Following Jesus through Matthew
Devotional Thoughts to Help Renew Your Mind
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(Context Passage Matt. 1v1- 17) Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, (1v5&6) Consider: The three women underlined above had interesting pasts, but God grafted them into His Story and gave them a place of honor in the lineage of Jesus. It does not matter who you are, God can involve you in His purposes. We just have to be willing follow Jesus. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 1v18 - 25) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (1v24) Consider: Clear directions from God must be acted upon no matter what cultural or social concerns it produces. How often do we sense God's voice and make excuses for not doing it. God's kingdom does not come into our lives or our communities until we do what God tells us to. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 2v1 - 12) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (2v11) When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. (2v3) Consider: From birth Jesus deserved to be worshiped, even from far off kings, who brought their treasures to give Him. We too have an obligation to bring to Jesus everything we have and lay it at His feet. Many will be disturbed by our devotion and commitment to Jesus and try and convince us to modify our worship. Some may even try to stop us, but if we do not give it all we cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 2v13 - 23) Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: (2v17) Consider: The fulfillment of prophecy is not our concern. We live a life of obedience and leave God to keep His word. The world is God's mission. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 3v1 - 12) This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" (3v3) Consider: A wilderness journey seems mandatory for those wanting to follow 'the way of the Lord'. But the wilderness is not a destination but a place of preparation for calling others to 'make straight paths'. John called people to get ready for Jesus, we as Jesus followers call people to make straight paths for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 3v1 - 12) "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (3v11) Consider: We can challenge people to repent and live lives that reflect God's kingdom, but it is only the Holy Spirit that brings fire; conviction, enabling, wisdom, love. Without the Holy Spirit our lives are hollow, but with the Holy Spirit God can transform us into fulfilling His purposes. Personal transformative thought (Context Passage Matt. 3v13 - 17) And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (3v17) Consider: Throughout Jesus' life there are only a couple of times where God actually interrupts the events to let us know what He is thinking. From this incident many have highlighted the importance of baptism but I think God is pleased with Jesus for stepping out from the crowd and embarking on His mission to establish God's kingdom in a fuller way. God is always pleased with people who step away from the crowd and follow Jesus. Personal transformative thought
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About the Book
Our world is undergoing a massive cultural shift from the safety of modernity into the unknown wilderness of what is next. Christianity has been caught up in this cultural vacuum and is struggling to stay true to its calling. All that the church has held dear is now been called into question. Where does a faithful follower of Jesus turn to in such troubled times?
The obvious answer is, of course, the Word of God, but it is not that simple. Much of what we have been taught and experienced as biblical teaching has been tainted with reductionist concepts, born in modernity. There is a need to reinterpret the teachings of Jesus and seek a renewed understanding of what He meant when He said, “Follow Me.” This book is an attempt to call people to rethink the gospel of Matthew and hear Jesus with fresh ears. It uses devotional thoughts to help the reader reflect on what Jesus is really saying, and it provides space for the voice of the Holy Spirit to renew our minds so we can live a life worthy of our calling as Christ’s ones.
About the Author
Joel Erkkila was born in the wilds of Papua New Guinea and schooled in Australia; he has worked as a missionary teacher in West Africa and India. He is married with four children and teaches Religion and Ethics. He is currently pursuing an MA degree in global leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary.