Daily Writing

Monday, 11 August 2025

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24

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).

“And the Pharisees, having heard, they said, ‘This, not He ejects the demons if not in Beelzebul, prince of the demons’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the people, although not committed to the proposition, somewhat suspected that Jesus may be the Son of David. Having stated this, the usual suspects now chime in. Matthew records, “And the Pharisees, having heard.”

Having seen their track record thus far, it can already be surmised that these men were indignant at the very thought of Jesus being the anticipated Messiah. Therefore, “they said, ‘This, not He ejects the demons if not in Beelzebul, prince of the demons.’”

There is no article before “prince” or “ruler” (NKJV). Thus, the statement speaks of a title more than a position. One can see the emphatic retort to the people’s questioning –

23 ‘Not any, this, He is the Son of David?’
24 ‘This, not He ejects the demons if not in Beelzebul, prince of the demons.’

In order to draw the people’s speculation away from Jesus possibly being the Son of David, they go to the most extreme resolution possible. Not only is He not the Son of David, but He also isn’t even just a charlatan. Rather, He has power, but that power is surely derived from he who is prince of the demons!

They couldn’t deny that the miracles were real. The evidence was there before them. But they would never come to acknowledge that what Jesus did was of God. Therefore, the certain explanation that they clung to was that Jesus’ power was demonic.

Because of their words, Jesus will carefully explain why their reasoning is faulty and why they are in serious trouble before God because of their accusation.

Life application: On 24 June 2025, Adam Sheafe was arrested for crucifying an Arizona pastor several months earlier. Sheafe intended to kill fourteen more pastors, all because they believe in Jesus. The news service said –

“The suspect described his plan as ‘Operation First Commandment’ and claimed that the Bible’s New Testament teachings about Jesus Christ go against the biblical commandment that says, ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ Sheafe stated, ‘His commandments have been annulled by this character called Jesus, a human being who I believe is the son of Satan’” (American Military News).

Sheafe is obviously theologically confused. But what would lead someone to take such a stand? The answer is because he was told something about Scripture that was incorrect and, instead of doing the research, he trusted what he was told.

The people of Israel were presented with the obvious truth that Jesus was capable of healing the deaf and blind, and yet they questioned whether He was the Messiah or not. To rob them of any faith that may have sprouted in their hearts, the Pharisees quickly intervened and assured them that Jesus was healing by the power of Beelzebul.

It is one thing to listen to authority figures, and it is another to do so without checking what they say. Israel was presented with their Messiah. They rejected Him as a nation, and it caused them to, once again, fall under the curses of the Law of Moses. They had agreed to the law, they were to live by it, and they were to accept what it taught.

As Jesus noted in John 5, Moses wrote about Him. In Luke 24:27, it says, “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Israel rejected this. They continue to do so today.

Unfortunately, because of the teachings of modern-day Judaizers and Hebrew Roots adherents, this attitude has spread around the world. Like the Roman Catholic Church, their doctrine denies the all-sufficiency of Christ’s work, mandating individual works as a part of the salvation process.

Law has been the problem since the first days of man on earth. It remains a problem to this day. It is what puts a wall between God and man. What is needed is God’s grace. We cannot find life without it, and we cannot find healing and restoration apart from it.

May we remember this lesson. Jesus came to demonstrate to Israel that He was their Messiah. As a part of this demonstration, He gave His life up in fulfillment of the Law of Moses. Why would we ever want to go back to that? May we go forward in God’s grace, living for Him and honoring Him by honoring the full, finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God, thank You for the all-sufficient nature of Christ’s work. Through what He has done, we are fully reconciled to You. Thank You for Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Sunday, 10 August 2025

And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Matthew 12:23

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 they were astounded, all the crowds. And they said, ‘Not any, this, He is the Son of David?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus healed a mute and blind man so that he could speak and see. Now, the reaction to that by the crowds is provided by Matthew, saying, “And they were astounded, all the crowds.”

A new word, existémi, to be amazed or astounded, is used. It is from ek, out, and histémi, to stand. The idea is that of being knocked off one’s feet or beside oneself. The people saw this and were truly amazed at what they beheld.

So incredible was the miracle that, despite not understanding how Jesus could be the Messiah, they still couldn’t dismiss it. This is seen in their seemingly oddly constructed words, “And they said, ‘Not any, this, He is the Son of David?’”

The word méti, only seen so far in Matthew 7:16, is used. It comes from me, not, and tis, any (something, certain, some, etc.). A single word that might reflect their thinking would be the word whether. Combining that with “this” to identify Him specifically adds emphasis.

They are essentially saying something like, “It can’t be that He is the Son of David, but maybe He is!” They are conflicted and trying to reason between what they presuppose about a Messiah and what their eyes actually see.

