BIBLE IN TEN

Matthew 16:11

Wednesday, 28 January 2026
 
How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:11
 
“How not you recollect that I spoke not concerning bread to you! Caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus continued His reminders to the disciples concerning His miracles, specifically the giving of the bread to four thousand, which was followed by collecting seven large hampers of leftovers. Because of this, He incredulously asks, “How not you recollect that I spoke not concerning bread to you!”
 
He had multiplied bread to feed many thousands on two separate occasions. And more, there was enough bread left over that people could have grabbed a snack for the journey on the way. So why would He care about the disciples not bringing bread? He wouldn’t. Something entirely different was on His mind. That is stated with the words, “Caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
 
There are two small changes in some of the texts –
 
How not you recollect that I spoke not concerning bread to you, but to caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
How not you recollect that I spoke not concerning bread to you! Caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
 
Either way, the sense is understood. In the second example, there seems to be a bit of impatience implied in the response, something that would be completely understandable. Jesus’ words in verse 6 said, “You behold, and you caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
 
Not getting the metaphorical nature of His words, they had assumed He was upset that they hadn’t brought bread. But now, after reminding Him that He could multiply bread at will, He restates what He had originally said to them, if not a bit more impatiently. He wants them to contemplate the metaphor without His having to explicitly explain it.
 
Life application: What Jesus is doing is instructional. Instead of just outright telling the disciples what He means, He gives them a chance to think through the words. Teachers may do this in class.
 
Instead of saying what the answer to a problem is, they may restate it as a question. In doing this, it forces the students to think through what the teacher intends to say. Otherwise, the students may hear the information in one ear, and it will go right out the other.
 
However, when confronted with the chance to appear smart or refrain from looking uninformed, the question will cause each person to pay attention and contemplate what is on the teacher’s mind.
 
An even more subtle approach is what Jesus did. He didn’t ask a question. Instead, He said something intending for a metaphor to be considered, but knowing that probably wouldn’t be understood at first.
 
Then, after seeing the frustration of the disciples, He takes time to explain why their thinking is askew, and then He restates the original question, implying a demand for them to think again about what they had originally considered.
 
Suppose a person who owns a bell factory is getting married. He walks into the company and says, “I hear bells ringing soon.” The employees may say, “We are working on the whole new line. They should be ready soon!”
 
But the owner repeats his original statement, “I hear bells ringing SOON.” By repeating the same thing, he is letting them know he didn’t mean what they thought he meant. By adding stress, he asks them to reconsider the entire paradigm. Searching the recent past, they remember that the boss has been doting on Polly Pretty a lot lately.
 
Suddenly, the bells in their own minds ring clearly. The boss is talking about getting married. The metaphor is not only understood, but it has also been highlighted for them to joke about and reconsider in the years ahead. Jesus has used such a tool. That has now been reiterated to us in millions and millions of copies of the Bible for the past two thousand years.
 
We have learned, explicitly, what leaven is to be equated to when we read the Bible.
 
Lord God, we love how Your word instructs us. Again and again, teaching techniques are used that are intended to help us perfect our doctrine and also remember lessons that may otherwise escape our memories. But because of the way the word is laid out, we will remember many details as clearly as the ringing of a bell. Thank You for this. Amen.
 

Matthew 16:10

Tuesday, 27 January 2026
 
Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? Matthew 16:10
 
“Nor the seven loaves – the four thousand, and how many hampers you took?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus reminded the disciples about the five loaves of the five thousand, asking them to recollect how many handbaskets they had taken up. He next reminds them of the second feeding of a multitude, saying, “Nor the seven loaves – the four thousand.”
 
If the chronology is as recorded by Matthew, this was a very recent event. It is recorded in Matthew 15:32-38, as the chapter closed out. Therefore, unless the events are not chronological, it has been an extremely short period of time since then.
 
They went to the area of Magdala, had an interaction with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and then they departed. Upon their departure to the other side, Jesus warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The implication is that all of this was in a very short time span. And yet, Jesus is questioning them about what happened, as if they had completely forgotten. He continues with, “and how many hampers you took?”
 
The answer is seven hampers, meaning big basketfuls, of leftovers. How they could have forgotten that and worried about not having taken bread is a bit astonishing.
 
Life application: Despite being incredible that the disciples forgot the great thing Jesus did, how can we look down on them for having done so? Do we remember what Jesus did for us? He saved us from the power of sin and the hand of the devil.
 
One would think we would be constantly and eternally grateful for this. And yet, how often do we forget as we go through our daily lives? We may go back and do some of the stupid things we once did, or we may find some other thing that we never did before and pick up that habit.
 
Instead of living holy lives and honoring Him, we fail Him often. Imagine the words He would say to us! “Don’t you remember the pit you were in? Don’t you remember the joy of the day you first believed? How can it be that you have forgotten those things and have picked up the ways of the world again?”
 
The good news is, Jesus didn’t say, “You guys can’t be my disciples anymore. Your memory is short, and your level of understanding isn’t up to par.” Rather, He continued to work with them despite their many faults and limitations. And He will continue to work through those He has saved throughout the ages.
 
We are fallible creatures doing an imperfect job in telling the world about the goodness of God in Christ. This is how Jesus has set things up, and it is how God is being glorified as the years pass. When people point their finger at you and say, “You aren’t a good Christian because of XXX,” you can respond, “XXX is why I am a Christian. Jesus saved imperfect me. I understand my faults, and Jesus does too. We are in the process of getting me to be more like Him. That is why I need Jesus!”
 
