In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2, there is a quote referencing an Old Testament prophecy about God calling his son out of Egypt. The verse in Matthew reads: “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”” (Matthew 2:14-15 ESV) This quote from Matthew is referencing a prophecy in the book of Hosea chapter 11 verse 1, which states: “When Israel was a child, I…
Author: Matt Primack
The story of the magi seeing the star of Jesus in the east is found in Matthew 2:1-12. This passage tells us that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem wise men or magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem looking for the newborn “King of the Jews”. They told King Herod that they had seen His star in the east and had come to worship Him. There are several important things to understand about this passage: Who were the magi? The magi or wise men were likely astrologers and scholars from the East, possibly near Babylon or Persia. They studied…
The name of a person often carries deep meaning that provides insight into their identity and purpose. In the Bible, names were frequently given to align with the individual’s special calling. The name Jesus, meaning “Yahweh is salvation,” signifies the very essence of who Christ is and what He came to accomplish. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and Joseph, he instructed that the baby born of the virgin would be called Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). This name connects back to Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be called Immanuel, “God…
The verse in question comes from Matthew 9:37, where Jesus says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” This statement comes right after Jesus has been going through the towns and villages teaching, preaching, and healing people of diseases and afflictions. As he sees the crowds gathering to him, Jesus feels deep compassion for them, because they are like sheep without a shepherd – lost, confused, and in need of guidance. Jesus’ statement about the plentiful harvest and few laborers comes right after he has been traveling through Galilee preaching, teaching, and healing. Large crowds…
The phrase “Many are called but few are chosen” is found in Matthew 22:14. This verse comes at the end of Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast. In this parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. The king sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. So the king sent his servants out again to invite anyone they could find. The wedding hall was filled with guests, both good and bad. But when the king came in to see…
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says to his twelve disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” This verse comes in the context of Jesus commissioning his disciples to go out and proclaim the kingdom of heaven to the towns of Israel. Jesus knows that they will face opposition and persecution for preaching the gospel, so he warns them that they will be like sheep among wolves – defenseless and vulnerable. Jesus was preparing his twelve disciples for ministry before his own crucifixion and resurrection. They…