"Come, let us kill him" (Matthew 21:38). This is the human story of Christ's crucifixion. He was "put to death by wicked men." There is also the divine story - "the deliberate plan and foreknowledge of God"(Acts 2:23). The wicked men thought that this was the end of Jesus. They were wrong! - "God raised Him from the dead." Could it have been any other way? Could the evil scheming of men have prevailed over God's plan of salvation? - No! "It was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him" (Acts 2:24).
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Sunday 31 March 2024
Friday 16 February 2024
God is waiting for us to make our way back to Him ...
More of these Bible reading notes can be found at God's Word For Every Day.
Genesis 4:6-16.
In
the story of Cain, we see the development of sin. Jealousy leads to
anger, and anger leads to murder. In this story, we see ourselves in the
'mirror' of God's Word. Here, God emphasizes our exceeding sinfulness -
'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt'
(Jeremiah 17:9). Our sinfulness leads us away from 'the presence of the
Lord' to 'the land of wandering (Nod)' (16). This is the work of Satan
in our lives - Genesis 4 is an extension of Genesis 3. Even in the land
of wandering, the hand of God is upon us. This is the meaning of 'the
mark of Cain' - 'so that no one who found him would kill him' (15). Even
in our wanderings, God is waiting in mercy for us to make our way back
to Him by coming in faith to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Even when 'sin'
is a good bit more than 'crouching at the door', it can be 'mastered'
through Christ (6; Hebrews 7:25).
Genesis 4:17-26
The
story of Cain and Abel is a continuing story. Abel died, yet 'by faith
still speaks, even though he is dead' (Hebrews 11:4). Cain 'went out
from the presence of the Lord'. He became 'a restless wanderer' (14,16).
What a contrast there is between these two brothers! For Abel, there
was glory in the presence of the Lord - 'By faith he was commended as a
righteous man' (Hebrews 11:4), he was 'justified by faith' (Romans 5:1).
Cain was quite different. Far from God, he had no peace. He was haunted
by his sins. What does God's Word say to us about Cain? - 'Do not be
like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his
brother...because his own actions were evil and his brothers were
righteous' (1 John 3:12). Cain's sinful influence continues. We must be
on our guard. The chapter ends with hope: 'At that time men began to
call on the name of the Lord' ( 26).
Genesis 5:1-17
From
the story of Cain - taking God for granted (the opposite of grace),
approaching God proudly (the opposite of faith), rebelling against God
(the opposite of obedience) - , we come to a list of names and numbers.
In this first part of the chapter, there is nothing of any note.
Perhaps, this is the significant feature of this long list of names.
There is nothing considered to be worthy of special note, except the
length of their lives. What a sad reflection on the value of a life when
all that can be said is this: He lived, and he died! What we must
remember is this: the quantity of our years is less important than the
quality of our living. How long we live is less important than how well
we live. We have been 'created...in the likeness of God' (1), yet so
often we miss out on this spiritual dimension. We have been 'blessed' by
God (2) - 'Count your blessings.'
Genesis 5:18-32
In
this second part of the list, two names get a special mention - Enoch
and Noah (22,24,29). The reference to Enoch is the more memorable of the
two. Enoch's life was characterized by grace, faith and obedience. The
life-story of so many others could be told without reference to God.
Enoch's story was the story of God at work in his life. So many
life-stories end with the words, 'he died'. Enoch's life on earth points
beyond itself (24). Enoch had 'walked with God' (22, 24 ). Building his
life upon the God of grace, Enoch had, by faith, stepped out of this
present world and into 'what we hope for', 'what we do not see' (Hebrews
11:5,1). What a testimony Enoch left behind him! Not much is said about
him, but what power of the Spirit of God there is in these few words!
The reference to 'the Lord' in Noah's life (29) prepares us for what is
to come (chs. 6-9).
Matthew 3:1-12
This
chapter begins with 'John the Baptist' (1). It ends with our Lord Jesus
Christ concerning whom the Voice from heaven says, 'This is my Son,
whom I love; with Him I am well pleased' (17). Once John had served his
purpose, once he has pointed away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ,
he retreats into the background. This is how it must always be. We
point to One who is 'more powerful' than ourselves (11; Romans 1:16).
