Three times, Matthew describes Satan’s attempts to place a stumbling block in front of Jesus by tempting him to short circuit his purpose in coming to earth. And three times, Jesus refuses to fall. The first temptation is centered on bread. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false” alt=”The First Temptation – Matthew 4:3-4″] Jesus has been fasting for forty…
Coffee Break – 04.27.2020
Time for a Coffee Break! Let’s talk baseball! On this day in history: In 1947, “Babe Ruth Day” was celebrated at Yankee Stadium. In 1973, Kansas City Royal Steve Busby pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, to win 3-0. In 1983, Nolan Ryan, of the Houston Astros, broke a 55-year-old major league baseball record…
The Temptation Of Jesus In Matthew
Before Jesus begins his three years of ministry in earnest, he spends some time in the wilderness. While there, Satan endeavors to tempt Jesus away from his mission. There are three different temptations described in Matthew, and we will look at each on in turn. But first, we need to set the stage. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false”…
The Quarantine Life
The past few weeks have been pretty quiet around here because of the quarantine. Along with most of you, I’m learning to live with the major disruption to my life and routine because of the coronavirus. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false” alt=”Quarantine Life”] When this all started, I think we all expected it to be kind of like…
The Baptism Of Jesus: The Matthew Account
Matthew concludes chapter three with an account of the baptism of Jesus. This is a significant event that marks the beginning of his ministry, and is punctuated with the voice of God declaring himself pleased. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false” alt=”Matthew 3:13-17″] Matthew has not mentioned Jesus since Joseph moved the family to Nazareth at the end of…
Coffee Break – 03.02.2020
Time for a Coffee Break! On this day in history: In 1899, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was established by the U.S. Congress. In 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of many beloved children’s books, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. And in 1933, the motion…