Talk: Matthew 11-12 Scripture Reading

Join me today as we start reading through the New Testament starting with Matthew Chapter 11-12. It is very important for Christians to read the bible. It Helps guide us in our lives and connects us with God.

In 2 Timothy 3:16 TPT, it says, "God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness."

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

Today I will be reading from Matthew 11 and 12.

I will read the chapters without the verse numbers to make it sound more smooth.

I hope you enjoy.

After Jesus finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples,

He went on to minister in different villages throughout the region.

Now while John the Baptizer was in prison,

He heard about the wonderful deeds of the Christ.

So he sent his disciples to ask him this question,

Are you really the one the prophet said would come,

Or should we still wait for another?

Jesus answered them,

Give John this report,

The blind see again,

The crippled walk,

Lepers are cured,

And the deaf hear,

The dead are raised back to life,

And the poor and broken now hear of the hope of salvation.

And tell John that the blessing of heaven comes to those who are not offended over me.

As they were leaving,

Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John.

What kind of man did you see when you went out into the wilderness?

Did you expect to see a man who would be easily intimidated?

Who was he?

Do you expect to see a man decked out in the splendid fashion of the day?

Those who wear fancy clothes live like kings in palaces.

Or did you encounter a true prophet out in the lonely wilderness?

Yes,

John was a prophet like those of the past,

But he is even more than that.

He was the fulfillment of the scripture.

See I am sending my prophetic messenger who will go ahead of me and prepare hearts to receive me.

For I tell you the truth,

Throughout history there has never been a man who surpasses John the baptizer.

Yet the least of those who now experience heaven's kingdom will become more even greater than he.

For the moment John stepped onto the scene,

Until now,

The realm of heaven's kingdom is bursting forth,

And passionate people have taken hold of its power.

For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until John appeared.

If you can receive the truth,

John is the Elijah who is destined to come.

So listen and understand what I am telling you.

How could I describe the people of this generation?

You are like children playing games on the playground,

Yelling at their playmates.

You don't like it when we want to play wedding,

And you don't like it when we want to play funeral.

You will neither dance nor mourn.

Why is it that when John came to you,

Neither feasting nor drinking wine,

You said,

He has a demon in him?

Yet when the Son of Man came and went to the feasts and drank the wine,

You said look at the man,

He is nothing but a glutton and a drunkard.

He spends all his time with tax collectors and other sinners.

But God's wisdom will become visible by those who embrace it.

Then Jesus began to openly denounce the cities where he had done most of his mighty miracles,

Because the people failed to turn away from their sin and return to God.

He said,

How tragic it will be for the city of Chorazin,

And how horrible for the city of Bethesda.

For if the powerful miracles that I performed in the Chorazin and Bethesda had been done in Tyre and Sidon,

They would have been humbled themselves and repented,

And turned from their sins.

Tyre and Sidon will be better off on Judgment Day than you.

And Capernaum,

Do you really know you will be exalted above all of the great miracles I have done there?

No,

You will be brought down to the depths of hell because of your rejection of me.

For if the miracles I worked in your streets were done in Sodom,

It would be still standing today.

And I tell you,

It will be more bearable for the region of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than it will be for you.

Then Jesus exclaimed,

Father,

Thank you,

For you are the Lord,

The supreme ruler over heaven and earth,

And you have hidden the great revelation of your authority from those who are proud and think they are wise,

And unveiled it instead to the little children.

Yes,

Father,

You have chosen this gracious plan to extend your kingdom.

You have entrusted me with all that you are and all that you have.

No one fully and intimately knows the Son except the Father,

And no one fully and intimately knows the Father except the Son.

But the Son is able to unveil the Father to anyone he chooses.

Are you weary,

Carrying a heavy burden?

Come to me.

I will refresh your life,

For I am your oasis.

Simply join your life with mine.

Learn my ways,

And you will discover that I am gentle,

Humble,

Easy to please.

You will find refreshment and rest in me,

For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.

One Saturday,

On the Day of Rest,

Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field of wheat.

The disciples were hungry,

So they plucked off some of the heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands to eat.

And when some of the Pharisees saw what was happening,

They said to him,

Look,

Your disciples shouldn't be harvesting grain on the Sabbath.

Jesus responded,

Haven't you ever read what King David and his men did when they were hungry?

They entered the house of God and ate the sacred bread of God's presence,

Violating the law by eating bread that only the priests were allowed to eat.

And haven't you read in the Torah that the priests violated the rules of the Sabbath by carrying out their duties in the temple on a Saturday?

And yet they are without blame.

But I say to you,

There is one here who is even greater than the temple.

If only you could learn the meaning of the words,

I want compassion more than a sacrifice.

You wouldn't be condemning my innocent disciples.

For the Son of Man exercises his lordship over the Sabbath.

Then Jesus left them and went into the synagogue,

Where he encountered a man who had an atrophied paralyzed hand.