If we were all perfected when we came to Christ, there would be no need for us to grow in Him. We wouldn’t be dependent on Him for our walk. But just as the universe is being held together by the power of His word, we are continually being saved by the power of His all-sufficient atonement.
 
Thank God for Jesus Christ, who has accepted us and granted us eternal life. How great He is! Let us not forget the great thing He has done and is doing for us. Praise God for His goodness to us.
 
Lord God, thank You for the surety we possess because of Jesus. We are ever-unfaithful, and yet You are ever forgiving of it because You have saved us through the fully sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. Despite our faults and waywardness, we are Yours. Hallelujah! Hooray for Jesus! Amen.
 

Matthew 16:9

Monday, 26 January 2026
 
Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Matthew 16:9
 
“You grasp, not yet, nor you recollect the five loaves – the five thousand, and how many handbaskets you took?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus called the disciples little-faithed for thinking His words were about not having brought bread. Now, He continues His rebuke, saying, “You grasp, not yet, nor you recollect.”
 
Two new words are seen here. The first is oupó, not yet. It is derived from ou, no, or not, and po, an enclitic particle of indefiniteness meaning yet, or even. Taken together, they form the thought of “not yet.” The disciples were slow on the uptake, and Jesus is letting them know it is so.
 
The second new word is mnémoneuó [mnay-mon-YOO-oh], to exercise the memory. Thus, it signifies to recollect or remember. Jesus is letting them know that they need to pay attention, consider, exercise their memories, and recollect what had already taken place... right in front of their eyes.
 
What they needed to recollect is a continuation of the question, saying, “the five loaves – the five thousand, and how many handbaskets you took?”
 
These same men had been with Jesus when there was almost nothing to eat, and yet, from five loaves, He had multiplied the bread to feed five thousand people. The disciples were not thinking things through clearly. But Jesus isn’t done yet. He has more to remind them before He finishes.
 
Life application: What is it that is causing you to question your faith, or to lack faith in something the Bible says? If you believe the word, you will remember that the Bible says God created everything by simply speaking the word. The Bible also says that everything is currently being held together by the power of that same word.
 
God fashioned every living thing on the planet to do certain things. For example, bees spend their lives gathering nectar to make honey. God had to design everything in the process of making honey to work together. There have to be flowers that make nectar.
 
There needs to be bees to gather the nectar. At the same time, they pollinate other flowers and plants as they move around. There has to be rain and sunshine for the plants to grow. Bees have to have a little compass in their heads to direct them. There has to be a communication system set up for them to tell other bees about where the best spots to go are.
 
Really... think about it. You could spend all day thinking of things necessary for bees to make honey. And even then, you still wouldn’t have all of the parameters necessary for it to happen. And yet, everything has been set up by God so that we have honey.
 
If He puts this much attention into such a process, don’t you think He is tending to the fulfillment of His word to His people? Think of all that it has taken to preserve Israel. They became a nation and have endured for thousands of years, despite all that the Bible and recorded history tell us has come upon them.
 
But His word said this would be the case. We are without excuse in believing that God can do what His word says. The evidence is right in front of us in ten jillion ways. Don’t be discouraged or disheartened about whether God will fulfill His word to you. He will.
 
When all is said and done, there will be a life for us that is so much more wonderful than this one that we cannot even imagine what lies ahead. Have faith! God has got everything under control. Be confident of this.
 
Lord God, we do have moments of weakness from time to time. Help us in such times to remember all that You have done and are doing. Our insignificant little issues will fall into their proper place in our minds when we consider all You are doing. Surely, You have all things under control! Amen and amen.
 

Matthew 16:8

Sunday, 25 January 2026
 
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Matthew 16:8
 
“And Jesus, having known, said to them, ‘Why – you deliberate in yourselves, little-faithed? Because you took no bread?’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, the disciples reasoned that Jesus’ words concerning the Pharisees and Sadducees were because they had taken no bread. Matthew continues the narrative with, “And Jesus, having known.”
 
Matthew doesn’t say how He knew. Mark doesn’t provide any extra info. He may have known their thoughts, reasoned it out by watching them, or He may have overheard them. Whatever transpired, He knew and “said to them, ‘Why – you deliberate in yourselves, little-faithed?’”
 
Notice how He didn’t rebuke them for not reasoning the matter through, but for their lack of faith. In this case, the two do complement each other, but they are distinct enough to show where their true problem resided, which is a lack of faith.
 
They had failed to consider Jesus, what He had done, and the outcome of the things He did. He will explain this to them in the next few verses, but for now, this verse finishes with, “Because you took no bread?”
 
Jesus gets to the heart of their faith problem. They are worried that they failed to bring bread, not having taken the time to think through Jesus’ words about leaven. If their faith in Jesus and His capabilities was properly directed and sufficiently strong, they would have either reasoned through what He was talking about or come and asked Him to explain things.
 
Life application: Jesus’ words concerning faith are, at times, taken to unintended extremes. This is quite common among charismatic denominations. They make claims based on their supposed faith concerning healing, financial success, obtaining a goal, etc. They will even make claims about changing the weather, such as not being harmed by a hurricane, earthquake, tornado, etc.
 
As ridiculous as that may sound, it is as common as drumbeats on a Beatles album. This unbalanced faith-driven mentality is used to demonstrate a supposed superiority over others who don’t make such claims, such as “You got sick because you are lacking faith” or “You didn’t get the promotion you wanted because you lacked faith.”
 