This is the second time that anyone has specifically addressed Jesus as the Son of David. The first time was an adamant assertion –

“When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’” Matthew 9:27

These two blind men were able to discern that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of David, meaning the promised Messiah. However, the crowds who could see could not fully come to such a resolution in their minds. Such is the power of presupposition.

Life application: We as humans quite often form presuppositions about a matter or a person based on a limited, imperfect, or tainted understanding of the person or thing. Once that thought is settled in our minds, it is very hard to get it out.

For example, a person may sit in a church when he is young, listening to a biblically inept pastor who doesn’t know eschatology very well. The pastor may deny that there is something called the rapture, and without any biblical support, he dismisses it as nonsense.

For that young person, he is sitting under an authority figure whom he likes and respects. He trusts that what he has heard is correct. As he grows, he learns that there are not only those who believe in a rapture, but that there is a wide range of views as to its timing.

However, his mind is already made up that there is no such thing. And so, when he discusses the matter with others, he already has a wall up to defend against the doctrine, even though it is clearly presented in the word. When presented with the clear and obvious instruction, his mind finds it hard to resolve what he already believed and what Paul precisely states.

In this state, he is conflicted, just like the people who saw Jesus’ healing of the deaf and blind man. Two blind people, who couldn’t see what Jesus looked like, knew from their other senses that He must be the Son of David. But these people, allowing for their preconceived notions about Him, were unable to fully perceive what was plain and obvious.

What do you believe about King James Only-ism? How do you perceive the state of the nation of Israel today? What do you believe happens to believers when they die? Is the coming temple and its sacrifices a good thing or a bad thing in God’s eyes? Is Jesus both God and Man? Is Jesus the only way to heaven? If you are saved, can you lose your salvation?

If you have been around the faith long enough, you have already been presented with views on these matters, whether they were responsibly taught from Scripture or not. What you were originally taught, or what your mind conceived was correct, is what you will believe going forward, unless you are to stop and say, “I will go where the word leads, even if it conflicts with what I currently believe.”

This is not an easy path to follow. We usually put a lot of our time and mental thought into what we think we believe. To say, “I was wrong,” is like throwing away a part of who we have become. It can also be embarrassing. And yet, are we going to put God, His word, and proper doctrine first?

The people saw Jesus and they beheld His miracles, and yet, they struggled to say, “Surely, this is the Messiah.” Their Scriptures already told them what He would do, but they held stubbornly to presuppositions, conflicted and tossed about in their thinking.

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
⁶ Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5, 6

Lord God, help us in our thinking. We come to the table with piles of theological baggage heaped up in our minds. Sometimes it is from honest but misguided teachers. Sometimes, it is from people who don’t want us to see the truth. And sometimes, we just made things up in our heads. Help us to clear this out, to see what is correct, and to be pleasing to You in our doctrine. Amen.

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. Matthew 12:22

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 he was brought to Him ‘being demon possessed,’ blind and mute, and He cured him, so the blind and mute speak and see” (CG).

In the previous verse, the quote from Isaiah 42 concerning the coming of the Messiah was finished. Now, the narrative concerning Jesus continues, saying, “Then he was brought to Him ‘being demon possessed,’ blind and mute.”

The record of this account with the accompanying charges that will be seen in the next verse is recorded as occurring at different times in Mark and Luke. A couple of possibilities exist concerning this. The first is that Matthew uses the word “then,” meaning it is chronological, whereas the others are merely recorded as fact at a certain point.

Another possibility is that in this account, it says, “blind and mute.” However, Luke only says “mute.” Mark doesn’t specifically refer to the state of a person being healed in Mark 3. And so, it could be at different times that the surrounding narratives are repeated. Why can it not be that the same charges were stated against Jesus at various times? Rather, it would be expected, just as such charges are brought against people at various times even today.

As it stands, there is no reason to assume the three accounts contradict. Understanding this, a person is blind and mute, something attributed to him being demon possessed. He is brought to Jesus in that state. Next, it says, “and He cured him, so the blind and mute speak and see.”

It is a miracle that exceeds the account in Matthew 9, where Jesus cured a man who was mute and demon possessed. Adding in the blindness is an elevation of the matter, demonstrating that Jesus’ healing capabilities were well beyond anything the people could have imagined.

Remembering that this is recorded directly after the words of Isaiah, it demonstrates the coldness of the hearts of the religious leaders who will challenge Jesus on this. Isaiah proclaimed that the Gentiles would hear of Jesus and trust in Him. Those who are recorded as coming against Jesus in the next verses didn’t have to hear. They were right there to see with their own eyes.

The contrast is purposeful. The words are given to show the immense void that stands between unbelieving Israel, who had sight to complement their own oracles, and believing Gentiles who heard the word in distant lands about the coming of the Christ. The Gentiles accepted its veracity without having seen.

