Who is this Jesus? -- Our Rest (Matt 11-12)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Chapters 8-10 come to a conclusion with a question from John in chapter 11. "Are you the one?" Jesus responded by pointing to the evidence, citing prophecies from Isaiah that He was fulfilling^[1]. The works of Jesus testify--this is the Messiah.

After this, Jesus goes into a soliloquy, expounding on the role of John, denouncing those who had seen these works and rejected Him, and finally promising rest to those who choose to draw near to Him. Signs, judgement, and rest will be the themes of these two chapters.

Who is this Jesus? -- Kingdom Invasion (Matt 8-10)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As Jesus finished His sermon on the mount, the crowds were amazed. Matthew tells us that "great crowds followed him." Matthew then shifts to focus to one particular individual who seems to have connected with Jesus' invitation--a leper. This man has heard this Jesus speak of an upside down Kingdom where the outcast can find hope, and he responds: in worship ("Lord"), prayer ("If you will"), and faith ("you can make me clean"). Through this man's response, the Kingdom begins to come. In power.

Who is this Jesus? -- Kingdom Vision (Matt 5-7)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Matthew 5-7 are some of my favorite chapters. This is Jesus' first real meaty sermon. In this one section we have the encouragement of the beatitudes, the challenge to be a light, the heart of the Torah, the exhortation to seek God's Kingdom, the example of the Lord's prayer, the giving of the golden rule, and the parable of the house on the rock. That's quite a bit of material to unpack found in these 3 chapters. Far too much for a single blog post. So we will focus our attention by remembering our question: Who is this Jesus that speaks with such authority?