April 16, 2020
Good morning,
Psalms 46
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to treble voices. A song.
GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas,
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah!
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].
The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah!
Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolation's and wonders in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire.
Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah!
Works Cited.
(1954) (1987)
The Lockman Foundation
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Matthew 21
The Triumphal Entry
This is called the triumphal entry. This passage is beautiful because it is a beautiful entrance into Jerusalem. While entering the city Jesus is going to be praised and welcomed with a celebration. It is also the place where the plot to arrest and kill him begins.
When they approached Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples [ahead], saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and at once you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
If anyone says anything to you, you should say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and without delay the owner will send them [with you].”
This happened so that what was spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled, saying:
“Tell the daughter of Zion (the people of Jerusalem),
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Gentle and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. ”
Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them, and they brought the donkey and the colt, and placed their coats on them; and Jesus sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats on the road [as before a king], while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of Him, and those that followed Him, were shouting [in praise and adoration],
( Praising someone is the greatest way to get the attention of everyone in the town. I think God understands human nature and he knows us and he knows that success and praise will also draw out the enemy. When the Lord enters on the donkey the prophecy begin to unfold itself. (Jesus stops outside the city and he asked the disciples to go get the donkey. He wanted a special entry and he wanted the attention. This entrance and praise causes The Chief Priests and Pharisees to become angry. It is also similar to David and Saul. The people begin to praise David and Saul didn't like it. In previous chapters we know the Lord is not big on attention and he tells the disciples not to desire the best seat in the house or high places. He tells them to desire the role of a servant because it is pleasing to God. He also tells them the first will be last and the last will be first.
“Hosanna to the Son of David (Messiah);
Blessed [praised, glorified] is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!”
When He entered Jerusalem, all the city was trembling [with excitement], saying, “Who is this?”
And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
(What an introduction!)
And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the money changers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those who were selling doves [for sacrifice].
( Ironically the first thing he finds when he enters the temple is the money changers; and they are selling sacrificial animals. These acts did not bother the temple Priests and Pharisees; but the Lord actions bothers them.)
Jesus said to them, “It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
And the blind and the lame came to Him in [the porticoes and courts of] the temple area, and He healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful and miraculous things that Jesus had done, and heard the boys who were shouting in [the porticoes and courts of] the temple [in praise and adoration], “Hosanna to the Son of David (the Messiah),” they became indignant and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus replied to them, “Yes; have you never read [in the Scripture], ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared and provided praise for Yourself’?”
Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
(We can probably image why)
Now early in the morning, as Jesus was coming back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree at the roadside, He went to it and found nothing but leaves on it; and He said to it, “Never again will fruit come from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
When the disciples saw it, they were astonished and asked, “How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once?”
Jesus replied to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt or allow yourself to be drawn in two directions, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen [if God wills it].
And whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what [kind of] authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority [to exercise this power]?”
Jesus replied to them, “I will also ask you a question, and if you tell Me the answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John—from where did it come? From heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?” And they began debating among themselves [considering the implications of their answer], saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe John?’
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the [response of the] crowd; for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what [kind of] authority I do these things.”
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and changed his mind and went.
Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of the father?” The chief priests and elders replied, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
John came to you [walking] in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even change your mind afterward and believe him [accepting what he proclaimed to you].
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey [to another country].
When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit.
But the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first time; and they treated them the same way.
Finally he sent his own son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son and have regard for him.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This [man] is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
So they took the son and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
Now when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants?”
They said to Him, “He will put those despicable men to a miserable end, and rent out the vineyard to other tenants [of good character] who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The [very] Stone which the builders rejected and threw away,
Has become the chief Cornerstone;
This is the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous and wonderful in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it.
And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was talking about them.
And although they were trying to arrest Him, they feared the people, because they regarded Jesus as a prophet.
(The more Jesus teaches the more convicted they become. The more Jesus heals the more they know where his authority comes from. Sadly it does not lead them to do what is right but it leads them to plot on how to get rid of him, it becomes just a matter of figuring out a scheme.
Works Cited
Amplified Bible (2015)
The Lockman Foundation
http://www.lockman.org
Have an awesome day!
