Matthew (Written)

Saturday, 16 May 2026

So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, He said to them, ‘Amen! I say to you that you, the ‘having followed Me’, in the rebirth, when He shall sit, the Son of Man, upon ‘throne, glory, His’, you will sit, also you, upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes – the Israel.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Peter noted to Jesus that he and the others had left all and followed Him. As such, he asked what they would have. In response, Matthew records, “And Jesus, He said to them, ‘Amen!’”

As usual, when making a solemn proclamation, Jesus begins with “Amen.” His word is to be accepted as an assured truth. Continuing, He says, “I say to you that you, these having followed Me.”

The response is limited to true followers of Jesus. For example, there are many people who claim Jesus at this time. Hebrew Roots, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists, all claim to follow Jesus, but their doctrine holds to either a false Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), or a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-8). Jesus’ words are exclusive of such. He next says, “in the rebirth.”

Two points about this. First, it is a new and rare word, paliggenesia, rebirth. It is from palin, again, and genesis, nativity. As such, it refers to a spiritual rebirth or the messianic restoration. It is only found elsewhere in Titus 3:5 –

“…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration [paliggenesia] and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

The second point is what this is referring to. Some tie the word to the previous clause. Others to the second clause –

“I say to you that you, the ‘having followed Me’ in the rebirth…”

“I say to you that you, the ‘having followed Me’, in the rebirth, when He shall sit, the Son of Man, upon ‘throne, glory, His’.”

The first option assigns this time as beginning with John the Baptist and continuing through Christ’s ministry. The correct option is the latter. After Christ’s ministry is complete and the Holy Spirit is poured out, then the rebirth is made possible. Therefore, Jesus’ words are referring to what lies ahead in the future “when He shall sit, the Son of Man, upon His throne of glory.”

This then leaves open a couple of interpretations. Is this referring to the millennium or to the eternal state. Isaiah 65:17 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. Thus, many equate it to what is said in Revelation 21:1, where it appears the same thought is presented.

However, this is incorrect. In Isaiah 65, it continues, referring to death, such as “For the child shall die one hundred years old.” In fact, such thoughts fill Isaiah 65:20-22. But in Revelation 21:4, it goes on to say, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This cannot be the same time frame. Rather, it refers to the millennium. At that time, Jesus will sit on the throne of His glory, exactly what was prophesied to Israel in the prophets. This will be literally fulfilled. At that time, when Jesus is received as Israel’s promised Messiah, He emphatically declares to His disciples, “also you upon twelve thrones, judging Israel’s twelve tribes.”

The twelve disciples, who Jesus designates, will act in leadership roles. The idea of judging is not merely that of a court judging offenses. It is a way of referring to leadership, just as the judges of old served under the Lord. In this case, it will be the Lord incarnate with them serving and judging under Him.

Life application: It cannot be that the millennium will be overlooked. God made promises to Israel that must be fulfilled. To say that Isaiah 65 is to be fulfilled in “spiritual Israel,” supposedly meaning the church, does a complete disservice to the promises made exclusively to Israel. The dispensational model must be worked through for people to fully comprehend man’s total dependence on God’s grace as given through Jesus Christ.

If the millennium does not occur, there will be a void in this progression and in man’s seeing what needs to be seen. And more, contradictions in the text itself are seen, such as noted above. Other glaring and irreconcilable contradictions will also arise.

Jesus does not say that the rebirth is the time of the millennium. He says that the time of the millennium will occur in the time of the rebirth –

NO: “the ‘having followed Me’, in the rebirth, He shall sit, the Son of Man.”
YES: “the ‘having followed Me’, in the rebirth, when He shall sit, the Son of Man.”

Jesus includes the word hotan, when (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty). In Titus, Paul has shown that the rebirth is an event that occurs based on our relationship with Jesus. It is a condition that believers now possess.

At some point after the commencement of this event, which has been going on for two thousand years thus far, those in this state will enter the millennium, and Jesus will sit on His throne of glory. This promise is made apart from any notion of the rapture or the tribulation. It is simply a point of fact that will occur.

The rapture was, and remained, an unknown event until it was described by Paul with the words, “Behold, I tell you a mystery” (1 Corinthians 15:51). There is no need to shove either the church age or the rapture into Jesus’ words here. They simply do not fit. He is speaking to Israel, under the law, about things promised in the law to Israel. He is further defining those matters at this time.

Lord God, You are ever faithful to Your people. We thank You that it is so. Your faithfulness to Israel means You will be likewise faithful to us. And what an encouragement that is. We fail You often, but because of Jesus, we are secure in You. Hallelujah to You, O God! Amen.

