Tue, Jan 31st - 5:47PM

Matthew 3:3

Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Once again Matthew is showing how Jesus fulfilled prophecy.  This verse is a prophecy of Isaiah 40:3,

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Mon, Jan 30th - 5:57PM

Matthew 3:1,2

^{Matthew 3:1}In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Repent in Biblical terms basically means to turn.  To turn from sin and to serve God.  To make a commitment to no longer to live in sin but to serve God.  It is the same message that Jesus preached in Matthew 4:17,

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It is the first step toward salvation.  Admit that we are a sinner and that we need to turn from our sins toward God.

Sun, Jan 29th - 8:23AM

Matthew 2:19-23

^{Matthew 2:19} But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

²¹And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²²But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

²³And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Most people relate verse 23 with Isaiah 11:1 which says,

¹And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

The Hebrew word netzer (branch) is likely the root word from which the name Nazareth is derived.  The Messiah would be a branch from the root of Jesse.  In other words the Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse in which Jesus was.

Sat, Jan 28th - 11:28PM

Matthew 2:13-18

^{Matthew 2:13}And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

¹⁴When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

¹⁵And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Matthew sees two prophetic revelations in these verses.  The first being Hosea 11:1

¹When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

And the second being Jeremiah 31:15

¹⁵Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

Sat, Jan 28th - 11:21PM

Matthew 2:13-18