This type of attitude demonstrates a lack of understanding of the true purpose of faith, and it dismisses many facts, both from a scriptural sense as well as from the perspective of how things work in the world.
 
Claiming something you want, like a financial breakthrough, is not a demonstration of faith. It is a self-centered attitude that does nothing to glorify God. The fact is that God uses troubles, trials, and hardships in our lives to mold us and instruct us.
 
It may be that our affliction is intended to lead others to a relationship with God or a right understanding of His word. When we have a desire, we should pray about it, knowing that God is fully capable of granting it, but we should also understand that He is not obligated to make it come about.
 
All people suffer loss. One cannot faith-claim away death from those around him. To blame God after our little demands aren’t granted is also a nonsensical way of handling our relationship with Him.
 
If you sit down with people who have this faith-claim attitude and explore their knowledge of the Bible or doctrines that stem from the Bible, you will normally find that they are lacking in real biblical understanding.
 
Don’t feel like your level of faith isn’t what it should be based on such people. You will never win at that game. Rather, let your faith be directed to what is reasonable and in accord with the words of Scripture. With this attitude, you will have a proper balance in your relationship with God.
 
Lord God, help us to rightly direct our faith as we walk in this fallen world. It is true that faith can move mountains, but it is also true that You may not want us to move a particular mountain. Help our faith to be properly directed and motivated through the desire to glorify You. Amen.

Matthew 16:7

Saturday, 24 January 2026
 
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” Matthew 16:7
 
“And they deliberated in themselves, saying, ‘Because not we took bread!’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said to the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Because of Jesus’ words, not understanding the metaphor He spoke to them, Matthew records, “And they deliberated in themselves.”
 
A new word, dialogizomai, to reckon thoroughly, is seen. When one reckons a matter, he deliberates. HELPS Word Studies says, “properly, go back-and-forth when evaluating, in a way that typically leads to a confused conclusion. The term implies one confused mind interacting with other confused minds, each further reinforcing the original confusion.”
 
This word is only found in the synoptic gospels. At times, such as in Luke 1:29, it signifies an internal pondering or musing over a situation. In this case, however, any internal musing spilled over into dialogue where they deliberated the words of Jesus, “saying, ‘Because not we took bread!’”
 
Not understanding Jesus’ intent concerning His words about the Pharisees and Sadducees, they could only grasp at straws about what He meant. Eventually, they came to the faulty conclusion that He must be scolding them for not bringing bread. Thus, they assumed Jesus meant their shortsightedness would leave them hungry on their journey.
 
Life application: The definition concerning the word dialogizomai given by HELPS words studies spoke of a confused conclusion, which resulted from one confused mind interacting with other confused minds. Because they have started with the wrong premise, their conclusions will be faulty.
 
This pretty much sums up any rapture discussion board you may go to. People start with a faulty premise. In doing so, their analyses will always end with faulty conclusions. Jesus’ last words to His disciples were based on a question they proposed to Him –
 
“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” Acts 1:6-8
 
Paul, when referring to the timing of the rapture, uses Jesus’ words to explain end times matters –
 
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2
 
The Lord, through His word, has told us that we are simply not going to know when the rapture will take place. That is the end of the matter... well, unless you think you are smarter than God. And so people constantly and nauseatingly come up with a constant stream of predictions as to when the rapture will take place.
 
This has been going on for two thousand years. Eventually, some false prediction is bound to correspond to the day, merely because every day, someone has a false prediction about the rapture.
 
There will be no reward for “getting it right” by such a person. In fact, there will be no rewards for having wasted one’s life sitting on rapture boards with other ill-informed people, deliberating a day that we are told we will not be able to identify. Instead, there will be many who stand before the Lord and have absolutely nothing of value to present to Him for the lives they lived.
 
It is even questionable if many of these rapture seekers are even saved. The best way to avoid coming to faulty conclusions because of debating with confused-minded people is to not bother debating with them.
 
Instead, read your Bible, study it carefully, and be ready to tell people about the goodness of God in Christ. This is what we have been tasked with, so be about that good business. The Lord will come when He comes. Let’s leave that to Him.
 
Lord God, help us not to get caught up in sensationalism, predictions about things we are told we will not know, and focusing on the nothingness of useless banter about unproductive things. Instead, may our deliberations be based on what is sound, reasonable, and glorifying of You. Amen.

Matthew 16:6

Friday, 23 January 2026
 
Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6
 
“And Jesus, He said to them, ‘You behold, and you caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, it was noted that the disciples had forgotten to take bread as they traveled. Matthew next records, “And Jesus, He said to them, ‘You behold, and you caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”
 
Leaven, yeast, is something that has been noted many times in Scripture. It was something the people knew was forbidden during the Passover –
 
“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:15-20
 
Elsewhere, leaven is forbidden at various times during the instructions for the sacrificial offerings, etc. The disciples would probably not understand Jesus’ words outside of that type of context.
 
In Hosea 7:4, the use of leaven is used in a metaphorical sense, but it is not a verse that most people would look at and understand the scriptural idea that is to be explained by Jesus. There, it says –
 
“They are all adulterers.Like an oven heated by a baker—He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough,Until it is leavened.” Hosea 7:4
 
Jesus used leaven in a parable in Matthew 13:33. That too would be tough to get metaphorical meaning out of unless the disciples specially asked Him what He was talking about. In Matthew 13:51, Jesus asked the disciples if they understood everything He had spoken to them, but it is questionable if they understood it as He is now relaying.
 
