Devotional Hours Within the Bible

Matthew 24:32-51

It was Tuesday evening. Jesus had left the temple, to return to it no more. His last words to the people had been spoken. On the way His disciples called His attention to the temple, perhaps suggesting its magnificence and its solidity. It was indeed a wonderful building. But Jesus said, "I tell you the truth - not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

The little company moved out...

Matthew 22:15-22 Matthew 22:34-46

The Pharisees, on those last days in the temple, were in continual and bitter controversy with Jesus. They sought to trouble Him, to ensnare or entangle Him in His conversation. We may be glad, however, for the questions they asked, because they drew from Him great...

Matthew 22:1-14

Christ is soon to be condemned by the rulers and put to death - but as He stands now in the holy city, He speaks as the Judge, pronouncing the doom upon the people who are rejecting Him as their Messiah. "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son." The marriage feast suggests two great thoughts concerning gospel blessings. The figure of a feast pictures...

Matthew 21:33-46

"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey."

Matthew 21:1-17

The triumphal entry was one of the most remarkable incidents in our Lord's life. Usually Jesus made no public demonstration, did nothing to draw attention to Himself in any way. Indeed, He avoided notoriety and fame; He did not strive nor cry aloud; neither did anyone hear His voice in the streets. He spoke to His disciples confidentially of His Messiahship - but did not publicly proclaim it....

Matthew 20:17-34

Jesus was setting out for Jerusalem on His last journey. Did He not know that He was going straight into danger? He was safe in Perea; why did He not stay there? Why did He leave this shelter - and go straight into the den of lions at Jerusalem? He knew all that awaited Him - but He did not shrink from it; He resolutely set His face to go, because it was the way marked out for Him. The...

Matthew 20:1-16

The key to this parable - is found in what goes just before. A young man came to Jesus eager to follow him and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said he must give up his riches - and follow Him. The young man found the cost too great - and went away sorrowful. Then Jesus spoke seriously to His disciples about how hard...

Matthew 19:1-2 Matthew 19:13-26

The words, "He departed from Galilee," have significance, when we consider the circumstances, which give them a peculiar sadness. This was our Lords' final departure from Galilee. He had been brought up there. Much of His public ministry had been wrought there. In that part of the country, He had met with the kindliest reception....

Matthew 18:21-35

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked: Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Perhaps no other lesson is harder to learn - than to be forgiving. It never gets easy, to bear injury or wrong. Yet the lesson is essential. We can ask Divine forgiveness for our own sins - only when we are ready to forgive those who sin against...

Matthew 17:1-8; Matthew 17:14-20

Three men, Peter, James and John - were with the Master when He was transfigured. All the disciples belonged to His personal family - but these three were taken into the inner circle and enjoyed closest intimacy with Him. On several occasions we find Him choosing the same...

Matthew 16:13-28

Jesus had led the disciples to a quiet place, away from crowds and excitements. The time had come to declare to them His Messiahship. It was a new epoch in His ministry.

He asked two questions. The first referred to the opinion of the people concerning Him. "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" The disciples told Him that there were different opinions about Him. Some thought He was...

Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus seems to have gone out of His own country into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, seeking a little quiet. He needed rest. But He could not be hidden. A Canaanite woman somehow heard of His being there, and came immediately to Him. Her daughter was in a distressing condition!

This woman was a Gentile, and yet she must have known something of the true God. How she had learned about Jesus, we are not told. No doubt...

Matthew 14:22-36

It was after the feeding of the five thousand. As we learn from John's account, the people were so excited by this miracle that they wished to take Jesus by force and make him king. To prevent this act, Jesus sent the multitude away and then went up into a mountain for prayer.

Before going into the mountain, however, He sent His disciples out upon the sea in the boat, to go before Him to the other side. The record...

Matthew 14:13-21 Matthew 15:29-39

"As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed by land from many villages. A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

It was just after the death of John the Baptist. John's disciples...