Matthew (Written)

Friday, 21 March 2025

Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” Matthew 8:25

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 His disciples having come to Him, they aroused Him saying, ‘Lord, You save us! We perish!’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus was sleeping in the boat as it crossed the sea despite the storm that raged around them. Matthew next records, “And His disciples having come to Him, they aroused Him.”

It is evident that the men, whether after a few minutes or an extended struggle, realized they had no other option but to wake the Lord. As noted in the previous commentary, a storm like this can arise quickly and in a very short amount of time the waters can go from a tranquil calm to a terrifying tempest.

Quite a bit is often read into these words. People think it is as if the disciples understood they could come to Jesus and suddenly be delivered from their peril. In just two verses, that will be proven an incorrect analysis. They were certainly not thinking, “If we wake up Jesus, He will get up and calm the sea.”

Rather, they were concerned about the right now of the situation. The waves were swamping the boat, and they needed another hand to help bail it out, row, or whatever they, as experienced shipmen, directed.

But more, they may also have thought, like the mariners with Jonah, that He would petition the Lord for deliverance –

“So the captain came to him, and said to him, ‘What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.’” Jonah 1:6

They had seen the miracles and knew Jesus had a direct and intimate relationship with God. Therefore, His prayer to them would have been heard. It seems this, too, may have been on their minds. Therefore, Matthew records that they were “saying, ‘Lord, You save us! We perish!’”

The word translated as save, sózó, carries various significations. It can mean to save from peril, to heal from a disease, to rescue from physical or spiritual disaster, etc. One instance in Acts has a similar taste to what is seen here in Matthew –

“And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, ³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ ³² Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.” Acts 27:30-32

This account in Acts does not refer to salvation from sin, healing, etc. Rather, Paul is telling them that their lives will be lost in the storm if they don’t take the appropriate action. The disciples are asking for the same thing. Thus, whether through prayer to the Father or bailing out the water, they need Jesus’ ability in the matter to get them through the ordeal.

Life application: The commentary above is not intended to dismiss the nature and capabilities of Jesus. But we are looking back on an account of men being swamped in a boat, knowing that He is the Lord God incarnate. These men did not know this. They were about to die and needed Jesus to assist in their deliverance.

It is important to not take our later knowledge of a matter and insert it into what is being said. The prophets of old received the word of God and wrote it down accordingly, but they had no idea what was being conveyed to and through them. Peter explains this –

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

Likewise, the apostles had to go through the ministry of Jesus, experiencing each step of it to incrementally learn His nature and ability. Even as they stood at the cross, they were still without understanding. And even after the resurrection, and having been told what happened, one of them still couldn’t believe it –

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’
So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’
²⁶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’
²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” John 20:24-28

The understanding of Thomas only came after all of these things took place, including an actual, physical encounter with the risen Lord. Such accounts are all we need to see that we should not insert our knowledge of who Jesus is into what the apostles knew as they struggled in the ship as it passed across the Sea of Galilee.

Lord God, we are so grateful that we now have a full understanding of who Jesus is. We don’t have to struggle with the truth that is revealed in Your word. We know that You, O God, came in the form of a Man, having united with Your creation to return us back to Yourself. How great You are, our Lord and our God! Amen.

Thursday, 20 March 2025

And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Matthew 8:24

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! A great gale, it arose in the sea, so too the boat being swamped under the waves, and Himself, He slept” (CG).

The previous verse said that Jesus got into the boat while the other disciples followed Him. Next, Matthew records, “And, you behold! A great gale.”

The widest spot of the Sea of Galilee is about 8 miles. As they were going from Capernaum to the country of the Gergesenes, this would have extended the trip quite a bit, it being further south from Capernaum.

As such, and depending on whether they rowed or hoisted sail, the trip would be several hours at a minimum. For example, for one to row 10 miles, it would take from 1.5 to 3 hours, but the longer time would be assumed for normal traveling.

At some point, a seismos, a gale, arose. The word signifies a commotion either in the air or the ground. It is most generally translated as an earthquake. In this instance, it is referring to a gale coming downward from the higher mountainous areas and disturbing the sea.