Their thoughts would be directed to Jesus’ words being literal, something Matthew will confirm.
 
Life application: As you read the Bible, there are thoughts that are presented, such as having no leaven in the house during the time of Passover and Unleavened Bread. It is right to stop and ask why that would be included.
 
Eventually, when you get to the New Testament, the idea of leaven being a metaphor for sin is explained several times. As this is so, we can know exactly why the Lord instructed the people as He did.
 
It was an instructional tool to teach us about the nature of sin, how God would deal with it in Christ, and our responsibilities, as well as our position in Christ. Because it is explained in the New Testament, we should go no further with metaphorical applications. Scripture has interpreted Scripture –
 
“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
 
Look for the meaning of things in the unfolding pages of Scripture. If no explanation is given, then careful thought should be given to why certain things are presented. Don’t just make stuff up out of your head.
 
Instead, let the Bible provide insights into the typology. If it is correct, a panorama of interesting information will arise that will then be consistent throughout the rest of Scripture. If this doesn’t happen and things don’t fit elsewhere, it means your original idea was not correct.
 
Be careful and contemplative as you consider what the word is saying.
 
Lord God, what a great and precious word You have given us. May we handle it carefully and analyze it in hope of finding what You intend for it to say, not what we want it to say. Help us in this endeavor, O God. Amen.
 

Matthew 16:5

Thursday, 22 January 2026
 
Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Matthew 16:5
 
“And His disciples, having come to the beyond, they overlooked to take bread” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for having sought after a sign. From there, it says He left them and departed. The meaning of where He departed to will be found in the next words, “And His disciples, having come to the beyond.”
 
In Matthew, it isn’t obvious where Jesus is at this time. The reason is that in verse 15:39, it says that Jesus got into a boat and came to the region of Magdala. Nothing is said about His disciples, which is usually the case.
 
However, Mark specifically notes that they all had traveled together. Therefore, they have gone from the eastern shore of the sea to the borders of Magdala (Dalmanutha in Mark). Jesus talked to the Pharisees and Sadducees in that area. They then went back to the eastern side of the sea. When there, Matthew records, “they overlooked to take bread.”
 
A new word is seen here, epilanthanomai, to lose out of mind. It is derived from epi, upon, and lanthanó, to escape notice. The sense, then, is a focus on the consequences that arise when one forgets. The word overlook is a suitable match for what the Greek signifies.
 
Because of this oversight on their part, the disciples will misunderstand what Jesus will next convey to them.
 
Life application: It is interesting that Matthew did not record if the disciples traveled with Jesus in Matthew 15:39. Nor did he mention if His disciples went with Him in verse 16:4. Because of that, one might question if His disciples came to Him in Magdala in verse 16:5 or if He and His disciples traveled together to the eastern shore.
This is unlike Matthew’s normal precision concerning Jesus’ travels, but it shows that the accounts are dependent on each other to fully understand what is going on. And yet, each is a single whole that gives exactly what is needed to meet the intent of the narrative.
 
The Bible does this in both testaments. Each main narrative is sufficient for the purpose being conveyed, but there are details that must be determined from other narratives to see the full scope of what actually happened.
 
A long and detailed example is found between the details of the books of Kings and the books of the Chronicles. They each provide the necessary information to understand the intent of the books, and yet, without having both of them, there seem to be contradictions in the timing of the kings’ histories.
However, when placed side by side and along with an understanding of the type of dating used by each author, the histories come together to form a complete whole. Along with that, adding in the overlapping historical and prophetic narratives found in other books, an even more detailed understanding of what is being conveyed comes into focus.
 
This is true with the book of Acts and the epistles as well. Taken together, the timing and details of what occurred at various times are more fully understood. And so, what we have is a collection of books that are independently sufficient for the intended purpose being conveyed, but they are actually all dependent on the whole for the entire panorama of God’s redemptive purposes to be fully understood.
Without including all sixty-six books, there would be a deficiency in knowing what the ultimate purpose of Scripture is. There would also be an unraveling of being sure of the authenticity of the books.
 
Therefore, the Bible is like a tapestry that has been perfectly woven together. By pulling out one string, the book would unravel in its perfectly harmonious intent.
 
This pattern is followed by authors of series today. Each book written by an author is an independent whole, but when details refer forward or back to other books, you can say, “Ah ha! I see why this happened in that other book!”
There was no lack in the other book. And yet, there is a synchronization of all of the books that forms a complete panorama of the intent of the author. The difference, however, is that the Bible spans about fifteen hundred years and has about forty human authors.
 
And yet, it is a perfectly harmonious whole where thousands of years later, people are still finding new insights, almost daily, where it can be said, “Ah ha! I see why this happened in that other book!”
 
As the majority of the human authors had no idea who the other authors were, having come from different lands and different times, it means that the Bible is either the greatest fluke in human literary history, or it is truly the divinely inspired word of God. By faith, you can choose to believe the latter. That would be the wise course to take.
 
Lord God, we confidently receive the Bible as a reliable record of Your dealings with humanity as You work to reconcile us to You through the span of history. We know what we possess, and we thank You for it. Be glorified, O God, in our cherishing and careful handling of this precious word. Amen.

Matthew 16:4

Wednesday, 21 January 2026
 
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. Matthew 16:4
 
“Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and a sign – not it will be given it – if not the sign of Jonah the prophet. And having left them, He departed” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus noted those who could tell the day would be one of inclemency because of a morning red sky. He then called the Pharisees and Sadducees hypocrites because they knew how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the seasons they could not discern. Having said that, He continues with, “Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and a sign – not it will be given it – if not the sign of Jonah the prophet.”
 