Friday, 15 May 2026

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” Matthew 19:27

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then answering, Peter, he said to Him, ‘You behold! We, we left all, and we followed You! What, hence, it will be to us?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus assured the disciples that even if salvation is impossible with men, with God, all things are possible. Next, Matthew records, “Then answering, Peter, he said to Him.”

Peter’s zeal to speak up once again comes to the forefront. He was bold to speak, not always with careful thought behind his words, but at times his utterances were profound. In this case, his question follows naturally after the discussion about entering the kingdom of the heavens. He emphatically says, “You behold! We, we left all, and we followed You!”

Earlier, Jesus had said to the young ruler, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).

Peter has emphatically noted that they had done just that. They were not rulers in Israel, but they had willingly stepped away from their previous lives as soon as Jesus made the call. This does not mean they didn’t continue to fish. Jesus told Peter to go fishing, and in the first fish he caught, there would be a coin in its mouth.

What it does mean is that they set aside their vocations to wholeheartedly follow Jesus. If at some point, Jesus said, “We need fish,” it can be assumed that those who were fishers went out and got some. Whether they worked or not at times is not the issue. The issue is that their lives, including any temporary jobs, were directed to the ministry.

Because they had left all behind to follow Jesus, Peter’s emphatic declaration was surely intended to “remind” Jesus of this fact. And so, he continues, asking, “What, hence, it will be to us?”

The words can be taken in various ways. But the substance behind the question is just as anyone would rightfully wonder, regardless of the intent of the heart, “Lord, what lies ahead for us in the kingdom?” One may have been thinking of riches, another of sitting in a powerful position, etc.

It is impossible for us to know the intent behind Peter’s question, but it is a logical one from any perspective. The fact that it is asked is really the issue. Jesus said to the young ruler, “Come, follow Me.” Nothing was stated to him about what type of treasure in heaven he would receive. But Peter wants to know.

Life application: The Bible tells us various things about what believers can expect, chief among them is the prospect of eternal life. However, we are not given a detailed list of the treasures associated with what eternal life will be.

If we are to live lives that are like we have now, getting sick, breaking bones, frustrations of various sorts, etc., would eternal life really look so great? What we do know is that things will be very different. Things like pain, death, and sorrow will be gone. These are promises in God’s word. As such, we can be confident that whatever else is associated with eternal life, it will be wonderful.

As such, there is no need to ask beyond what has been promised. God will reveal it to us in due time. The call will be made, and this mortal will be replaced with immortality. This is the great hope of the believer. Until that day, may we not lose heart. The world is a tragic place at times, and we must endure through it.

We should not take what we know about existence now and assume that what is coming will be like it, but better. Rather, it will be unlike it and infinitely better. Hold fast to this. God has promised us restoration. Therefore, it will come to pass.

Lord God, how grateful we are for the hope of a new and better existence, apart from sin and its consequences. May our hearts and minds be directed to You all our days as we anticipate the glory to come. Praises to You, O God, for the words of life and restoration promised in Your word. Amen.

Thursday, 14 May 2026

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Having gazed, also, Jesus, He said to them, ‘With men, this – impossible, it is. With, also, God – all possible, it is.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the disciples were floored at Jesus’ words about the chances of the rich entering the kingdom of God, asking, “Who then can be saved?” Because of their question, it next says, “Having gazed, also, Jesus.”

This is only the second time the word emblepó is seen in Matthew. It is from en, in, and blepo, to look. As such, it is more than just looking, but “in-looking” or gazing at, observing fixedly, etc. In Matthew, it doesn’t say who or what Jesus gazed at, but in Mark, it specifically says He gazed at them, meaning the disciples.

Something prompted more than just a cursory look. They may have had confusion, fear, or even a sense of horror at what they heard. If salvation is that hard to obtain, then what will happen to them, their families, or even their nation? Jesus, understanding the magnitude of weight His words placed on their minds, next responds. Matthew records, “He said to them, ‘With men, this – impossible, it is.’”

A new word is seen, adunatos, to be unable. It is derived from the negative particle a adjoined to dunatos, powerful or capable. That is derived from dunamai, to be able or possible. Jesus refers to the impossibility of the rich saving themselves (with men).

Whatever thoughts the disciples had about salvation, Jesus had taken their highest supposed ideal, that of a rich man, and He had negated any chance of such a person saving himself.

The implication, then, is that all others would fare just the same. None could save themselves. With that difficult thought expressed, He then provides a ray of good news, saying, “With, also, God – all possible, it is.”

