Daily Writing

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” Matthew 9:3

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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, you behold! Some of the scribes, they said to themselves, ‘This, He blasphemes’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus saw the faith of those who brought the paralytic who was lying on a bed. Because of how they came to Him, He said, “You embolden child! Your sins, they are forgiven you.” Now, Matthew continues with, “And, you behold! Some of the scribes.”

Luke provides the background for these words –

“Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.” Luke 5:17

These men had heard about Jesus and had come to see what was going on. Whether those from Jerusalem and Judea knew of Him from His time there, or whether word had come about Him and they went to see Him isn’t known, but they were clearly there with the intent of ascertaining what He was doing. Having heard Jesus’ words to the man, “they said to themselves.”

One might question if this means they spoke to one another or if they spoke in their minds to themselves. The answer is found in Mark and Luke. Mark said they were “reasoning in their hearts,” something Jesus confirmed by asking, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?” (Mark 2:8). Luke confirms this, essentially saying the same things.

This demonstrates a power and ability that is ascribed to God alone, such as –

“I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10

This sentiment is found several times in the Old Testament. It is a capability only the Lord God possesses. And yet, the way the gospel writers have presented the matter, they confirm that Jesus is fully capable of this. It is a thought later confirmed in Revelation –

“I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:23

Understanding this ability of Jesus, who is God, it next says, “This, He blasphemes.”

Saying “This,” appears to be a contemptuous way of speaking of Jesus. That then leads to the thought of Him blaspheming, which is a new word in Scripture. The Greek is blasphémeó, a verb originally signifying to speak evil of, slander, or revile. In the case of God, however, Bengel rightly states –

“Blasphemy is committed when (1.) things unworthy of God are attributed to Him; (2.) things worthy of God are denied to Him; (3.) when the incommunicable attributes of God are attributed to others.”

Jesus is claiming an ability and a prerogative that belongs to God alone. That is noted, for example in Isaiah 43:25 –

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.”

It is true that there are times when one person will say to another something like, “Please forgive me of my sin.” However, that is referring to a matter between the two, not the forgiveness of transgressions against God that can only be forgiven by Him. What Jesus is doing is placing Himself between God and the sinner in a manner similar to the role of the priest.

However, a priest in Israel only performed a function that allowed sin to be forgiven according to the law set forth by the Lord. He was not the one who provided the forgiveness, only the means by which it was secured for the person. Jesus is actively saying that He forgives the man of sins against God, something only God can do. Of this, Kubel says the following –

“No passage of the Old Testament affirms that the Messiah himself will forgive sins. Thus Jesus ascribes to himself what even the highest Old Testament prophecies of the Messianic time had reserved to God; e.g. Jeremiah 31:34; Isaiah 43:25.”

This is correct. In Isaiah 53, it notes that Jesus would be the One to bear the sins of the people, but it was not fully understood that this meant both in the forgiving of them actively, such as in this case in Matthew, as well as bearing them in the manner which the animals under the Old covenant were supposed to do, meaning in a substitutionary manner.

Jesus provided both types of forgiveness before God, meaning He is equal to the Father.

Life application: The words of this short verse are filled with hints of the deity of Jesus. He is capable of reading the hearts and minds of the people, something that is ascribed to God in the Old Testament. He holds the approval to forgive sin. Again, it is an authority that belongs to God alone in the Old Testament.

And yet, these things are shown to be capabilities that belong to Jesus in the New. And it is not just during His earthly ministry to Israel that it is so. Rather, since His resurrection, He is the One to judge sin, wield the full power of God – having all authority in heaven and on earth, and He is the One who reads the hearts and minds of the people of the world.

The Bible leaves no doubt as to the nature of Jesus Christ. To deny these fundamental truths concerning Him is to deny what is clearly presented in the word. If the Bible is the word of God, then to deny what it clearly presents concerning Jesus is blasphemy against God.

Lord God, help us to understand the nature of Jesus intimately. May we pursue the knowledge of Him with every fiber of our being. We ask Your help in this because we know that in knowing Him, we will know You. Be with us in our pursuit of the wonderful Lord Jesus! Amen.

