One who had been prophesied about, and only those who were already closed-minded towards God missed seeing this huge truth. If God were to send His Son into the world, would we expect anyone less than Jesus?

Jesus came to show us God’s love, and while there are those who believe God is unloving or unlovable, Jesus came to challenge their belief by living out how much God loves us. Jesus chose the cross to show us God’s love, and through Jesus we can come to know the God who loves us so much that He gives Himself up to redeem us from the consequences of breaking His law!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus. Understand that Jesus chose the cross for you and for me not only to redeem us from sin and the penalty of death, but to show us how much God loves each of us. If death for our sins was Jesus’ only goal, there was no need to go to the cross. Jesus could have jumped off a boat in a storm or let the mob throw Him off a cliff like they wanted to at the beginning of His ministry. Instead, Jesus chose the cross to show us God’s love for us and how far God was willing to go to redeem us.

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. Through the pages of the Bible, discover a God who loves you with all of His heart, and a God who wants to redeem you. While other people can tell you this, God’s truth only becomes personal when you personally learn it for yourself!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year in Matthew – Episode 46: After Jesus is arrested, discover how the last-minute trial the religious leaders set up to condemn Jesus almost falls apart, if it weren’t for someone who steps up and into a key role to keep it proceeding smoothly.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.