Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 26

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In Mathew 26 God through Matthew records the plot to kill Jesus, Jesus’ anointing by the woman, Judas’ betrayal, the Last Passover/First Lord’s Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal kiss, Jesus’ arrest, Jesus’ before Caiaphas and Peter’s denial. Each of these events is building toward the cross, burial and resurrection – which is the pinnacle of the Bible. The thing that stands out to me in this chapter is Jesus’ words in verse 38 when speaking to Peter, James and John, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death…”  His emotions are at an all time high, yet He says that He will do the Father’s will 3 times.  Jesus says this, because He lived His life based on truth instead of emotions.  When faced with difficult decisions, I must make my decision based on truth and not on my emotions or feelings.  Emotion based decisions bring glory to me and truth based decisions bring glory to God.  Lord, just like Jesus, empower me to make decisions based on Your Truth and not my emotions, so that You alone will be glorified.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 25

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Mathew 25 begins with Jesus presenting the Parable of the Ten Virgins to emphasize the importance of being ready for His return.  Jesus says 5 were ready and 5 were not.  The 5 who were ready represent those who have rejected their own good works and have trusted Jesus to save them and make them right with the Father. The 5 who were not ready represent those who have rejected Jesus as Savior and Lord.  It is imperative that those who have not placed their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord to do so now, in order to prepare for His imminent coming.  Jesus then uses the Parable of the Talents to teach the importance of being good stewards and He also points out imposters in the visible church.  Two of the servants were found to be good stewards and given more responsibility and privilege in the Kingdom.  The third slave proved to be an imposter who even attacked the character of the Master/God.  Jesus then teaches on the Judgment where He will separate those who truly know Him from those who do not.  Those who have placed their faith alone on Jesus for salvation, which was evident from the fruit in their lives, will be brought into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Those who have rejected Jesus as Savior, which was evident from the lack of fruit in their lives, will go away into eternal punishment.  Lord, may I continually be stressing the imminence of Jesus return and calling people to repentance and faith in Him for salvation from the penalty of sin.  Help me be a good steward with all You have given me for Your glory.  Thank You for producing fruit in and through me, so that my life might make much of You.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 24

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In Matthew 24 Jesus is teaching His disciples about his return. He warns them about people who falsely claim to be Christ, wars, famines and earthquakes that will take place around the time He returns.  He says the tribulation and difficulty will increase before His return.  Immediately after the tribulation He will return in a mighty way.  Those who have rejected Him as Savior and Lord will fear, but those who are of the elect (those who have trusted Him as Savior and Lord) will be gathered by Him.  He tells them that there are signs of His return, but no one except the Father knows the day.  Therefore, people need to be ready for His return.  Lord, help me live with an urgency to tell others of Your blessed Gospel of faith in Jesus that will save them from your just wrath to come.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 23

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In Matthew 23 Jesus warns the crowds and disciples about the scribes and Pharisees.  He warns them that they seek after positions, prestige and power. Jesus summarizes the pride of the Pharisees in verse 12 when He says, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”  A heart seeking Self-exaltation will lead to humiliation and ultimate condemnation. Jesus also gives multiple woes to the scribes and Pharisees calling them hypocrites.  They are all about what looks good on the outside and keeping a good front.  Jesus sums up the scribes and Pharisees in verse 27 when He says, “For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness.”  It is all about the heart and what is on the inside that matters.  When the heart is dead, the outward actions of a person are meaningless.  When the heart is right, the right actions, attitudes and speech will follow.  The Gospel promises a new heart that gives us the power and desire to honor the LORD.  What we do is not who we are, but who we are has a tremendous impact on what we do.  LORD, by Your grace, empower me to warn people of those who exalt themselves and make the outside the issue.  Help me faithfully proclaim the Gospel of Grace that gives a new heart and makes people sons and daughters of You.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 22