With John, we must learn to say, 'Christ must increase, I must decrease'
(John 3:30). The contrast between John and Jesus is highlighted in
verse 11 - ' I baptize with water... He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire'. This is still the contrast between the preacher
and the Saviour - We preach the Word. He sends the power. Still He says,
'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will
be my witnesses' (Acts 1:8).
Matthew 3:13-17
Considering
the contrast between Jesus and John - John is not fit to carry Christ's
sandals (11) - , it is quite remarkable that Jesus submits Himself to
baptism by John. Why does He do this? Jesus gives us the reason in verse
15: 'it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness'. When
Jesus uses the word 'proper' (or fitting), does He use it to mean
'according to convention'? No - He means that 'it is fitting' into God's
perfect plan of salvation. It is part of His perfect obedience to the
Father. It is part of what is involved in His giving Himself for us as
'the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God' (1 Peter 3:18).
As well as directing us to the Cross, Jesus' baptism directs to
Pentecost - the descent of the Spirit (16; Acts 2:1-4). Christ died for
us. The Spirit lives in us. Jesus 'fits' our need perfectly!
Matthew 4:1-11
God
the Father has declared Jesus to be His Son (3:17). Now, the devil
challenges God's Word: 'If you are the Son of God...' (3). The Spirit
has descended upon Jesus (3:16). Now, the devil uses his power in an
attempt to defeat Jesus. The devil sows seeds of doubt; the 'if you
are...' approach is just the same as his 'Did God really say?' method
used in Genesis 3:1. The devil is 'crafty' (Genesis 3:1). He comes to
Jesus, quoting from the Bible (6; Psalm 91:11-12). His real goal becomes
clear in verse 9 - he wants Jesus to 'bow down and worship' him. In
Jesus' victory over the devil, we see the importance of Scripture - 'It
is written' (4, 7, 10). We learn that true life comes from God (4), true
safety is found in God (7); and true worship is given to God (10). When
the tempter comes, we must stand on God's Word: 'every Word that comes from...God' ( 4).
From my Daily Devotional Readings
Thursday 15 February 2024
Out of the darkness and into the light ...
More of these Bible readings notes can be found at God's Word For Every Day.
Matthew 4:12-17
Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus' temptations with these ominous words, 'When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time' (4:12). Satan will try again, but - for now - he has failed to stop Jesus setting out on His ministry, a ministry which brings light into the darkness. The light is shining brightly - 'the Kingdom of heaven is near' (17). Jesus' ministry is viewed as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (15-16; Isaiah 9:1-2). The prophecy had been given: Death will be overcome, men and women will be delivered from 'the shadow of death'. Now, in Christ, the prophecy has been fulfilled: by His death, Christ has destroyed 'him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil' and He has set 'free' those who live in 'fear of death' (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Matthew 4:18-25
Christ's victory over the world was won for us (1 John 3:8: 5:4-5). Jesus was not a loner. He was a team leader: 'From victory to victory His army He will lead' (Church Hymnary, 481). At the very outset of His ministry, He set about putting together His ministry team. Peter, Andrew, James and John were the first four disciples. He called them to follow Him. His call was both gracious and demanding. It is gracious because it is the Saviour who calls us: 'Follow Me'. It is demanding because He calls us to follow, to submit to His Lordship: 'Follow Me'. These men were called to a new kind of 'fishing' (19). Jesus' ministry reached 'great crowds' through His 'teaching ...preaching ...and healing' (23-25). This chapter sets the scene for Jesus' ministry. We see the Word of the Lord triumphant over Satan, fulfilled in Christ, and effective in the lives of the disciples and the crowds.
