Reasoning Through the Bible

What was Jesus revealing through the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value?

Matthew 13 continues the kingdom parables as Jesus challenges His listeners to rethink their expectations about the messianic kingdom. Glenn and Steve examine why the mustard seed grows into a large plant where birds can nest, why leaven represents something that quietly spreads, and why the treasure and pearl are worth ...

Why does God allow good and evil to continue side by side?

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds and later the parable of the dragnet. Both teach that the world contains those who belong to Christ and those who do not, and that the final separation does not happen immediately.

Glenn and Steve work through Jesus’ own explanation of the wheat and weeds, discuss the reality of false believers and false ...

Why do some people hear the Word of God and grow, while others seem interested for a time and then walk away?

Matthew 13 begins Jesus’ great series of kingdom parables with the parable of the sower. A farmer scatters the same seed across four kinds of soil, but each produces a very different result.

Glenn and Steve examine what Jesus says about the hard path, shallow rocky soil, thorns, and good soil. They discuss persecution, ...

Are the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God the same thing?

Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” repeatedly, while the other Gospels more commonly speak of the “kingdom of God.” Is that simply a difference in audience and terminology, or does Scripture point to a real distinction between the two?

In this topical discussion connected to the Matthew study, Glenn and Steve work through key passages in...

Is simply cleaning up your life enough?

Matthew 12 closes with Jesus describing an unclean spirit that leaves a person, only to return later and find the “house” swept, orderly, and empty. The warning is clear: removing something evil without being filled by God does not produce lasting spiritual change.

Glenn and Steve discuss why true transformation requires more than behavior modification, how the Holy Spirit changes t...

Have you ever worried that you may have committed the unpardonable sin?

Matthew 12:31–42 contains one of Jesus’ most debated warnings: “Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.” But what did He mean, and can someone today accidentally place himself beyond God’s forgiveness?

Glenn and Steve examine the immediate context of Jesus’ words, where the Pharisees had just attributed the work of ...

Matthew 12 reaches a major turning point as the religious leaders move from questioning Jesus to openly rejecting Him.

After the Pharisees begin plotting His death, Jesus withdraws and continues healing those who follow Him. Matthew connects His gentle ministry to Isaiah’s prophecy of the Servant who would bring justice and become the hope of the Gentiles.

Then Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. The crowd...

Did Jesus and His disciples break the Sabbath?

In Matthew 12:1–14, the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of doing unlawful work because they plucked grain while walking through a field on the Sabbath. But the Mosaic Law actually permitted what they were doing.

Glenn and Steve examine how religious leaders had added layers of tradition around God’s commands and turned the Sabbath—a gift intended for rest—...

Why do some people refuse to believe even when the evidence is right in front of them?

In Matthew 11:16–30, Jesus compares His generation to children who are impossible to satisfy. John the Baptist lived an austere life and was accused of having a demon. Jesus ate with sinners and was called a glutton and a drunkard. No matter what God did, the critics found a reason to reject it.

Jesus then pronounces judgment on Chorazin, Bet...

Did John the Baptist begin to doubt Jesus while sitting in prison?

Matthew 11 opens with John sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Rather than simply saying yes, Jesus points them to the evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the gospel.

Glenn and Steve consider whether John himself was...

What should followers of Jesus expect from the world?

In Matthew 10:24–42, Jesus tells His disciples that they should not expect better treatment than He received. If the world maligned Him, some will malign His followers too. Yet Jesus repeatedly says, “Do not fear.”

Glenn and Steve discuss why false accusations will ultimately be exposed, why believers should fear God rather than men, and how Jesus’ teaching...

Why did Jesus tell the Twelve to go only to Israel when He later commanded them to make disciples of all nations?

Matthew 10 contains instructions that apply to more than one setting. Jesus sends the Twelve on an immediate mission to the lost sheep of Israel with the message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He tells them to travel lightly, depend on God’s provision, and move on when a city rejects their message...

Matthew 10 introduces the Twelve as Jesus prepares to send them throughout Israel. They were not an impressive religious elite. Among them were fishermen, a tax collector associated with Roman rule, a Zealot connected with opposition to Rome, and several men about whom Scripture tells us very little.

Glenn and Steve discuss the difference between a disciple and an apostle, why being well-known does not make someone more important in...

Why did Jesus say new wine cannot be put into old wineskins?

In Matthew 9:14–38, Jesus continues challenging religious assumptions while demonstrating His authority through a remarkable series of miracles.

The discussion begins with fasting. Jesus explains that fasting is useful for prayer and spiritual discipline, but it does not make anyone righteous. He then uses the illustrations of an unshrunk patch and new wine in old win...

Who has the authority to forgive sins?

In Matthew 9, friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus expecting physical healing. Instead, Jesus first tells him, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” The scribes immediately accuse Him of blasphemy because they understand that only God can forgive sins.

Jesus then heals the man physically to demonstrate that He possesses the authority He claims.

The session also follows Jesus ...

Matthew 8 continues to reveal who Jesus is through a series of attesting miracles.

Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a touch, casts out demons with a word, and then challenges those who say they want to follow Him by explaining that discipleship carries a real cost. Following Christ is not a path to worldly fame, comfort, or wealth.

Then Jesus and His disciples enter a boat and encounter a violent storm on the Sea of Galil...

Matthew 8 begins a new section in which Jesus’ miracles demonstrate His authority and reveal who He truly is.

The first person who approaches Him is a leper—someone who had been isolated from society, separated from worship, and forced to live apart from family. The man bows before Jesus and says, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus responds with compassion: “I am willing.” Th...

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a series of serious warnings and powerful illustrations.

In Matthew 7:13-29, He contrasts the broad road that leads to destruction with the narrow gate that leads to life. The narrow way is not one spiritual option among many--it points to the one way to the Father through Jesus Christ.

Glenn and Steve then examine Jesus’ warning about false prophets who appear in sheep’s clothing...

What did Jesus really mean when He said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged”?

In this session, Glenn and Steve finish Matthew 6 and move into Matthew 7. Jesus first addresses worry and anxiety, reminding His followers that the Father already knows what they need. Instead of allowing food, clothing, work, possessions, and tomorrow’s problems to dominate life, believers are called to seek first God’s ...