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Matthew 9:2

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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, you behold, they presented Him a paralytic having been cast upon a bed. And Jesus, having seen their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘You embolden child! Your sins, they are forgiven you’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it noted that Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city, meaning Capernaum. Now, Matthew continues with, “And, you behold, they presented Him a paralytic.”

This is now the third time the word has been used. In verse 4:24, it noted that He healed paralytics. In Matthew 8, the servant of the centurion was noted as a paralytic. So, it would seem this was just another paralytic out of many. But it is how the matter is approached that makes this account different. As for the paralytic, it says of him, “having been cast upon a bed.”

The word kline, translated as bed, is introduced here. It signifies a bed or table. Strong’s notes that the word is used to describe a bed for sickness, sleep, sitting, or eating.

As for the words, there still appears to be nothing unusual in the account. If someone is paralyzed, they would be immobilized, usually on a bed. Today, we have wheelchairs and the like, but at this time in history, a person in such a state would be confined to the home or carried on a litter. Next, Matthew notes, “And Jesus, having seen their faith.”

This is where the words in Matthew jump over events that are recorded in Mark and Luke. Without understanding the context, it seems odd to go from a guy on a bed to “having seen their faith.” Anyone in such a state who wanted to be healed would naturally be brought in.

In Mark 2, it says –

“And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ² Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” Mark 2:1-4

It is this extraordinary effort that brings Jesus to His words about their faith. When they could not approach Him due to the thronging crowd, they came up with an innovative way of dealing with things.

Their actions demonstrated that they truly believed that Jesus could heal the man. Otherwise, they would not have bothered, figuring they would look foolish for putting in so much effort just to return home disappointed. Because of their actions, which were based on their faith in Jesus’ capabilities, “He said to the paralytic, ‘You embolden child! Your sins, they are forgiven you.’”

Rather than performing a physical healing, as one would expect with a person who has come to be healed, Jesus deals with a more important issue, the man’s sin. These words set off a firestorm among some of those who are there with Jesus. That will be seen in the verses ahead.

Life application: If you go to churches where healing is the focus, the physical aspect of the healing takes priority. It is as if a Hollywood presentation is going on when the supposed faith healer may run around on stage, laying hands on people, pushing them backwards with gasps and fainting, and people jump to their feet as if victoriously healed of whatever malady they supposedly possessed.

Benny Hinn used to take off his coat and swing it at people, as if he had the power to heal them by slapping them with it. All of the false faith healing in the world does nothing to deal with the issue of sin. And it is sin that keeps one from God. It would be better to be forgiven of one’s sins and to lay on one’s bed for an entire life as a paralytic than to be denied entrance into heaven because the gospel was not properly shared with him.

We should keep the main purpose of Jesus’ work in mind at all times. He came to save humanity from sin. Without that, the rest just doesn’t matter. What ultimately happens to us in this temporary, futile, fallen world makes no difference without Jesus and His cleansing us from our sin.

Heavenly Father, thank You that we are forgiven from our sins because of what Jesus has done for us. Without that, we are just specks of matter, formed together for a breath in the stream of time, destined to perish and return to nothingness. But we know that is not true. We were created by You and we must return to You through Jesus. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 31 March 2025

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Matthew 9:1

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 having entered the boat, He through-crossed, and He came into His own city” (CG).

The previous verse ended Chapter 8 as it completed the account of the two demon-possessed men. Now, with Jesus and His disciples having been asked to depart from the region, it next says, “And having entered the boat.”

They had come from Capernaum to this area, having passed over from there. Now departed, it says, “He through-crossed.”

This is a new word, diaperaó, coming from dia, through, and peran, which signifies beyond, over, the other side, etc. Thus, it signifies to cross entirely, from one side to the other. To keep the words in line with the Greek, through-crossed gets the point across. In their through-crossing, it next says, “and He came into His own city.”

Another new word is seen, idios. It signifies that which pertains to self, such as one’s own, or something private or separate, etc. In this case, it is referring to Jesus’ city, Capernaum, where He had set as the base for His ministry.