Proverbs 1:1-7
Scripture speaks of different kinds of 'wisdom'. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom - viewed as mere human intelligence - is described as 'meaningless, a chasing after the wind' (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our 'Wisdom', contrasting this Wisdom with 'the wisdom of the world' (1 Corinthians 1:18-25,30). The purpose of Proverbs is set out in its opening verses. Notice the vital connection between 'understanding' and 'doing' (2-3). We are to be 'doers' as well as 'hearers' of God's Word (James 1:22). We are to 'keep what is written' in God's Word (Revelation 1:3). The great theme of Proverbs is stated in verse 7: 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge'. Christ is our Wisdom. We will never be wise unless we build our lives on Him (Matthew 7: 24-27).
Genesis 6:1-8
The story of Noah is the story of God's grace - 'Noah found grace' (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet 'Grace found Noah'. His testimony could be summed up: 'Amazing grace...I once was lost but now am found' (Mission Praise, 31). Expanding on the thought of 5:29 - 'this one (Noah) shall bring relief from our work and from the toil of our hands' - we may allow our thoughts to turn to Christ and say to Him: 'Not the labour of my hands can fulfil Thy law's demands...All for sin could not atone, Thou must save, and Thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling' (Church Hymnary, 83). In these two statements - 'Noah found grace' and 'this one will bring...', we see both salvation and service. We are saved to serve. Once we ourselves have been found by grace, we are to seek to bring others to Christ that they also may be saved by Him and become His servants.
Genesis 6:9-22
To view the flood exclusively in terms of judgment is to see only one side of what God was doing. As well as judging, He was also saving - 'In this ship a few people - eight in all - were saved by water' (1 Peter 3:20). The ark points forward to Christ 'who came back from death to life', Christ who 'saves' us (1 Peter 3:21). God was working out His purpose of salvation. In Noah's day, the remnant of faith was very small, yet the promise of God's love was given to them - 'I will establish My covenant with you' (18). Even when wickedness threatens to overwhelm us, we still have God's promise of love, 'the new covenant in Christ's blood' (1 Corinthians 11:25). 'The blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin' (1 John 1:7). Knowing that Christ loved us and died for us, we are to be like Noah (22). We are to walk with the Lord and serve Him.
Genesis 7:1-24
Here, we pick up on the words of verse 16 - 'the Lord closed the door behind them'. What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark. What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? - The Lord. What is it that makes Jesus Christ the Source of our salvation? - God has given Him the Name that is above every name, the Name of our salvation (Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 4:12). From the ark, we learn of (a) the one way of salvation - The ark had only one door. Jesus is 'the Door' which leads to salvation (John 10:9); (b) the eternal security of salvation - All were safe inside the ark. In Christ there is eternal security (John 10:28); (c) the absolute necessity of salvation - Outside of the ark, there was certain death. Refusal to come to Christ for salvation leads to judgment: 'How shall we escape...?' (Hebrews 2:3).
Genesis 8:1-22
Following the flood, we have this simple yet striking declaration: 'the ground was dry' (13). Safe from judgment! This is the message which comes to us from the Cross: 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). The judgment has fallen upon Christ. We are no longer swept away in the judgment. We can stand on solid ground: 'On Christ the solid Rock I stand' (Church Hymnary, 411). He is our Support in 'the whelming flood'. God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ship' (15). We are in Christ. He is the Source of our salvation. God has brought us into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). He does not bring us into Christ solely for our own benefit. We are sent out to be fruitful (17: John 15: 16). We are to 'abide in Christ'. This is the way of fruitfulness (John 15: 4-5). We are not sent out alone. Strengthened in 'the ship' (in Christ), we step out with Christ and for Him.
From my Daily Devotional Readings
Sunday 26 April 2020
First Things First
“Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
First things first! We worry about many things. We get anxious about this, that and the other thing. Jesus is saying to us, “Seek first God’s Kingdom.” Whenever our many anxieties threaten to overwhelm us, let us remember this: The Lord is King!
Monday 20 April 2020
Learning from children and caring for children
Learning from children and caring for children: This is what Jesus speaks about in Matthew 18:1-10. We should never act like we know it all, and have nothing more to learn. We should never act like we're a law unto ourselves. We must do all that we can to protect little children in a world that has so many dangers. We need little children. They have something to teach us. Little children need us. they need the protection that we, adults, can give to them.