Despite its small size, the shape and depth of the Sea of Galilee can produce enormous waves very quickly during such a wind event. The winds off the Mediterranean come heavily upon the land. When they reach the Arbel Pass, they are squished between the mountains, gaining speed.

From there, the winds rush down upon the lower sea and lift its surface. Such an event can arise in mere minutes, going from a calm and tranquil state to raging waters agitated as if by an underground tremor.

To see such an event actually occurring there, one can go to YouTube and search “Monster Storm at the Sea of Galilee where Jesus Walked.” This is to be found on the Sergio and Rhoda in Israel channel. Get ready for big fun and adventure where they highlight footage from just such a storm. Understanding this, Matthew next records concerning this seismos, “it arose in the sea, so too the boat being swamped.”

There are a couple of new words. The first is hóste. It is a word derived from hós (as, like, since, etc.), and te (and, also, etc.). Together, they form a word that connects a cause to a necessary effect. Thus, “so too” gets the point across.

The next word is kaluptó, to be swamped. The word is akin to krupto, to cover up or conceal. Thus, it gives the sense of covering. As this is a boat on the sea, it means the waters are covering the ship. They were being swamped, “under the waves.”

The word, kuma, wave, is also new, coming from kuo, to swell (as when bearing a child). Thus, it is a billow or wave. Such a situation, even to the most experienced of seamen, would be terrifying. They would be completely at the mercy of the elements as they were tossed about. Despite this, it next says of Jesus, “and Himself, He slept.”

Another new word is seen, katheudó, to sleep. Despite the raging of the seas, Jesus was getting much-needed sleep after all of the time He had spent tending to the people. He was in a carefree state despite the raging of the waters.

Life application: On Sunday, 25 January 1736, while traveling to America on a ship, John Wesley had a similar event happen. There was a terrifying and dangerous storm swirling around them. Despite this, his journal records these words –

“At seven I went to the Germans. I had long before observed the great seriousness of their behaviour. Of their humility they had given a continual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other passengers, which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired, and would receive no pay, saying, ‘“it was good for their proud hearts,’ and ‘their loving Saviour had done more for them.’ And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the Spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards, ‘Was you not afraid?’ He answered, ‘I thank God, no.’ I asked, ‘But were not your women and children afraid?’ He replied, mildly, ‘No; our women and children are not afraid to die.’
From them I went to their crying, trembling neighbours, and pointed out to them the difference in the hour of trial, between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not. At twelve the wind fell. This was the most glorious day which I have hitherto seen.”

The main point of this entry is that when you have the hope of eternal life because of Christ, there should be no true fear of death. It is coming to all of us, whether we like it or not. But in Christ, His people will be raised to eternal life. Death, schmeath. No fear here! We belong to Jesus.

Lord God, whether we live for You or not, our days are set and numbered. You know them all. For those who know You, why should we be concerned about the things that hem us in and cause commotion? Troubles are sure to come, but they are temporary and will pass away into the eternal joy You have promised Your people. Thank You for the reassurance we can possess if we just trust in You. Amen.

Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. Matthew 8:23

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 He, having in-stepped into the boat, His disciples, they followed Him” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus instructed the hesitant disciple to follow Him and let the dead bury their own dead. With that, the journey the scribe (verse 19) wanted to join and the disciple (verse 21) wanted to be excused from begins with the words, “And He, having in-stepped into the boat.”

A new word, embainó, is found here. It is a compound word coming from en, in, and basis, a step. By implication, it refers to a foot, such as in Acts 3:7 –

“And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

Translating this as in-step is a direct and literal translation, even if it is a bit clunky. Being a ship, a normal English translation would be that “He boarded the ship.” As for His in-stepping, it next says that “His disciples, they followed Him.”

Notice that it says nothing of the disciple of the previous verses having turned back or remained on the shore. It would be an argument from silence to say this didn’t happen, but it is of note that any such detail is left out. Rather, we are left to hopefully assume the best, thinking he got on board with Jesus, both literally and figuratively.

Life application: Jesus, the Lord God incarnate, has come. He faithfully completed every task set before Him by the Father. He tirelessly spent His time – days, months, and years – pursuing the will of God and expending Himself for the joy that lay ahead after His fulfillment of the Law of Moses.