Life application: A constant theme found in Scripture is the answer to the question, “What do you believe?” The majority of the people of Israel had Scripture read to them each week in the synagogues of Israel. They had the stories of the coming Messiah so well memorized that they would have been talked about openly on any given day and in any particular setting.

When Jesus came, He didn’t sell tickets and go into closed halls to cure for a profit for a few select people. Rather, He did it in the open for anyone near to see. At times, He did take people aside and heal them or raise them in a private setting, but there were reasons this was so.

However, He spoke openly, and He cured for the masses to see. All of this was done in perfect accord with the prophecies the people had in their Scriptures. And yet, the nation rejected Him, and many continue to use His name in a derogatory way to this day.

On the other hand, and just as Scripture prophesied, the life and events of Jesus were presented to the nations of the world. People of a seemingly infinite number of backgrounds, cultural preferences, differing languages, and from innumerable pagan influences were told the good news. And yet, in only hearing about Jesus, they walked away from their false spiritual beliefs while maintaining their unique cultural and linguistic states, converting to a full acceptance of Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

By merely hearing the word, belief set in. This is what pleases God. In Christ, He doesn’t care diddly about the cultural choices of the Jewish people. Nor does He care about their Jewishness without their accompanied belief. What He desires is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hear the word, accept it for what it says, and have faith in the God who loved you enough to send His Son to restore you to Himself. This is pleasing in God’s sight –

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Lord God, help us not to get fixated on things that are not relevant to our salvation in Christ. It doesn’t matter if we are Jews or Gentiles, white or black, intelligent or dummies, or any other such thing. In Your eyes, Your word tells us that You desire us to be people of faith. Help us to be such people, to Your glory. Amen.

Friday, 8 August 2025

And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew 12:21

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 in His name, Gentiles, they will hope” (CG).

In the previous verse, the tender care of Jesus was noted, saying that He would not break a bruised reed, nor would He quench a smoking flax until He had ejected judgment into victory. Matthew’s words were based upon the prophecy of Isaiah 42:4. Matthew next finishes the citation from that verse, saying, “And in His name, Gentiles, they will hope.”

A new word is introduced into the New Testament, elpizó, to expect or confide. As such, it provides a sense of trust. When one is expecting something, he trusts it will come. When one confides in another, he is committing his trust in that person. The word is often translated as hope, but that thought must convey the sense of trusting that the hope will come to pass.

For example, a person may be told to storm a machine gun nest. He might say, “I sure hope I make it.” There is no sense of trust in that. However, if he says, “You take the right flank. When I go forward, you provide cover. I hope your shots are as good as they were in basic training.”

In such an instance, he is placing his trust in the caliber of his buddy’s shooting, feeling assured it will be sufficient to get him safely to the nest so he can take out the commies who have them pinned down. Therefore, Matthew’s intent is that in the name of the Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus, the Gentiles of the world will confidently trust. They will put their anticipation and assured expectation in Him.

As for the original words of Isaiah, notice the difference, as there is a bit of deviation from the Hebrew, which says, “And to His law, coastlands – they will wait” Isaiah 42:4 (CG).

One might say Matthew was misleading in the intent of his citation because the two don’t closely match. However, the difference is not as disparate as one might originally think. First, Matthew is citing his words not from the Hebrew but from the Greek Old Testament, which says, “and in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Brenton Septuagint).

When the Jews translated the Hebrew, they decided that the name of the Messiah formed its own law. This was probably a result of Jeremiah’s words concerning a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31. If there is a New Covenant, then the Messiah would, by default, introduce a new law. Therefore, the “name” of the Messiah stands for His law.

Secondly, the term, iy, coastlands of the Hebrew, is a term used to indicate remoteness. The Topical Lexicon says the word “evokes the picture of islands and distant coastlands—territories bounded by the sea and, to an Israelite audience, situated at the very edge of the known world. The word carries geographical, cultural, and theological freight: it signals remoteness, the mystery of seafaring peoples, and the universal reach of the Lord’s purposes.”

Therefore, the idea of Gentile nations is, by default, bound up in the use of this word. The non-Jewish people of the world would place their confident trust in the One promised by the Lord through Isaiah.

Life application: In this verse, there is no article before “Gentiles” in Matthew’s words. Unfortunately, many translations insert one there, such as “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (KJV). This changes the intent to some degree, making it an all-encompassing statement. There are many Gentiles who do not trust in the name of Jesus.

With the article purposefully omitted by Matthew, which is under the inspiration of the Lord, it gives a broad, but not all-encompassing, flavor to the words. It also more poignantly separates the unbelieving Jewish nation from the believing Gentiles. This can be seen when considering both together –

And in His name, Gentiles (as opposed to Jews), they will hope.
And in His name, the Gentiles (like the Jews), they will hope.