The first use of dunatos is seen here. It was explained already. Where there is no chance of humanity saving itself, with God, it is possible. The disciples had not thought through their state from a biblical perspective. But neither had anyone in Israel done so. If they had, they would not believe that the rich were more easily saved than anyone else.

Only in the writings of Scripture, inspired by God, is there a hint of the thought expressed by Jesus. There is a problem that exists within humanity that, by default, negates any hope of man being able to restore himself to God. That problem is sin. It is an internal infection that is found in all humanity.

As sin comes through law, it should have dawned on Israel that the medium in which they existed, that of law, would never correct their state, even with the efforts of the most law-observant person.

Life application: Imagine a perfect precision machine that requires a particular perfect part to work without catastrophic failure. It is known that such a part is possible to be constructed, but from the first prototype onward, a flaw is found in every single part that follows.

Would it make sense to use one of those parts in this perfectly precision machine? Of course not! The machine itself would fail. It would be pointless to even try to use a part with a known defect. Every single copy of the original would have to be destroyed.

The problem isn’t with the form of the prototype. Rather, it is the state of the prototype. Every piece molded after it carries the same state. To resolve this, another prototype with the same form could be introduced. However, if it had a perfect state to go along with its form, it would be an acceptable “first part.”

And more, because it isn’t the form, but the state, it could be used to change the state of parts from the original prototype. The form wasn’t the problem. There must be a realm, or state, in which the part exists that will make each previously defective part acceptable. Once that is realized, the problem is resolved.

The problem for the parts is that they have no power to change their state. They simply exist in the state in which they were produced. But an external source could make the change. This is what Jesus is speaking about. Humanity is in a state that does not, and indeed cannot, restore itself to perfection.

But God, who is outside of our realm, could make the change. He could, and He did. When that change was effected, it was then made available to all others. This is why no other religion on the planet can bring salvation. They are dealing within the state of corruption. This is because there is one God, and His correction for our state is only found in Jesus.

Only this one, true God, can bring about the necessary change in our state. And He did! Thank God for the goodness of God in Christ. Through the incarnation, cross, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we go from the state of law to the state of grace. Hooray for Jesus!

Lord God, we have a fault within us that is impossible to correct. No wonder destroying the whole world by flood, minus eight people, still didn’t fix the problem. The corruption remained. What amazing lessons You are giving us in Your word. We need what You have done through Christ. It is evident that nothing else will do. And so, we choose JESUS! Amen.

Wednesday, 13 May 2026

When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” Matthew 19:25

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Having heard, now, the ‘disciples, His’, they were outstruck, exceedingly, saying, ‘Who then, he can be saved?’” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples about the difficulty of being saved, it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved. Matthew next records, “Having heard, now, the ‘disciples, His’, they were outstruck.”

They were completely floored at hearing Jesus’ words. The prevailing sentiment was that being rich was God’s blessing. They probably even thought of that based on the wording found in Moses’ writings. Time and time again, Deuteronomy, for example, refers to the blessings that will come upon the people when they do right things, such as helping the widows and orphans, strangers and foreigners, etc.

The implication is that they are wealthy enough to do those things. In Deuteronomy 28:1-12, the promises of blessings are many and varied, but they all point to great prosperity. Hence, the assumption is that God is blessing a person when he is rich and prosperous. When the curses are pronounced, there is poverty, dearth, famine, etc.

Therefore, the people could look at the writings of Moses and the later prophets and, in this shallow way of viewing their state, assume that the wealthier a person was, the more “right” he must be with God. This thought is not limited to Israel. The thinking permeates the world in general. Because of this, it next says they were outstruck “exceedingly, saying, ‘Who then, he can be saved?’”

If God favors the wealthy and it is hard for them to be saved, how could anyone be saved? It seemed wholly contradictory to their thinking. This is because the nation and culture had viewed their interactions with the Lord based on a false premise. Wealth for the nation was a promised blessing when they were right with the Lord, even to “showers of blessings” and the “windows of heaven” pouring forth blessing.

However, individual wealth does not necessarily come through being a good person. Nabal, in 1 Samuel 25, was very wealthy, but he was a fool in the eyes of God and was expected to be remembered as such before the people. The people looked at wealth in only one way, failing to understand that it is what is inside a man that makes him right with God.

Life application: Jesus’ words concerning the wealthy are based on where the wealthy person’s priorities lie. It is generally true that poor people are much more willing to share the little they have than the wealthy. In fact, it is almost axiomatic that it is so.