This fulfillment, however, included the torturous events leading Him to the cross as well as the cross itself. And yet, knowing that lay ahead, He continued on. As it says in Luke –

“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”

From the beginning of His ministry to the very last moments of His life ebbing away on the cross, Jesus sought the will of His Father. He has set the example for His followers. Each interaction with one of His disciples or apostles is recorded to give us information that we can use to come to our own decision concerning following Jesus.

Will we get on board with Jesus’ agenda of spreading the gospel to the world. Or will we spend our time, money, and abilities satisfying ourselves? This doesn’t mean we cannot tend to ourselves, live comfortable lives, and enjoy the many blessings of life in His presence. But is our time first and foremost spent with the main focus of pleasing Him?

Are we contemplating Him and considering how we can better ourselves as Christians while being willing to learn His word and get it out to others? Is “I’m going to church every Sunday” enough for you? Or are you living out a Christ-centered life throughout the week?

Consider this, and be willing to include Jesus in everything you do. Be like Him in that you are seeking the will of the Father at all times. May it be so.

Lord God, there is no better way of spending our days than getting closer to You in our minds and actions. Jesus sought Your will at all times. May we be willing to emulate Him, abandoning that which is of no eternal use and focusing our souls on pursuing that which is eternal. May it be so to Your glory. Amen.

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:22

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 Jesus, He said to him, ‘You follow Me, and you leave the dead to inter the dead of themselves” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus was approached by one of His disciples who said, “Lord, You permit me first to go and inter my father.” In response to this, Matthew next records, “And Jesus, He said to him, ‘You follow Me.”

The word translated as “follow” is imperative. Jesus is instructing him that he is to forget the notion of staying around waiting to inter his father. It is a way of having the person decide upon his priorities right then and there and not to waffle in the direction he will take.

It is unlikely that Jesus would tell this disciple that he couldn’t bury his father if he was already dead. Nor would it be likely that Jesus would tell him he couldn’t depart to bury his father if the news about his death was brought to him as they traveled.

This isn’t the point of what Jesus is conveying to him. He is speaking of priorities. In this case, it is the priority of either waiting around for his father to die or to accompany Jesus and the others in the ministry. Understanding this, it next says, “and you leave the dead to inter the dead of themselves.”

It is obvious that Jesus is using the word dead in two different senses. Those who are literally dead can’t bury anything. Various uses of the word dead that are not literal are seen, such as he is a dead man, he is a dead dog, for all my father’s house were but dead, I am like a dead man, dead to sin, dead because of sin, etc.

In this case, the dead refer to those who are spiritually dead and not seeking a remedy to that. For example, Leviticus 18:5 says, “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” The words speak of living, not dying. They do not mean “living well,” “living prosperously,” etc. They refer to continued existence.

Jesus has already shown what the true demands of God are. The bar is far above the law itself, but the promise of the law is given, and if someone was to do just the things of the law, it would mean continued life. As nobody had ever accomplished this, death continued to rule in all men.

Like Haman and his ten sons (a picture of the Law and the Ten Commandments which issue from it), the law stood against the people. But Jesus has already told the people, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

His promise of the fulfillment of the law means that He will live. Although the disciples didn’t yet understand the ministry of Jesus, they are being instructed that His ministry is the way to find life from this body of death which man is born into. Those who do not participate or accept His ministry are the dead being referred to. They were born into spiritual death, and they will remain in that state. Let them deal with the dead.

Life application: Stories from Israel’s history were selected to give us insights into the greater work of Christ. These started in Genesis, and they continue throughout all of the historical books. When you read about the burial of Sarah, the hanging of the king of Ai, or the acceptance of Ruth into the line of Judah and which led to David through her marriage to Boaz, you are reading typological representations of things that would occur because of Jesus and His ministry.

Many of these stories anticipate Jesus directly. Others detail what would come about because of His work. David slaying Goliath is given to show us the work of Christ against the great foe of the people of God. Samson and the events of his life, likewise, were selected to be used in this manner.