The fault-finding Pharisees asked Jesus,

Is it permissible to perform a work of healing on the Sabbath?

They only asked him this question because they hoped to accuse him of breaking the Jewish laws.

He answered them,

If any of you had a lamb that fell into the ditch on the Sabbath,

Wouldn't you reach out for your hand to lift it out?

Isn't a man much more valuable than a lamb?

So of course it is always proper to do miracles even on the Sabbath.

Then he turned to the man and said,

Hold out your hand.

And as he stretched it out,

It was restored exactly like the other.

Immediately the Pharisees went out and started to scheme about how they would destroy him.

Jesus knew that they were thinking so he left by another way.

Massive crowds followed him from there,

And he healed all who were sick.

However,

He sternly warned them not to tell others or disclose his real identity in order to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah.

Take a careful look at my servant,

My chosen one.

I love him dearly,

And I find all my delight in him.

I will breathe my spirit upon him,

And he will decree justice to the nations.

He will not quarrel or raise voice in public.

He won't brush aside the bruised and broken.

He will be gentle with the weak and feeble,

Until his victory releases justice,

And the fame of his name will birth hope among the people.

Then a man was brought before Jesus,

Who had a demon spirit that made him both blind and mute.

Jesus healed him instantly,

And he could see and talk again.

The crowds went wild with amazement as they witnessed this miracle,

And they kept saying to one another,

Could this man be the Messiah?

But when the Pharisees overheard what the people were saying,

They said,

He casts out demons by the power of Satan,

The prince of demons.

Jesus supernaturally perceived their thoughts and motives,

So he told them this parable.

Any kingdom that fights against itself is reduced to ruins,

And any family or community splintered by strife will fall apart.

So if Satan casts out Satan,

He is making war on himself.

How then could his kingdom stand?

So if Satan empowers me to cast out demons,

Who empowers your exorcist to cast them out?

Go ask them.

Let them be your judges.

But if I drive out demons by the power of the Spirit of God,

Then the end of Satan's kingdom has come.

Who would dare enter a house of a mighty man and steal his property?

First he must be overpowered and tied up by the one who's stronger than he,

Then his entire house can be plundered.

So join with me,

For if you're not on my side,

You are against me,

And if you refuse to help me gather the spoils,

You are making things worse.

This is why I warn you,

God will forgive for every sin and blaspheme except one.

This is no forgiveness for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

If anybody speaks evil of me,

The Son of Man,

He can be forgiven.

But if anybody speaks against the Holy Spirit,

It will never be forgiven,

Now or ever.

You must determine if a tree is good or rotten.

You can recognize good trees by their delicious fruit.

But if you find rotten fruit,

You can be certain that the tree is rotten.

The fruit defines the tree.

But you who are known as the Pharisees are rotten to the core,

Like venomous snakes.

How can your words be good if you are rotten within?

For what has been stored up in your hearts will be heard in the overflow of your words.

When virtue is stored within,

The hearts of good upright people will produce good fruit.

But when evil is hidden within,

Those who are evil will produce evil fruit.

You can be sure of this,

When the day of judgment comes,

Everyone will be held accountable for every careless word he has spoken.

Your very words will be used as evidence,

And your words will declare you either innocent or guilty.

Then a few Jewish scholars and Pharisees spoke up and said,

Teacher,

Why don't you perform a miracle sign for us?

Jesus replied,

Only evil people who are unfaithful to God would demand a sign.

There will be no sign given to you except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge sea creature for three days and three nights,

So the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

The people of Nineveh will also rise up on the day of judgment to condemn this generation,

For they all repented when they heard the preaching of Jonah.

And there is one greater than Jonah here preaching to you today.

Even the Queen of Sheba will rise up on the day of judgment to condemn this generation for its unbelief.

She journeyed from a far and distant land,

Just so she could hear the wisdom of King Solomon.

Yet now there is one greater than Solomon speaking to you today.

When a demon is cast out of a person,

It roams around a dry region,

Looking for a place to rest,

But never finds it.

Then it says,

I'll return to the house I moved out of.

And so it goes back,

Only to find that the house is vacant,

Warm,

And ready for it to move back in.

So it goes looking for seven other demons more evil than itself,

And they all enter together to live there.

Then the person's condition becomes much worse than it was in the beginning.

This describes what will also happen to the people of this evil generation.

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds,

His mother and brothers came and stood outside,

Asking for him to come and speak with them.

Then someone said,

Look,

Your mother and brothers are standing outside,

Wanting to have a word with you.

But Jesus just looked at him and said,

Let me introduce you to my true mother and brothers.

Then gesturing to the disciples gathered around him,

He said,

Look closely,

For this is my true family.

When you obey my heavenly father,

That makes you a part of my true family.

Amen.

God bless,

And I hope you all have an amazing day.

Reviews

Thank you! So much wisdom from these verses in Matthew🙏

Really enjoyed this. I'm excited for more. Thanks for your videos, James.