Psalms 46
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to treble voices. A song.
GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas,
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah!
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].
The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah!
Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolation's and wonders in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire.
Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah!
Works Cited.
(1954) (1987)
The Lockman Foundation
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Matthew 21
The Triumphal Entry
This is called the triumphal entry. This passage is beautiful because it is a beautiful entrance into Jerusalem. While entering the city Jesus is going to be praised and welcomed with a celebration. It is also the place where the plot to arrest and kill him begins.
When they approached Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples [ahead], saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and at once you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
If anyone says anything to you, you should say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and without delay the owner will send them [with you].”
This happened so that what was spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled, saying:
“Tell the daughter of Zion (the people of Jerusalem),
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Gentle and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. ”
Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them, and they brought the donkey and the colt, and placed their coats on them; and Jesus sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats on the road [as before a king], while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of Him, and those that followed Him, were shouting [in praise and adoration],
( Praising someone is the greatest way to get the attention of everyone in the town. I think God understands human nature and he knows us and he knows that success and praise will also draw out the enemy. When the Lord enters on the donkey the prophecy begin to unfold itself. (Jesus stops outside the city and he asked the disciples to go get the donkey. He wanted a special entry and he wanted the attention. This entrance and praise causes The Chief Priests and Pharisees to become angry. It is also similar to David and Saul. The people begin to praise David and Saul didn't like it. In previous chapters we know the Lord is not big on attention and he tells the disciples not to desire the best seat in the house or high places. He tells them to desire the role of a servant because it is pleasing to God. He also tells them the first will be last and the last will be first.
“Hosanna to the Son of David (Messiah);
Blessed [praised, glorified] is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!”
When He entered Jerusalem, all the city was trembling [with excitement], saying, “Who is this?”
And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
(What an introduction!)
And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the money changers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those who were selling doves [for sacrifice].
( Ironically the first thing he finds when he enters the temple is the money changers; and they are selling sacrificial animals. These acts did not bother the temple Priests and Pharisees; but the Lord actions bothers them.)
Jesus said to them, “It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
And the blind and the lame came to Him in [the porticoes and courts of] the temple area, and He healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful and miraculous things that Jesus had done, and heard the boys who were shouting in [the porticoes and courts of] the temple [in praise and adoration], “Hosanna to the Son of David (the Messiah),” they became indignant and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus replied to them, “Yes; have you never read [in the Scripture], ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared and provided praise for Yourself’?”
Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
(We can probably image why)
Now early in the morning, as Jesus was coming back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree at the roadside, He went to it and found nothing but leaves on it; and He said to it, “Never again will fruit come from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
When the disciples saw it, they were astonished and asked, “How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once?”
Jesus replied to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt or allow yourself to be drawn in two directions, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen [if God wills it].
And whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what [kind of] authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority [to exercise this power]?”
Jesus replied to them, “I will also ask you a question, and if you tell Me the answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John—from where did it come? From heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?” And they began debating among themselves [considering the implications of their answer], saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe John?’
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the [response of the] crowd; for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what [kind of] authority I do these things.”
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and changed his mind and went.
Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of the father?” The chief priests and elders replied, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
John came to you [walking] in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even change your mind afterward and believe him [accepting what he proclaimed to you].
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey [to another country].
When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit.
But the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first time; and they treated them the same way.
Finally he sent his own son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son and have regard for him.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This [man] is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
So they took the son and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
Now when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants?”
They said to Him, “He will put those despicable men to a miserable end, and rent out the vineyard to other tenants [of good character] who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The [very] Stone which the builders rejected and threw away,
Has become the chief Cornerstone;
This is the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous and wonderful in our eyes’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it.
And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was talking about them.
And although they were trying to arrest Him, they feared the people, because they regarded Jesus as a prophet.
(The more Jesus teaches the more convicted they become. The more Jesus heals the more they know where his authority comes from. Sadly it does not lead them to do what is right but it leads them to plot on how to get rid of him, it becomes just a matter of figuring out a scheme.
Works Cited
Amplified Bible (2015)
The Lockman Foundation
http://www.lockman.org
Have an awesome day!
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