The nation of Israel rejected Jesus. This age, the church age, is now a time of instruction for the Jewish people to learn from. Paul, referring to the Jewish nation, explains this –

“I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ¹² Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!” Romans 11:11, 12

This provocation is intended to meet a specific purpose that will be realized at some point in redemptive history –

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
²⁷ For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:25-27

One can see how the inappropriate inclusion of a single definite article into the translation can change the whole tenor of what is being conveyed. The Jewish people, the nation of Israel, rejected their Messiah. He is not their confident hope and trust. However, He is the confident hope and trust of Gentiles around the world.

Someday, this will change. Israel will discover what it has rejected for so long.

Lord God, we pray for time so that we can engage in Your word, for illumination as we read it, for confidence as we look to its promises, and a daily heightened sense of anticipation as we draw nearer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Grant us these things, O God, according to Your wisdom and grace. Amen.

Thursday, 7 August 2025

A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Matthew 12:20

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).

“A reed, being battered, not He will break, and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish, until if He ejects judgment into victory” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew continued his citation of Isaiah 42, revealing that the passage prophetically pointed to Jesus and His ministry. That citation continues with his next words, which are comparable to Isaiah 42:3 –

“Reed bruised, not He will break, and flax darkish, not He will extinguish it. To truth, He will cause to bring verdict” (CG).

Matthew’s words of citation begin with, “A reed, being battered, not He will break.”

Two new words are seen here. The first is suntribó, to crush completely, such as breaking into pieces. The next is katagnumi, to rend in pieces, such as cracking apart.

The words of Isaiah, and now cited by Matthew, point to extreme care and attentiveness to being gentle. A bruised reed will collapse with the slightest bit of force because its fibers have been damaged. The analogy is to a person who has been bruised by a life of sin or affliction.

For example, in Luke 7:36-50, we read about the sinful woman who came to Jesus, washing His feet with her hair. The Pharisee would have taken her and cast her out, destroying any faith-fiber left in her. But Jesus allowed her to wash and kiss His feet, knowing she was crushed from her life of sin. Because of her faithful display of love for the Lord, His words to her were, “Your sins are forgiven,” and “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

In a similar metaphor, Matthew next says, “and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish.”

Three new words are seen in this one clause. The first is linon, flax. It is the material (the flax plant) used to make linen. One can see the etymological connection between the two, linon and linen.

The second new word is tuphó, a word found only here in the New Testament. It signifies to make a smoke, as in something slowly being consumed by fire, but without a flame. It is hot enough to burn, but there isn’t enough oxygen for it to turn into a blaze, and so it sits and smolders.

Also, the word sbennumi is used. It signifies to quench or extinguish.

The idea is that a smoldering flax, such as a piece of linen, will go out with the slightest touch. The teeny amount of oxygen that was available to cause the smoldering is removed, and even the smoldering is quenched. The meaning of the words is that of someone with the smallest bit of faith will not have it quenched by the Lord. He will never deprive such, quenching their faith by treating them contemptuously or as if they were unimportant.

And this state of care for His people is, “until if He ejects judgment into victory.”

There are various opinions on the meaning of the words. Each of them, however, finds its fulfillment in the work of Christ. The care of the Lord for those who are bruised or smoldering will not cease until the end. Their judgment will be realized in victory. The direct translation from Isaiah said, “To truth he will cause to bring verdict.”

The judgment of the Lord will be vindicated as a state of truth. The idea seems, therefore, to ultimately point to the Lord’s care of His people until the final victory is realized, such as the state of those who are glorified at the rapture of the church –

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
⁵⁵ ‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’” 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

None shall be rejected who comes to the Lord by faith, even if their faith is comparable to a bruised reed or a smoldering piece of linen.

Life application: Understanding the care of the Lord for His people, we should be careful how we evaluate others. The sinful woman at Jesus’ feet would have been cast out by anyone in the religious circles of Israel. But Jesus understood her faith and was unwilling to quench it merely out of social propriety.

The same will be true with anyone who comes to Him in true faith. Each of us will fail the Lord from time to time. This is inevitable, but it demonstrates the immense grace of God that is found in Jesus. Despite our failings, He forgave us. Despite our continued failings, His grace continues.

The Lord would have us not sin at all, but He is aware of our limitations. Because of this, even when we do sin, He is not counting those transgressions against us any longer –

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

Heavenly Father, You are aware of our every failing, and yet You still have forgiven us through our faith in Jesus. Help us to be strong in our ability to stand against sin and its many temptations so that we will be pleasing to You. Above all, help us to keep our faith in Christ strong as we live in Your glorious presence, holding fast to Him until that wonderful Day of redemption. Amen.