The words are identical to Matthew 12:39 except that in some manuscripts, the words “the prophet” are not included. To understand the meaning, refer to that commentary. In short, however, the sign of Jonah is the proclamation of Jonah to the Ninevites, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
 
Jesus equated those forty days to Israel’s offering of Jesus, a day for a year. In their rejection of Him, the temple was destroyed, and the people were exiled in 70AD. To confirm that this is what He was referring to, Peter said this in Acts –
 
“And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’” Acts 2:40
 
The same generation, wicked and adulterous, was described by Peter as skolias, warped, and thus perverse. Peter implored the people to come to Jesus and be saved from what would come upon them. As for Jesus’ words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, once He stated them, it says, “And having left them, He departed.”
 
The meaning is that He got into a boat and left their area.
 
Life application: The preaching of Jonah is a part of the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus’ words concerning this sign are something that can be read and then compared to literal history.
 
Though there is debate about the exact timing of Christ’s ministry, it is generally accepted that it encompasses the year 30AD. Seeing that the temple was destroyed in 70AD, as any competent scholar will testify, it is a certainty that Jesus’ words were a prophecy that can be attested to as true and reliable.
 
This was to be the sign for the Jews that they missed what was plainly there in front of them. To this day, they fall under the same descriptions given two thousand years ago by Jesus and then Peter.
 
To become a righteous generation, then, they must repair the breach that they caused. The only way to do this is to receive Jesus as their long-rejected Messiah.
 
This happens in individual Jews anytime they turn to Christ, but it is the nation, as a whole, that must acknowledge Jesus before they can enter into the New Covenant. Today, it is common for Christians to cite Genesis 12:3 and claim that when Christians do not support Israel, they fall under a curse.
 
In fact, Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, did this when speaking to a group of pastors in early December 2025. There is a problem with this thinking. Actually, several. First, the promise was to Abraham. Paul demonstrates in Galatians 3 that only those of faith are counted as the seed of Abraham.
 
Second is the fact that Israel rejected Jesus. When they did, they were cut off from this fountain of blessing, instead falling under the curses of the law. God cannot spiritually bless those who are under His curse. They must first come out from under the source of that curse, meaning the Law of Moses (see Galatians 3:10).
 
Third, Christians are saved through faith in Christ, not through accepting or rejecting Israel’s place in the world.
 
It is doctrinally correct that Christians should support Israel and the plan for them, which Scripture lays out concerning their future. However, it is incorrect and a misuse of Scripture to cite verses out of their intended context in order to motivate that support.
 
Rather, scholars, professors, pastors, preachers, and teachers should properly handle the issue of Israel because it is a type and a picture of individual salvation as much as it is an ongoing and, so far, stormy relationship between God and the people of Israel.
 
Would it be appropriate to say that we must support a person’s present wayward walk because we know that they will someday be saved? The thought is unimaginable. Rather, we should speak against whatever wickedness they hold to and evangelize them in hopes of that day of salvation arriving.
 
The same is true with Israel. To blindly support a nation that is at odds with God’s plan for them, as Jesus has clearly presented in the gospels and as is painstakingly explained in the epistles and Revelation, can only harm, not help, the situation.
 
Unfortunately, the modern Christian Zionist movement is doing exactly that. So what are we to do? The answer is to stand up boldly and support Israel because God has a plan in motion to bring them back to Himself. However, we are to include in that stand that Israel as a nation is currently unrighteous and at odds with God, and to convey the explicit idea that it is Jesus who will make restoration and righteousness possible.
 
Anything else, such as supporting Israel’s building of another temple and going back to national law observance, is to directly and unambiguously challenge the cross of Jesus Christ as a means to restoration with God. May we never have such a purpose for these people who so desperately need Jesus. Jesus! Israel needs Jesus.
 
Lord God Almighty, You have set forth a plan for Israel’s restoration. You have carefully laid out what is necessary for that to come about. You have given innumerable examples of it in typology and prophecy in their Scriptures. Help us to show them what they need and how to obtain it. Jesus! Help us to show them Jesus. Amen.
 

Matthew 16:3

Tuesday, 20 January 2026
 
and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:3
 
“And early, ‘This day... inclemency!’, for glowering, the heaven, it reddens. Hypocrites! Indeed, you know to discern the face of the heaven, and the seasons’ signs, not you can” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said to the Pharisees and Sadducees that they can tell when the weather is good simply by noticing the red sky at night. He continues, saying, “And early, ‘This day... inclemency!’”
 
Two new words are seen here. The first is the adverb prói, early. It signifies the time of dawn. The second word is used, cheimón, the rainy season or foul weather. In essence, the person looks out and understands that a stormy day is ahead. As such, the noun inclemency suits perfectly. From the earliest moments of the day, people can walk outside and tell if it will be a stormy day. Jesus gives the reason for this, saying, “for glowering, the heaven, it reddens.”
 
Another new word, stugnazó, to glower, is seen. The idea is rendering something gloomy. When the sky is red in the morning, it is as if the sky is glowering down on the people, ready to drop rain, hail, etc., rendering their day as gloomy as it appears.
 
Jesus’ words in both verses are pretty much universally understood. The old saying, “Red at night, sailor’s delight, red in the morning, sailor’s take warning,” has been used in one form or another throughout the people groups of the world.
 