If We Are To Be True Followers Of Jesus ...
"Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" (Matthew 17:6),. even after there us divine revelation (Matthew 16:17), the influence of evil can be felt (Matthew 16:23), The warning - "Be careful! Watch out ... !" must never be forgotten. Satan is looking for an opportunity to leads us away from the Lord. We must hear what Jesus is saying to us about discipleship (Matthew 16:24), and we must commit ourselves to Him (Matthew 16:25). There is nothing more important than this (Matthew 16:26). If we are to be true followers of Jesus, we must learn to live our lives in the light of eternity (Matthew 16:27). We are to seek revelations of God's eternal Kingdom, revelations which will send us back, from the mountain-top, to live each day for Jesus.
Monday 13 April 2020
Let Us Worship Jesus.
The wise men did want to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:2). Herod said that he wanted to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:8). What a difference there is between saying that we want to worship Jesus and really wanting to worship Him. This highlights the conflict between false religion and true worship. Religion may say the right things, but, if we don’t really mean what we say, our words will not make any difference to the way we live. This kind of religion is worthless. What does God say to us about this kind of religion? - “God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod” (Matthew 2:12). God is still warning His people to steer clear of empty religion. When we come to the Lord, we must not come with empty words - words that we don’t really mean. Our worship is to shape our life. How is our worship to change our way of living? Real worship arises out of salvation. This is very different from religion. Religion says more about ourselves than it says than it says about our Saviour. Salvation is not about us. It’s about Jesus, our Saviour. When He is the focus of our attention, we will learn to worship Him and live for Him.
What Matters Most To You?
The values of our Lord Jesus Christ, Gospel values, Kingdom values are very different from the world's values. It's the difference between "treasures on earth" and "treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-20). When we treasure the things of earth, we will worry about the things of earth. Jesus says that we are not to worry about these things. We are to have a higher priority than 'looking after No. 1'. We're to be concerned about "God's Kingdom and what has His approval" (Matthew 6:33). When the things that matter most to God are not the things that matter most to us, other things will take over our lives. What matters most to you? This is what Jesus is asking us. Are the things that matter most to God becoming the things that matter most to us?
Monday 30 March 2020
What will it mean to live a life that is becoming both more holy and more loving?
Jesus
calls us to be both holy and loving. What will it mean to live a life
that is becoming both more holy and more loving? It begins with being
reached by the love of God and changed by the love of God. We cannot
make ourselves more holy. We cannot make ourselves more loving. When we
catch a glimpse of the great God, who is both holy loving, we see
ourselves as we really are - sinners, and we also see the Saviour who is
reaching out to us, the Saviour who can and will change us. How does he
change us? He shows us our sin. He forgives our sin. Seeing our sin as
it really is, we cannot be, like the Pharisee who looked down his nose
at the tax collector (Luke 18:11). Seeing our Saviour as He really is,
we know that there is hope for every one who comes to the Saviour. We
have His precious promise - "I
will never turn away anyone who comes to Me" (John 6:37). When the
love of Christ reaches us, we rejoice in this: "Every offender who truly
believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives." Thankful to the
Lord for His love, which has reached us, we pray that His love will
change us. We pray that we will become more like
Jesus - more holy and more loving. We will say, 'Lord, Your love has
reached us. May Your love change us. May your love inspire us to live a
life that is pleasing to you - a life of holiness, a life of love.'
We cannot change ourselves. We need to be changed by the Lord. Let us
pray for His help. Let us pray that He will fill us with His love. This
is where true holiness comes from. It comes from the love of God,
reaching us. It comes from the love of God, changing us. The love of God
- This is the real power that lies behind a life of holiness and love.
We need more holiness. We need more love. These are not things that we
can reach out and grasp for ourselves. We must always look away from
ourselves to the Lord - "How much more will your Father in heaven give
good things to those who ask Him?" (Matthew 7:12).