Anyone who has ever had a paper route can tell you that the poorer people will usually tip every month and give a big bonus every Christmas. The rich houses almost never tip, and at Christmas, a teeny weeny tip, less than that of the poor people’s monthly tip, may (may!) be forthcoming.

Studies have shown that the highest 2% of earners are in the highest bracket of shoplifters. Such people do not have hearts right with God. And yet, because of their wealth, everyone assumes they have been blessed by Him. Until we step back and consider what wealth truly means, we will always have a faulty view of what God’s favor means.

Be sure to honor the Lord with your heart, regardless of your level of wealth. He is watching to see who is sold out to Him, not prosperity, wealth, possessions, etc. Take time to read 1 Samuel 25:2-39 today. Don’t be like Nabal, what a fool! Have a heart for the Lord regardless of what your bank account says. This is what God is looking for.

Lord God, thank You that we don’t need to be rich, wise, powerful, or politically connected to be right with You. All we need is trust in Jesus and a reliance on what He has already done. From there, we can live our lives for You in whatever way You set before us. Thank You for the promise of eternal blessing in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 12 May 2026

And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:24

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Again, now, I say to you, easier, it is: camel through ‘aperture, needle’ to traverse, if rich entered into the ‘kingdom, the God’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus noted the impracticability of a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens. He now shows just how hard this is, saying, “Again, now, I say to you, easier, it is.”

Jesus will give an example of the immense impracticability of a rich person getting into the kingdom of the heavens. His words have resulted in several unfounded explanations of the meaning. What He says is, “camel through ‘aperture, needle’ to traverse.”

Two new words are introduced here. The first is trupéma, an aperture. In the case of a needle, it would be what we call its eye. The second is the rhaphis, a needle, coming from rhapto, to sew.

In plain English, Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the aperture (the eye) of a needle than what He will next state. Before that, two amendments to this over the centuries to soften the meaning have been made. The first is that some claim the word is not κάμηλος [kamelos], a camel, but κάμιλος [kamilos], a cable. It is agreed there is no support for this, but it was introduced.

The second change-up is a switcheroo in the meaning of “aperture.” Instead of it being a literal needle’s eye, it is a gate called the Eye of the Needle, which is not big enough for a camel to go through.

This is something that was introduced much later in Christian history. Most believe it came about around the 1400s to soften the meaning of Jesus’ words, probably introduced by someone who was rich and didn’t like the implication of what Jesus says, which continues with “if rich entered into the ‘kingdom, the God’.”

In other words, it is easier for a camel to squish through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get to heaven. The comparison of an animal going through a literal needle’s eye is seen elsewhere in Mideastern writings. The Koran uses Jesus’ statement exactly, without regard to a gate. The Talmud uses the term “elephant” instead of “camel.”

Another point is that the word trupéma, aperture, in Matthew is changed in Mark 10:25 to trumalia, orifice. Likewise, the word rhaphis, needle, is changed in Luke 18:25 to belos, a missile (as in the flaming darts of Ephesians 6:16).

Why are these changes important? It is because they demonstrate that Jesus was talking of something small, held in the hand, and that has an aperture or an orifice, not an eye. The word “eye” is an explanation, not a translation. In other words, Jesus was speaking of a literal needle with a teeny weeny, eensy weensy hole in it.

It was a phrase that would have been known and understood by the disciples without any changes or needed modifications.

Life application: At times, pastors will use the “small gate” explanation in an attempt to justify why it is ok to be rich, teaching that Jesus was giving a moral lesson and He wanted to show that a camel must get on its knees to squish through such a small gate. Thus, we should be humble as we rake in the millions.

This is a ludicrous twisting of Scripture, and it completely misses Jesus’ point. The words of this verse are making a point about trusting in anything but God for a right standing with him. Jesus will even say this explicitly.

But people run ahead with teachings that are easy to comprehend, sensational, or that seem to relieve the immense tension that arises with such a bold statement about wealth and salvation. If they would pick up the Bible and read it in context and from cover to cover, the tension would fade away.

Paul explains exactly what the meaning of Jesus’ words is in 1 Timothy 6:17 –

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

Jesus was speaking about trust. Paul, speaking through Timothy to rich people (yes, saved rich people), speaks about trust. Trust in Jesus, regardless of how much you have, little or much. That is the sweet spot.

Heavenly Father, whatever wealth or possessions we possess, they ultimately came from You. We thank You for what we have, but we also know it could all be gone in a flash of fire or a deluge of water. We will put our trust in You alone for all things. Amen.