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In Matthew 22 Jesus begins with the parable of the Marriage Feast.  A king was giving a wedding feast for his son.  He sent out his slaves to tell everyone who had been invited that it was now time for the feast.  The original people who were invited refused to come multiple times and in the end mistreated and killed his slaves who were sent out to call them.  The king then had them go out to the highways and invited all the people they found to the wedding feast.  Those people accepted the invitation and came. Obviously the original invitees represented the Jewish nation who rejected Jesus as the Messiah and refused to come to Him as Savior.  Those who finally came to the wedding feast were Gentiles who embrace Jesus as the Messiah and Savior.  Jesus says that those who were originally invited to the feast (Jews) were unworthy.  They were unworthy, not because of any moral excellence of lack of it, but because they refused to come to God on His terms, through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus then tells of a man who had been invited to come with all the others, but when he came into the feast he did not have the proper wedding clothes.  Obviously, because of the late notice of the feast, it could not be expected that all those invited would be able to get proper clothes or even had the means to do so.  Therefore, the king made provisions for those who were invited to also have the proper clothes.  The man without the wedding clothes would have had to be offered wedding clothes like the rest, but he arrogantly refused them and decided to wear his own.  The proper wedding attire that God requires for entrance into the kingdom is the righteousness of Jesus placed on them by faith in Jesus.  The man without wedding clothes represented all who try to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven by their own effort or status.  Lord, thank you for the righteousness of Jesus that you gave me through faith in HIM.  By Your grace, empower me to call everyone to enter the Kingdom of heaven through faith in Jesus.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 21

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In Matthew 21 Jesus has his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to the shouts of many people who thought He would lead a military take over and reign as Messiah physically.  Jesus then cleansed the Temple that was being used not as a house of prayer, but as a place to cheat people and make money. The next morning Jesus and his disciples came upon a fig tree that should have been producing fruit, but only had leaves.  Jesus cursed it for not bearing fruit.  The fig tree was just like Israel at the time, it had an outward appearance of life (leaves) just as Israel had an outward appearance of religion.  Yet Israel produced no spiritual fruit, showing they had rejected God’s way of salvation through faith in the Messiah and were cut off from the life of God.  Jesus’ authority is then challenged by the chief priests and elders in the Temple.  Jesus responds with two parables, which show that Israel had rejected God’s way of salvation through faith in Jesus. Now others outside of Israel were embracing Jesus as Savior which was evidenced by the fruit in their lives.  People can say they love God and participate in some religious activities and yet produced no real spiritual fruit, which shows they do not love God and have reject Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Spiritual fruit comes from being rightly related to God through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Those who are followers of Jesus through faith in Him will produce spiritual fruit, because they have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer they that live, but Christ lives in them, and the life which they now live in the flesh they live by faith in the Son of God, who loved them and gave Himself for them (Galatians 2:20).  Lord, thank you for placing your life in me to produce fruit for your glory.  Remind me daily that it is Your life in me that produces fruit, so that you get all the glory.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 20

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Matthew 20 begins with the parable of the Generous Landowner who hired multiple people throughout the day to work in his vineyard.  Each worker was promised a denarius for their work, regardless of when they were hired during the day.  When it came time to pay them, the workers who worked 1 hour were paid first and received a denarius as promised.  The workers who were hired at the beginning of the day thought they would receive more, but only received a denarius as promised.  They complained to the landowner that this was not fair.  The Landowner let them know that it was his right to be generous to all. The main point of the parable is about entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Father is the Landowner, Jesus is the foreman, the laborers are believers and the denarius is eternal life.  The point is that the Father is Gracious to all who come to him through Jesus and all are given eternal life, regardless whether the person comes to Jesus as a child or on their deathbed.  Jesus also reminds the disciples that he will suffer and die and be raised on the third day.  Jesus then loving rebukes them for seeking prominent positions, and tells them that the way to greatness is through service.  He says, that HE did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.  Therefore, those who have been ransomed by his service should be characterized by serving others.  Lord, thank you for you gracious gift of salvation for all who trust in Jesus.  By Your grace, may I (one who has been served) serve others so that you are glorified?