Each has its own nuances, but it is common for people to speak of the sky in such simple, understandable ways. Because of this, Jesus says, “Hypocrites! Indeed, you know to discern the face of the heaven, and the seasons’ signs, not you can.”
 
The point of His words is that the messianic signs He had performed, along with everything else that pointed to Him in prophecy, were as evident as the color of the sky in telling what was going on.
 
John the Baptist was prophesied to come as the forerunner of the Messiah. The prophetic timeline in Daniel, of which they would have detailed knowledge, pointed to the coming of the Messiah. The star of Bethlehem was a clear herald of the coming of the Messiah, as evidenced by “the chief priests and scribes” being brought before Herod to confirm the location where He would be born.
 
Everything in the land was swirling with the hope of the Messiah and the surety of His having come because of the confirming signs and wonders He was accomplishing. And yet, despite this, and much more evidence as well, these men had come to Jesus asking for a sign from heaven.
 
The only possible meaning of this is that they were willfully ignoring these things, as well as their own Scriptures, to challenge Jesus as they were doing.
 
Life application: The same attitude found in Israel at the time of Jesus is on full display among the religious elite today. How many Christian scholars, teachers, pastors, and priests see the people of Israel back in the land, exactly as Scripture prophesies, and ignore what is going on?
 
Many deny that it is the same group of people. Others claim that the church has replaced them, and there is no more plan or purpose for them. Some simply call the situation an aberration that will eventually be dealt with by their enemies, removing all trace of this disobedient nation in the process.
 
And yet, these same people will gleefully acknowledge that Israel received its just punishment under the law when they were exiled and scattered among the nations. But those prophecies don’t end with permanent destruction. Rather, they end with restoration.
 
Even the epistles proclaim restoration for Israel. But somehow, the mental disconnect severs these deniers from accepting that God could possibly be gracious to them once again. The problem is one found in the heart. No wonder so many teach that grace requires works as proof of salvation! No wonder so many teach that salvation can be lost.
 
If God can withhold His grace from the people He covenanted with at Sinai, then He can do so with those He covenanted with in Jesus as well. One misunderstanding in God’s nature will inexorably lead to more. The world is swimming in a pool of bad theology because we cannot understand the simple word “grace.”
 
Grace cannot be earned. It is unmerited favor. God’s grace comes through faith in Christ for salvation. It comes from God’s faithfulness to His covenant-keeping for Israel. We can trust God’s grace. It is unconditional, and it will never expire.
 
Lord God, thank You for the grace that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 16:2

Monday, 19 January 2026
 
He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; Matthew 16:2
 
“And answering, He said to them, ‘Evening having come, you say, “Good weather!”, for the heaven, it is red’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached Jesus, asking for a sign from heaven. He now responds to their request, saying, “And answering, He said to them, ‘Evening having come, you say, “Good weather!”
 
A unique word is seen here, eudia, good weather. It is derived from eu, well or good, and the alternate of Zeus, Dia (the accusative case), the god of the weather. Jesus remarks to them that in the evening, it is normal for people, including the scribes and Pharisees, to walk outside and deduce that good weather is ahead.
 
The words are colloquial. One might walk out with a wife, a friend, or, when his neighbor is outside, look up and simply say, “Good weather!” That is next followed by Jesus’ explanation, as He says, “for the heaven, it is red.”
 
The clause contains another new word, purrazó, to be red or, intransitively, to redden. The word is only found in this verse and the next. It is derived from purrhos, fire-like, and thus red. Jesus’ words are axiomatic. People observe the sky and understand its regular patterns.
 
Life application: In Florida, when the wind may start racing from the south during winter, there is a ton of moisture and heat being drawn up from the tropics. This warm (or even hot) muggy air tells the locals that a cold front is on its way.
 
As the front nears, the wind turns to a west breeze. For those who surf, they start waxing their surfboards. Eventually, the wind switches to the north, and a line of often very heavy rain will come rushing through.
 
That is the same moisture that was being drawn up from the south. It is now being returned to the people, often with violent thunder, lightning accompanying it as the cold air meets the tropical air.
 
Very quickly, the temperatures begin to drop, the waves build, the surfers surf, and the bays that are along the Gulf Coast between the islands and the mainland will drop many feet in level, sometimes so much that fish are left lying on the bay’s bed, flopping around, waiting to be picked up by the thousands.
 
People know these things will come about, and they anticipate the changes coming simply because they understand the obvious nature of what is occurring. At such times, the bays can be so drained that one could walk across them without it getting more than knee deep.
 
This can all happen in a few hours. It is how the Red Sea passage is described in Exodus 14, where a strong east wind blew all that night.
 
Anyone who thinks the story is implausible has never seen the events in Florida at times as described above. Wind can be a strong force in drying out deep bodies of water.
 
Believe the Bible. It is reliable.
 
Lord God, we know that You can do all things, including drying out the sea for Israel to pass through it on foot. You even told us how You did it. Help us in our times of unbelief about things that we don’t have an explanation for. Be with us in our times of weakness and doubt. Amen.

Matthew 16:1

Sunday, 18 January 2026
 
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:1
 
“And having approached, the Pharisees and Sadducees, testing, they queried Him to show them a sign from heaven” (CG).
 
The previous verse closed out Chapter 15. Matthew 16 begins with, “And having approached, the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
 
It is similar to the two groups who approached Jesus to open Matthew 15 –
 
“Then they came to Jesus from Jerusalem, scribes and Pharisees, saying...”
 