Life application: The trip from Capernaum to the Gergesenes and back was short but filled with action. The seas raged, the disciples feared, Jesus calmed the sea, and the disciples marveled, wondering what kind of Man Jesus was.

From there they landed on the shore, met with the demon-possessed men, and Jesus ejected the demons from them into pigs, bringing the men to a right state. From there, they departed and went right back to Capernaum.

The Bible is highlighting Jesus, His actions, and His work. We should pay heed to what we are seeing. A storm arose and He calmed it. A spiritual storm arose in the men, and Jesus calmed it.

We are being shown the nature of the Man that the disciples couldn’t seem to grasp, even though they were right there with Him watching the things He did. He commanded a person to be healed who wasn’t even in His presence. He also healed a leper by touching Him. Rather than becoming unclean, He remained clean and the leper was cleansed.

Jesus thereby demonstrated that He was greater than the law even though He submitted to the law. As the law was given by God to Israel through Moses, we are being shown the true nature of the Man. If you are struggling with the idea of Jesus’ deity, you are struggling against the word of God.

God, through His word, is conveying to us information about what He has done in and through the Person of Jesus. Don’t fret about this matter! Accept it by faith. Jesus Christ is the God/Man. When we pray to God through Jesus, we have all the power in the universe hearing our prayers. He will respond accordingly. Trust that it is so.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for what You have done for us in sending Jesus. Help us in our times of lacking trust. Help us in our weak faith. Strengthen us through Your word so that we can always feel confident as we walk in this world, awaiting the day when we will be brought near to You forever. Amen.

Sunday, 30 March 2025

And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. Matthew 8:34

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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). To read the Matthew Chapter 8 translation on Rumble, click here. To read the Matthew 8 translation on YouTube, click here.

“And, you behold! All the city, it went out to the Jesus meeting. And having seen Him, they begged that He might depart from their borders” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew noted that those who had kept the pigs went into the city and conveyed all the details of what happened to the demon-possessed men. He next continues with, “And, you behold! All the city.”

Like every car slowing down on the highway to see an accident, people are attracted to interesting events that enter into the normal daily activities of life. With news of what had happened, the people gathered together to participate in the matter which had been told to them.

Saying “all the city,” however, is a superlative that means “a great portion of the city.” As seen elsewhere, not every “every” means every and not all “alls” mean all. Despite that, the majority of the people would have been curious about the events and willing to take time off from whatever they were doing to check things out. And so, the population of the city, “it went out to the Jesus meeting.”

Almost all translations make this a verb, such as, “they went out to meet Jesus.” However, it is a new noun, hupantésis. It signifies an encounter or a meeting. They had been told what He had done and they formed together intent on a meeting with Him. Next, it says, “And having seen Him, they begged that He might depart from their borders.”

Matthew’s account doesn’t fill in the details like Mark and Luke do. Mark 5 says –

“Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ¹⁶ And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. ¹⁷ Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.” Mark 5:15-17

The comments of scholars concerning why they asked Jesus to depart are all over the place –

“It was characteristic of the wild, half-heathen population that they were led to look on the Prophet who had wrought so great a work as a Destroyer rather than a Saviour.” Ellicott

“The motive for the request was fear lest a greater disaster should follow.” Meyer

“These Gerasenes, vexed at the loss of wealth, felt, like the demoniacs, that there was nothing in common between themselves and Jesus, but, unlike them, showed no consciousness of sin. Without this he could do nothing for them, so he granted their request.” Pulpit Commentary

Albert Barnes says –

This shows:

1. That the design of Satan is to prejudice people against the Saviour, and even to make what Christ does an occasion why they should desire him to leave them.
2. The power of avarice. These people preferred their property to the Saviour. They loved it so much that they were blind to the evidence of the miracle, and to the good he had done to the miserable people whom he had healed.

Meyer is the only one who is close. Mark and Luke both say they were afraid. All the other commentary is nonsense. If the demon-possessed men were so powerful that they could scare people so badly that they wouldn’t even pass by that way, and if Jesus was able to cast out the demons that made the men so powerful, then Jesus obviously possessed power that was greater than the demons.

