What does Matthew chapter 21 mean?Jesus and the disciples have nearly completed their long journey from the region of Galilee in the north to Jerusalem. They have now travelled the last leg from Jericho to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem's gates. Before entering Jerusalem, though, Jesus directs two of His discip

What does Matthew chapter 19 mean?Matthew 19 begins with Jesus leaving Galilee behind for the last time and heading toward Jerusalem. After entering the region of Judea, however, Jesus and the disciples cross over the Jordan to the east, likely into the Jewish region of Perea. Large crowds continue to follow Him, and Jesus continues to heal those w

What does Matthew chapter 17 mean?The previous chapter concluded with a prediction: some of those with Jesus would not die before seeing Him coming in His kingdom. That is what happens six days later when Jesus selects Peter, James, and John to climb a high mountain with Him. Once there, they see Jesus transfigured into His glorious reality, His fa

What does Matthew chapter 18 mean?Matthew 18 begins with a question from the disciples to Jesus: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus' surprising response becomes the foundation for the rest of the chapter. Jesus calls a child to Him and puts that child in the middle of the group of disciples as they are talking. He tells them that u

What does Matthew chapter 15 mean?Jesus' fame and influence over the people has grown to the point where the religious leaders are concerned about Him. A delegation of Pharisees and scribes travels from Jerusalem to Galilee to challenge Jesus. They pick the issue of ritual handwashing to confront Him. However, they are looking for any way to discre

What does Matthew chapter 16 mean?Matthew 16 begins with another confrontation between Jesus and some of Israel's religious leaders. A group of Pharisees and Sadducees approach Jesus together. This is unusual, since the two sects don't agree on more than the most basic points of theology. Their demand to Jesus is for another sign from heaven (Matth

What does Matthew chapter 13 mean?A huge group of people follow Jesus from the overcrowded house He was teaching in at the end of the previous chapter to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. So many people gather around Him that they cannot all see and hear Him. To solve this, Jesus gets in a boat and sits just a bit offshore. The crowd stands on the b

What does Matthew chapter 14 mean?Matthew 14 begins with the news that Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas, has heard about Jesus' fame and power. This is the son of Herod the Great, who once tried to have Jesus killed (Matthew 2:7, 13). Antipas was assigned, by the Romans, to govern the region of Galilee and Perea where Jesus lived and

What does Matthew chapter 10 mean?Matthew 10 begins with a listing of Jesus' core group of hand-picked disciples. These men are often collectively referred to as the Twelve. Jesus had many followers, but this dozen was appointed to special roles. The word "apostle" is from the Greek term apolstolōn, literally referring to someone "sent out" b

What does Matthew chapter 11 mean?Matthew 11 comes immediately after Jesus has sent His twelve hand-picked apostles out on separate missionary journeys, in pairs (Matthew 10:1–4). Jesus Himself continues through Galilee, teaching and preaching (Matthew 11:1). John the Baptist is in prison (Matthew 4:12). He has heard about what Jesus has been

What does Matthew chapter 12 mean?Matthew 12 follows Jesus' teachings in chapter 11, where He mourned over how people in those cities rejected Him. Here, He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. These mostly involve the ultra-legalistic, tradition-minded Pharisees. By this point in Jesus' ministry, they had begun to amplify t

What does Matthew chapter 8 mean?After completing his report on Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Matthew turns to demonstrating Jesus' authority over disease, demons, and even the weather. Instead of telling the story of Jesus' ministry in strict chronological order, Matthew groups Jesus' miracles into a series of s

What does Matthew chapter 9 mean?In chapter 9, Matthew continues to tell the stories of Jesus healing and casting out demons and even bringing the dead to life. Each story demonstrates that He is truly the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that faith in Him is key to the healing experienced by many.The friends of a paralyzed man

What does Matthew chapter 6 mean?Matthew 6 is the second of three chapters containing Matthew's telling of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This passage is one of the few chapters entirely composed of the words of Christ. A primary theme of Jesus' teaching so far is how God the Father cares about the hearts of His people, not just their outward actions.

What does Matthew chapter 7 mean?Matthew 7 concludes Matthew's telling of Jesus' long Sermon on the Mount, begun in chapter 5 (Matthew 5:1–2). This passage is the source of phrases which have echoed through western culture. Among these are "judge not, lest you be judged," "do not cast pearls before swine," and "do unto others as you would hav

What does Matthew chapter 4 mean?Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus as He came out of the water following His baptism by John the Baptist, along with the voice of God the Father declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son (Matthew 3:16–17).The Holy Spirit immediately leads Jesus from that moment of confirmation and vali

What does Matthew chapter 5 mean?Matthew 5 begins what is known as Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. The size of the crowds following Jesus by this point in His ministry have become massive. People come from great distances in every direction to see His miracles of healing and hear His compelling teaching. The words people use to describe nature vary dra

What does Matthew chapter 2 mean?Jesus has been born to Mary, who is now married to Joseph, after the couple was informed of His miraculous birth by angelic messages (Matthew 1:18–25). Chapter 1 explained the genealogy and conception of Christ. Chapter 2 describes crucial moments in His infancy. Chapter 3 will resume the narrative after a lon

What does Matthew chapter 3 mean?Matthew 2 ended with Jesus' family settling down in Nazareth, shortly after the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:19–23). Chapter 3 leaps forward several decades. This passage opens on John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness in the region of Judea. His simple message: Repent, the kingdom of heaven is co

What does Malachi chapter 4 mean?Malachi 4 is a very brief chapter, composed of only 6 verses. These words complete Malachi's plea for Israel to be faithful to God, and give an additional warning about God's impending judgment.This particular depiction of the end times separates the experience of the wicked and the righteous using two separate meta