“And having approached, the Pharisees and Sadducees...”
 
Their presence is consistently presented as antagonistic and challenging. Each time they show up, it is certain that a dispute of some sort is ahead. Jesus, understanding this, is always ready to stand against their challenges. This time, they have come “testing.”
 
In other words, they may have just heard of Jesus’ miracle of feeding the four thousand and are suspicious about how He did it. They may suppose He had gone to the area a few days earlier and dug underground bunkers, filling them with enough bread to feed an army. How else could such a thing have transpired?
 
As such, they are testing Him, looking for a validation that He can really make the miraculous come about. Therefore, “they queried Him to display to them a sign from heaven.”
 
A new word is seen here, epideiknumi, to display. It is derived from epi, upon, and deiknumi, to show. Thus, it literally would be to “upon-show.” The word is found only seven times. Reading the context of those seven uses, one can see that “display” gives the proper sense.
 
Unfortunately, pretty much every translation punts and says “show,” the same translation as deiknumi. Thus, the reader will never know that a more poignant thought is being conveyed. They are asking for an actual display of a sign, as if Jesus could hold it in His hands, put it on like a garment, or set it before them as a piece of heavenly evidence.
 
This is the second time they have asked for something like this –
 
“Then, they answered, some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “Teacher, we desire to see a sign from You.” Matthew 12:38
 
“And having approached the Pharisees and Sadducees, testing, they queried Him to show them a sign from heaven.” Matthew 16:1
 
Apparently, Jesus doing a sign has been elevated to Jesus displaying a sign from heaven. If their request is, in fact, based on having heard about the feeding of the multitudes, they have gone from wanting a miraculous sign from Jesus to a magnitude greater, demanding one from heaven.
 
Elisha had multiplied bread in 2 Kings 4. Being an account in their Scriptures, it was considered a divinely sourced miracle. As such, and as the claim is that Jesus did this, they now want something greater, perhaps fire from heaven.
 
Life application: People want more than the written word. It is as if the masses have an insatiable hunger to have proof that God is God and that He is as He claims. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 1 –
 
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:20-25
 
Perfectly understanding the question of the Pharisees and Sadducees, because he was a Pharisee, Paul says that Jews request a sign. Having lived and evangelized among the nations, Paul also fully understood the Greek mind, always seeking after wisdom.
 
Such people want proof of what they have been told. There is nothing wrong with thinking things through, but it is an entirely different level when God says XX, and we demand that He prove XX. Who are we to question God?
 
Rather, if we read the Bible and understand that it answers to the needs of humanity, we should then, by faith, accept God’s word and, by faith, acknowledge what it says about Jesus, the gospel, and our eternal hope.
 
To many people, videos about dreams, books about coming back from the dead, and attending churches with supposed miraculous events are what life in Christ is about. But those things are opposed to life in Christ.
 
God is pleased with faith in His faithless people. So even a little bit will do. Have faith and be pleasing to God.
 
O God, may Your word be enough to guide our hearts and minds. Help us to faithfully follow You and trust in Your word and the promises found in it. May we not seek or demand that which is contrary to faith. Help us to have this attitude, O God. Amen.
 