Jesus calls us to be both holy and loving.
Jesus
calls us to be both holy and loving. We need both - holiness and love.
We're not to be hypocrites who've given up on holiness. We're not to be
content with keeping up appearances. We're to seek holiness of heart.
This is the heart of holiness. We're not to be hypocrites who show no
love for other people. How can we have much love for God if we don't
have much love for other people? A life that's centred on ourselves is
very different from a life that's centred on Christ. A life that's being
shaped by Christ's love will be a life of receiving His love and
sharing His love. He's teaching us how much He loves us. He's helping us
to show His love to other people.
Tuesday 17 March 2020
The Shepherd Of Love
"The Son of Man came to save the lost" (Matthew 18:11). In Matthew 18:12-1, Jesus speaks about sheep. He's really speaking about us. He is the Shepherd. We are His sheep. Sheep wander away from the shepherd. We wander away from the Lord. The shepherd looks for the lost sheep. Jesus has come to seek for us and find us. He brings us home to God, our Father. Through His saving grace, we receive new life - a life in which we rejoice in our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He delivers us from the condemnation, which our sin has brought upon us. He brings us into the knowledge of His forgiveness. This Gospel of salvation changes us. It teaches us to live in the power of God's love.
Thursday 12 March 2020
Jesus' Healing Ministry
In
Matthew 8:1-17, we see Jesus' healing ministry. There are three
miracles - healing people who were suffering from "a skin disease"
(Matthew 8:1-4), paralysis (Matthew 8:5-13) and "a fever" (Matthew
8:14-15). After these three miracles, we have a more general statement
about the ministry of casting out demons (Matthew 8:16-17). This is
followed by Matthew 8:18 - "Now, when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He
ordered His disciples to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee."
Jesus was moving from place to place, taking His ministry to more
people.
Hearing And Obeying God's Word
The
choices that we make while we are here on earth will decide whether we
will spend eternity with the Lord or apart from Him. This is the message of
Matthew 7:13-14. "False prophets ... vicious wolves" will seek to lead
us away from the Lord (Matthew 7:15-16). We must pray that the Lord will
deliver us from paying lip-service to Him without living our whole life
for Him (Matthew 7:21-23). How are we to live for the Lord? - We must
hear His Word and obey it (Matthew 7:24). Obedience to God's Word begins
with hearing His Word. Hearing God's Word leads to obeying His Word.
May God help us to build on Christ, always receiving His Word as the
Word that speaks to us with His authority.
Let's Pray That God Will Deliver Us From Hypocrisy.
Jesus
speaks about prayer (Matthew 6:5-15), doing good works (Matthew 6:1-4)
and fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). He emphasizes that we're not to be like
the hypocrites (Matthew 6:2,5,16). Sometimes,
it is difficult to work out where Jesus is leading us. In Acts,
there's a strong emphasis on God's people praying together. In Matthew
6:6, Jesus is emphasizing the importance of praying "in secret." Is
there something about us that leads us in the direction of hypocrisy
whenever we are praying with others? We find the same emphasis in Jesus'
teaching about doing good and fasting. - "Make sure that you don't
become like the hypocrites." When we move into the public sphere, we run
the risk of hypocrisy. We must never forget this - and we must pray
that God will deliver us from hypocrisy.
Two Names - Emmanuel and Jesus
Jesus
was also called Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23). Emmanuel means ‘God with us.’
This is the great message that comes to us from the first chapter of the
New Testament. God has not remained in heaven. He has come to earth.
Along with the Name, Emmanuel, there is the better - known Name - Jesus.
The Name of Jesus means “He saves” (Matthew 1:21,25). In the two Names -
Emmanuel and Jesus, we have the Good News of our salvation. God has
come to earth - that’s the meaning of the Name, Emmanuel. He has come to
save us - that’s the meaning of the Name, Jesus.