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 19

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In Matthew 19 Jesus emphasizes the high value of marriage in the site of God to some Pharisees who did not value marriage.  O may the Church value and protect marriage as the Lord calls us to. Jesus again show the high value of children and uses them to show the humility and faith it takes to enter into the Kingdom of God.  Jesus then has a rich young man approach him inquiring about what good thing he need to do to obtain eternal life. Jesus knowing his heart, told him he needed to keep the commandments.  The young man assured Jesus he had kept the commandments.  Jesus knew this was not true, so he went after the thing that was most important to him to show high sin.  Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give it to the poor and then follow Him.  The young man went away grieved, because his possessions were more important than following Jesus.  Jesus made it clear that in order to obtain eternal life or enter into the Kingdom of God, you must trust in Him alone.  This man trusted in his possessions, and was not willing to transfer his trust to Jesus.  Jesus then told the disciples that in order for a rich man or someone who clings to the things of this world (including other people) to enter the Kingdom of God, it takes an act of God to change their heart.  Jesus then told the disciples that those who do trust in Him alone for eternal life will be rewarded.  Lord, may I be faithful to present the Gospel in a way that shows people that entrance into the Kingdom of God comes only to those who Trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Jesus + nothing = everything.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 18

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Matthew 18 begins with Jesus using a child to illustrate 3 important truths.  First, in order to enter the kingdom a person most become like a child and humbly embrace the Gospel.  Second, Jesus warns of the danger of causing one of these believers (child) to stumble over sin.  Third, the Lord passionately loves and cares for His children. Jesus loves His children so much that He gives the church a way to lovingly discipline them, so that they will repent and be restored if they are walking in sin. The purpose of discipline in the body of Christ is always restoration.  Peter then posed the question about how often should he forgive a brother who sins against him.  Jesus says an innumerable amount of times.  Jesus then tells a parable about a King who mercifully forgave a slave an un-payable debt.  That slave then turned around and would not forgive the very small debt of a fellow slave.  The King found out about it and reprimanded the slave who did not forgive, because he had been forgiven so much.  He then handed that slave over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.  The only release from the tortures was to have a change of heart and forgive his brother from his heart.  The natural and only right response of those who have been forgiven through faith in Jesus, is to forgive others.  When we do not forgive others, The Lord turns us over to torturers such as; hardships, stress and other difficulties until we do.  The Lord disciplines the ones he loves (Hebrews 12:6) and will not allow a believer to sin without discipline on their life, so that they will turn and be restored to proper fellowship with Him.  Lord, thank you for loving me so much that You discipline me when I sin.  Lord, help me be quick to forgive, because You have forgiven me an un-payable debt of sin.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 16-17

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In Matthew 16, Jesus warns His disciples about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Then Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” HE also asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus says that Peter came to this conclusion, not by his own intellect, but it was revealed to him by God the Father.  Everyone must answer the question of who Jesus is and it is the Father that must reveal that truth.  Jesus then tells His disciples that He will be killed and raised on the third day.  Peter rebukes Jesus and then is rebuked by Jesus.  Jesus says his problem is that he is not setting his mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.  Any time people look to the world for answers, they will be opposite of God’s answers and will lead to sin.  In Matthew 17, Peter, James and John witness the Transfiguration where they see Jesus transfigured and Moses and Elijah appear as well.  Peter wants to erect a tabernacle for each one to honor or worship them.  God the Father speaks and says about Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased, listen to Him!”  Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets and by the Father telling them to listen to Jesus, He is saying that Jesus superseded and fulfills both the Law and the Prophets.  Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets and gives the right interpretation of them to those who listen to Him.  Lord, thank You for revealing to me that Jesus is the Christ. By Your grace, help me continually set my mind on Your interests revealed in Your Word.  Also, help me continually listen to Jesus through Your Word.

– Bryan McKenzie

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