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 15 and Ezra

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 15 and Ezra
For BibleInTen.com - By DH, 17th January 2026
Welcome back to Bible in Ten!    
Today, we have another bonus episode as our daily commentary from the Superior Word closes out Matthew Chapter 15.
Matthew’s Gospel contains 28 chapters, and remarkably, it mirrors the first 28 books of the Old Testament as arranged in the Christian Bible.So in this episode, having concluded our walk through Matthew 15, we’ll now look at its fascinating counterpart: Book 15 of the Old Testament-Ezra.
Please do check the last episode to see how Chapter 15 of Matthew gives a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. The verses, though literally occurring at the time of Jesus, point to truths after the completion of Jesus’ ministry.
Authority from Jerusalem 
Matthew 15 opens with scribes and Pharisees coming from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus.
Jerusalem represents authority still bound to Sinai.
Ezra came from Babylon to Jerusalem as a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses.
That was necessary then. But Matthew 15 shows what happens after the Law has been fulfilled.
The authority remains -  but the life is gone.
Paul explains this tension in Galatians:
“Jerusalem which now is… is in bondage with her children.”
The challenge to Jesus does not come from pagans -   but from Law-bound religion.
2. Tradition Replacing God’s Word 
In verses 2 through 9,  Jesus exposes the condition of Israel.
They honor God with lips, but their hearts are far away.
Ezra saw the same problem.
Israel had returned from exile. The Temple was rebuilt. But the heart problem remained.
Ezra tore his garments and confessed:
“After all that has come upon us… should we again break Your commandments?”
External obedience never cured internal rebellion.
Matthew 15 shows that the problem has hardened.
3. Where Defilement Truly Comes From 
Jesus says:
“What goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of it.”
This is more than food.
It is proclamation.
Israel refuses to confess Jesus.
Paul later explains:
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart… you will be saved.”
Defilement is not ritual failure.
It is rejecting the Rock.
Ezra spoke of a land defiled by peoples and practices. Jesus reveals the deeper truth - defilement flows from the heart outward.
4. Blind Leaders and Separation 
Jesus then says something severe:
“Let them alone.”
Blind leaders. Blind followers.
Ezra enforced physical separation. Jesus declares spiritual separation.
Same judgment. Different stage of history.
The Law has reached its limit.
5. A Turn Toward the Gentiles 
Verse 21 is pivotal.
Jesus goes out from there to Tyre and Sidon.
Ezra’s restoration preserved Israel. Jesus now expands the promise.
Tyre means Rock. Sidon means Fishery and fish relates to increase.
Israel abandoned their Rock. The nations who receive Him will increase.
A Canaanite woman approaches - humbled, persistent, faithful.
Ezra allowed Gentiles who separated from uncleanness to join Israel.
Jesus reveals the heart of that principle.
Faith, not bloodline, is the door.
6. Bread, Crumbs, and Faith
Jesus speaks of children’s bread.
The woman doesn’t argue.
She trusts.
“Even the crumbs are enough.”
This is not rebellion against Israel.
It is trust in Israel’s Messiah.
Ezra guarded the holy vessels carefully. Jesus shows that grace is not diminished by sharing.
Faith gathers what Law could only preserve.
7. The Mountain and the Multitudes 
Jesus ascends a mountain near the Sea of Galilee - Liberty.
A great gathering forms.
Ezra gathered Israel to restore covenant order. Jesus gathers the nations under Himself.
Broken people come. They are healed.
And Matthew records something unique:
“They glorified the God of Israel.”
The Gentiles now do what Israel was called to do.
Paul later says:
“That the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.”
8. Bread, Fulness, and Preservation 
The feeding of the four thousand follows.
Three days. Divine fullness.
Seven loaves. Spiritual completeness.
Four thousand - the world number.
Ezra preserved what was holy by careful accounting.
Jesus preserves what is holy by abundance.
Seven large baskets remain.
Nothing is lost.
The fullness of the Gentiles comes in while Israel remains partially blinded.
9. Toward the Tower of God
The chapter ends with a quiet note.
Jesus goes to Magdala - Migdal-El, the Tower of God.
Not Babel. Not the tower of man.
Ezra ended with restored order. Matthew 15 points toward final deliverance.
Ezra shows us what faithfulness under the Law looked like.
Matthew 15 shows us what happens when grace takes the field.
The Rock rejected by Israel becomes the foundation of the nations.
CONCLUSION
Ezra supports the typological interpretation of Matthew 15 because it provides the historical “control text” that shows Matthew follows an existing biblical pattern.   
The reason Ezra confirms the typological reading of Matthew 15 is that Ezra provides the final Old Covenant pattern.   Matthew typologically provides the New Covenant pattern.
In Ezra, Israel is restored to the land, the Law is fully reinstated, scribal authority is established, separation is enforced, and a remnant is preserved - yet the heart problem remains unresolved.
Matthew 15 follows that same sequence in order: authority from Jerusalem, Law elevated through tradition, defilement exposed, separation declared, a preserved remnant, and then a movement beyond Israel to the Gentiles. The difference is that what Ezra preserves under the Law, Jesus resolves through Himself. Because Matthew follows Ezra’s structure rather than inventing a new one, the typology is not imaginative - it is controlled, historical, and intentional.
Matthew 15 is not merely a series of confrontations, healings, and feedings, nor is it simply a lesson about religious hypocrisy or personal faith, as it is often reduced to in casual teaching. Rather, it is also a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture.
What Ezra records historically - Israel restored under the Law, preserved through separation, yet still bound by the limitations of Sinai - Jesus reveals prophetically. Matthew 15 walks through that same reality step by step: Jerusalem-based authority bound to tradition, a people near in speech but distant in heart, blindness leading blindness, separation declared, and then a decisive movement outward to the nations.
Ezra preserves a remnant under the Law. Jesus gathers a people by grace.
Ezra safeguards holiness through consolidation and exclusion. Jesus reveals holiness through mercy, healing, and abundance.
Seen together, these chapters show that Matthew 15 is not simply about what happened on a particular day in Galilee, but about what God has been doing in redemptive history from the close of the Old Covenant to the fullness of the New. It is the Law reaching its limit and Christ stepping into that space - not to abolish what came before, but to fulfill it.
Matthew 15, read through Ezra, becomes a sweeping retelling of Israel’s restoration, its partial blindness, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and the preservation of God’s people - all centered on the person of Jesus Christ, the true Rock, the Bread of Life, and the Lord of the harvest.
Lord God, we thank You for Your word - holy, faithful, and true.
We confess that it is easy to handle Scripture carelessly, to bend it toward our own ideas, or to use it as a tool rather than receive it as a gift.
Guard our hearts from pride.Guard us from turning truth into traditionand obedience into self-righteousness.
Teach us to read Your word with reverence,to see Christ where You have revealed Him,and to submit ourselves to what You have spoken.
May Your grace reach deeper than our habits,deeper than our defenses,and deeper than our fears.
And may our lives reflect not just knowledge of Your law,but the transforming mercy found in Jesus Christ our Lord.
To Your glory alone.Amen.
 
Before we close this episode, we want to share something very simple and very personal.
The following song was made up and sung by our Gracie when she could barely speak. She created the words herself and sang it from her heart. It’s hard to understand in places, and it’s certainly not theologically precise - but that’s actually part of why it feels so fitting here.
In Matthew 15, Jesus reminds us that what truly matters is not polished words, tradition, or perfect expression, but the heart. This little song isn’t about getting everything right; it’s about love, trust, and a heart turned toward Jesus.
So we’ll let it stand just as it is - imperfect, sincere, and honest - a small reminder that faith begins in the heart even before it can be explained.
>>>> Grace sings “I love you Jesus” >>>>