Time and time again, God is showing us that it is law stands against us. It is what got man into trouble when he was in Eden. It is what kept Israel from life because of the impossibility for any of them to fulfill it. But the remedy is Jesus. He alone fulfilled the law. In His fulfillment of it, He introduced a New Covenant.

Without coming to Christ, the law which brought death to Adam stands against us. The Law of Moses only made things more difficult for the people of Israel. But Jesus stepped in and took the burden off the people. Follow Jesus. He is the Life leading to life.

Lord God, for all our days, may we remember the reason Jesus came. He told Israel, and through that, He is telling us. We need grace, not law. Help us to not get called back into a failed system of working to please You. Rather, help us to trust in Your great deeds, accomplished through Jesus, to carry us back to Yourself. With this, surely You are pleased. Amen.

Monday, 17 March 2025

Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Matthew 8:21

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 another – of His disciples – said to Him, ‘Lord, You permit me first to go and inter my father’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribe that the Son of Man has nowhere to recline His head. Next, He is again approached. Matthew records that, beginning with, “And another – of His disciples.”

The word translated as another, héteros, signifies another, but distinct in kind. This is in contrast to the Greek word állos which signifies another of the same kind. In other words, this appears to confirm that the scribe of the previous verse was not a disciple.

Rather, he was just an opportunist looking to ingratiate himself to Jesus in order to somehow profit off of His ministry. Of this person now, it says that he “said to Him, ‘Lord, You permit me first.’”

The word epitrepó, to permit, is introduced here. It literally means “to upon turn.” In other words, it is an expression to be used in a figurative sense to mean permit, yield, allow, etc.

If one thinks of a wheel turning, one might say, “As the wheel turns, I want to do this.” It would indicate an interval of time being permitted for him to do the requested thing. In this case, this upon turning is “to go and inter my father.”

Another new word is used, thaptó, to inter. Saying “bury” is something that we generally do, and so it is what we think of. However, it says in translations of 1 Corinthians 15:4, using this same word, that Jesus was buried. That is technically not correct. He was entombed or interred.

This was a common form of disposing of a body in Israel. It would be placed in a tomb, allowed to decay, and then the bones would be collected and placed in an ossuary. This can be seen in the passage about Lazarus –

“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’
⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ ⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:38-44

This is also why it was pointed out that no one had been laid in the tomb where Jesus was interred before –

“This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.” Luke 23:52, 53

The tombs were reused after the bones had been removed and placed in an ossuary. The disciple is saying to Jesus that he would follow Him, but he first had to tend to his father’s internment. The probable meaning is that his father was old and would need to be buried upon his death. He was asking for a chance to see him off before following him.

What precipitated this was that Jesus was going to go to the other side of the sea with His disciples. Not knowing how long this would be, based on what He said to the scribe, he didn’t want to abandon his father at the time of his passing.

The reason this is the likely scenario is that when a person died, the culture insisted on an immediate internment. A delay of twenty-four or fewer hours would not call for such a response. Rather, the unknown date of an elderly person’s passing could ostensibly go on for years.

Life application: In 1965, a lawyer named André-François Raffray signed a contract to buy the house of Jeanne Calment. At the time Jeanne was 90. André-François figured it wouldn’t be long until she punched her ticket, and so he agreed to pay 2500 francs a month until she died. This is about $500 in today’s dollars.

Raffray didn’t expect her to live to be 123 years old. In fact, he died in 1995 at 77 while Jeanne Calment, the seemingly Everlasting Bunny, was still a spry 120. She lived three more years while Raffray’s family continued to pay her the monthly agreed upon amount.

In all, the over-eager Raffray (and his family after him) paid Jeanne Calment a total of 918,000 francs. This was nearly double the amount that the apartment was worth.

Remembering this lesson, we need to not get ourselves into things without any set end to them lest we lose our shirts in the process. Eternity is forever. Be set in where you will go when you go. Invest in Jesus, the only true guarantee of eternal life in the presence of God. Do it today!

O God, we invest in a lot of things in this life. Many of them turn out to be bad decisions filled with loss. But even when they are successes, they will eventually fade away. Nothing is sure except that we are set to die and then face the judgment. May our judgment for salvation wisely be settled now by calling on Jesus! Amen.