Further, by casting them into the pigs, it demonstrated that He had control over the demons to cause this to occur. He not only could cast out demons, but He could direct them once cast out. If He could do these things, what more could He do? This caused them to fear. Without further information to go on, everything else is speculation and presupposition.

Life application: Luke 5 says –

“But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’ ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” Luke 5:5-8

When Peter saw the miracle of Jesus, He asked Him to depart. His explanation was that he was a sinful man. Peter understood the position and power of Jesus and he measured his sin against what he saw and it affected him.

The people in the city saw the capability and power of Jesus, and it affected them. When we read the Bible, we should see the glory, power, authority, and capability of God and it should affect us. If we are left unaffected by the law when we read the law, we are not grasping the magnitude of our sin before God.

When we read about the cross of Jesus, we should understand our precarious state before God without a suitable Substitute to cover our sins. We should appreciate the grace that is displayed in what occurred there. We should feel the love of God for us as we contemplate the length He went to in order to restore us to Himself.

The Bible is a book that asks us to interact with the events in our hearts and minds, considering the majesty of what God has done for the people of the world.

Heavenly Father, how can we not be moved when we read the pages of the Bible. Each book is set forth to instruct us concerning our relationship with You. Help us to consider this as we enter into its pages each day. Amen.

Saturday, 29 March 2025

Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Matthew 8:33

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 those feeding [the pigs], they fled. And having gone into the city, they reported all – even the ‘of those demon-possessings’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus gave direction to the demons to go into the sounder of pigs. Having done so, they went into them and the entire sounder dashed down the precipice and perished in the water. Having seen this, it now says, “And those feeding [the pigs], they fled.”

There were people tending to the pigs as they went about rooting and eating whatever they found. When the pigs went berserk and headed over the cliff, the men were probably aghast. From the surrounding words, it appears that they heard the exchange between Jesus and the demon-possessed men. Therefore, it next says, “And having gone into the city, they reported all.”

Unless they had been aware of what happened between Jesus and the demon-possessed men, these words would not apply. Therefore, even if the pigs were off in the distance, as indicated in verse 30, the men tending to them were nearer. It may be that they too were at a distance, but when they heard the commotion of the demon-possessed men, they drew near as people tend to do when something like that comes about.

In whatever way they knew what transpired, they went and told those in the city everything, “even the ‘of those demon-possessings.’”

The brevity of the wording in the Greek means that words must be inferred. The intent is, “even the matter concerning those who were demon possessed.” Whether they knew of the healing of the man, or if they just saw the pigs go ballistic and jump over the cliff and then ran away terrified at that time, they at least knew that there was an encounter between Jesus and the two men.

This is what they conveyed to the people in the city. In Mark’s account, it says of the people in the city, “Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ¹⁶ And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.” Mark 5:15, 16

Therefore, it appears they were not sure about the healing of the man until they came back with the people of the city. Either way, the ejecting of the demons took place according to the word of the Lord.

Life application: Jesus, even during the time of His earthly ministry, had power over the spiritual world of Satan and his demons. They feared Him and knew who He was at the time. Since the completion of His work, the world has steadily followed the path that Scripture laid out two thousand years ago.

The life and Person of Jesus is there in the pages of Scripture for any and all to see and believe. It is the only way to overcome the dark forces of this world, including our own wicked hearts. And yet, how many of us are willing to share this life-changing message with others?

Unless someone just chances upon a website, video, or Bible, without us opening our mouths and speaking, there will not be any way for others to come to a saving knowledge of Him.

The people of the city were told of the exciting events that happened that day when Jesus cast out the demons. What Jesus has done for us is way more exciting than that. Let us tell others! We need to get the word about Him out. May we do so to the glory of God.

Lord God, help us to faithfully use our time in getting the word about Jesus out to others. We have received the good news. How can we keep it to ourselves? Give us the desire, the opportunity, and the wisdom to do what we should be doing in this regard. Amen.