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“You Are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”: The Christian Confession and the Rock of the Church
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:16–17) “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” So now, Peter’s answer. From…
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“Who Do You Say That I Am?”: Jesus’s Question and the Hinge of Our Faith
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:22–33)…
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Jesus in a Land of Monsters: Spiritual Warfare, the Gates of Hell, and the Cosmic Gospel of Christ
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter…
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Try Me and See: Jesus and the Test of Obedience
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven … But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves … Do you not yet understand, or remember?” (Matthew 16:1, 8-9, NKJV) I think I…
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Signs from Heaven and the Way to Be Saved: Jesus and the Pharisees’ Demand for a Sign
The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and as a test, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them: “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to…
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A World Waiting for Food: How the Feeding of the Four Thousand Foreshadows the Healing of the Nations
Now Jesus summoned His disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry; otherwise they might collapse on the way.” The disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate…
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Jesus and the Conquering of Canaan: The Syro-Phoenician Woman and the Floodgates of Grace
When Jesus left there, He withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly tormented by a demon.” Yet He did not say a word to her. So His disciples approached…
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What Makes Us Clean: Jesus and the Question of Purity
Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?” He replied, “Every…
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Matters of the Heart: The Commands of God and the Traditions of Men
Then Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!” He answered them, “And why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? For God said: Honor your father and your mother; and, The…
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An Eschatological Prelude: Why Healing and Judgment Come from the Same Kingdom
Once they crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick. They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.…
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