What Jesus Did

Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.

But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. At her mother's urging, the girl said, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!" Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. So John...

 

When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, he said to his advisers, "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles."
For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod's brother Philip). John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry her." Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.


—Matthew...

 

And [the people in Nazareth] were deeply offended and refused to believe in [Jesus].
Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family." And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.


—Matthew 13:57-59 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus is all powerful, but we can limit his power by our lack of expectation, by our wimpy faith! His work is hidden, sometimes even denied, to those who refuse to believe in his power. So...

 

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations [about the Kingdom], he left [Capernaum]. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"

—Matthew...

 

[Concerning his explanations of the parables about the Kingdom, Jesus asked his disciples:] "Do you understand all these things?"
"Yes," they said, "we do."

Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old."


—Matthew 13:51-52 NLT

Key Thought​

The Bible is such a wonderful treasure. Many have died protecting it. Others have been martyred making sure...

 

[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and...

 

[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"

—Matthew 13:45-46 NLT

Key Thought​

I don't know about you, but I love to read mystery novels. I search for the clues, listen for the hints, and dig for the foreshadowing. But the joy of the search is worth its price only when I reach its goal. In searching for God's...

 

[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field."

—Matthew 13:44 NLT

Key Thought​

Some things are so precious that we cannot find them; they find us. While we may not have been looking for salvation — either because we grew up around it in our families or because a friend or acquaintance shared it...

 

[Jesus continued his explanation of the parable of the weeds:] "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should...

 

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field."
Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels."


—Matthew...