The Word Of God - For Every Generation
"You
have heard that it was said ... But I say to you ... " (Matthew
5:21-22,27-28,31-32,33-34, 38-39,43-44). When we see the great contrast
between what has been said in the past and what Jesus says to His
generation and our generation, we must remember Jesus' words, "Don't
ever think that I came to set aside Moses; teachings or the Prophets"
(Matthew 5:17). What does Jesus mean? Clearly, He doesn't just repeat
what's already been said. Jesus says, "I didn't come to set them aside
but to make them come true" (Matthew 5:17). Jesus doesn't contradict the
Old Testament. He brings out its deeper meaning. He reveals its fuller
meaning. Jesus is expounding the Word of God. He enables His hearers to
see things in a new light - but He doesn't do this by setting aside
God's Word. The Word of God stands - for every generation. It is not to
be tampered with. It's to be upheld. At the heart of upholding God's
Word, there's a very real question we must ask, "What are you saying to
us, Lord, here-and-now?"
Salt And Light
We're
called to be "salt for the earth" and "light for the world" (Matthew
5:13-14). How can we be "salt" and "light" in a world that has turned
its back on the things that matter most in life? Can we do this by
"setting aside Moses' teaching or the Prophets" (Matthew 5:17)? No!
Jesus says, "No." He says, 'This is what we must never do. We cannot
preserve true Christian living, if we set aside the Word of the Lord. A
stripped-down ethic, which changeable from one generation to another, is
no substitute for a Christian that is grounded in the Word of God,
which is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. Who are we come to the
Word of God with the attitude that we can decide that there are some
things that are "unimportant" (Matthew 5:19)? When God calls something
important, we must also say, 'This is important.' It's not to be changed
because it doesn't fit in with our modern outlook. Sometimes, people
disregard what God's Word says because they think that they have the
right, to say, 'This is important. That is unimportant.' When we say
this kind of thing, what are we really saying? We're saying, 'I am more
important than God. I know better than God." Such an attitude can have
no place in the hearts of those who want, through their lives, to
"praise their Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Comfort And Peace, Righteousness And Persecution
Jesus'
words, known as "the Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7), need to be
taken as a whole. We're not to pick out the bits that we like, and
ignore the bits that we don't like so much. We're not to come, looking
for "comfort" (Matthew 5:4), if we're not also seeking for
"righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). We're not to look for peace, if we're not
preparing ourselves for persecution (Matthew 5:9-10). We're not to read
one verse, and say, "This is great", and then skim over the next verse,
as if it wasn't even there.
The Lamb Of God Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World
As
the story of Christ’s becoming one of us - His birth - moves on towards
the story of His dying in our place - His crucifixion, the story of His
baptism is a significant step forward. Jesus identifies with us. He
stands in the place of the sinner. John the Baptist said to Jesus, “I
need to be baptized by You. Why are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14).
Jesus was doing everything that God required of Him - everything that
needed to be done for sinners to be saved. The chief focus is on His
death for us - “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
(John 1:29). We do, however, need to look back from His crucifixion to
His birth and His baptism. In His birth, we see the sovereign purpose of
God. In His baptism, we see the definite choice made by Jesus. In
salvation, there is the work of God, and there is our response. God
reveals Himself to us through His Son: “This is My beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We respond to God’s revelation
and redemption when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, when we
look away from ourselves - sinners - to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
sinners, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John
1:29).
Wednesday 11 March 2020
Jesus' victory over Satan in the wilderness ...
Jesus' victory over Satan in the wilderness
(Matthew 4) must be seen in the broader context of His work of
salvation. This was more than just a personal victory - a victory for
Jesus. It was a victory for us. Jesus won the victory for us. He walked
in the way of victory so that we might live in the power of His victory.
After Jesus had won the victory over Satan, He called His disciples to
Him - "Come, follow Me!" - and He sent them out from Him, empowered by
Him, to be witnesses for Him - "fishers
of men" (Matthew 4:19). His victory was more than a victory for His
first disciples. It was a victory for all would become believers through
their witness. This includes all of us, since each one of us has come
to faith in Christ through the testimony of His apostles. When Jesus
sent them out, He did more than send them. He showed them what they were
to do (Matthew 4:23-25).
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