Author Archives: Andy Acreman

MATTHEW 17 The final verse of chapter 16 is said almost as an afterthought: “Truly, I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (16:28).  What did it mean?  Perhaps we should ask Peter again!  In his second letter he says:Continue reading “Tuesday 24th January 2023”

MATTHEW 16 “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” – asked Jesus to his disciples.  They took it in turns to list the different ideas that the crowds held about him:  John the Baptist, perhaps, or Elijah (nearly the same thing), or perhaps a reincarnation of Jeremiah or one of theContinue reading “Monday 23rd January 2023”

MATTHEW 15 Watch out for hypocrisy!  God hates it!  “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” (Isaiah 29:130).  The longer a faith becomes entrenched within a society, the more it seems that an outward observation is allContinue reading “Saturday 21st January 2023”

MATTHEW 14 Today we have a flashback, a miracle of catering and an apparent pause in the laws of physics.  The flashback was triggered by King Herod’s comments about Jesus: “It is obviously John the Baptist, risen from the dead doing these miracles” (v2).   Herod wanted to believe this because of the enormous weight ofContinue reading “Friday 20th January 2023”

MATTHEW 13 What kind of soil are you?  Jesus told the famous parable of the Sower – which should really have been “The Parable of the Soil”, since that is what made all the difference.  The destiny of the four sets of seeds was:  (1) No root and no shoot;  (2) no root but plentyContinue reading “Wednesday 18th January 2023”

MATTHEW 12 In the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath was essentially a social safeguard against enforced over-working; it was clearly designed to ensure that the weakest and most powerless, in particular, found rest for at least one day a week.  It is strange that, today, we almost mock it as an anachronism.  It is possibly moreContinue reading “Sunday 15th January 2023”

MATTHEW 11 (Part 2) The pinnacle of this great chapter is the verse: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  ForContinue reading “Saturday 14th January 2023”

MATTHEW 11 (Part 1) Early in this chapter, Matthew deals with the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus, showing conclusively that John’s ministry was destined to diminish and Jesus’ ministry to expand.  John had sent his own disciples to check with Jesus that he was indeed the one that John had been signposting IsraelContinue reading “Friday 13th January 2023”

MATTHEW 10 Discipleship means watching, then doing – learning, then acting on that knowledge.  Jesus called his twelve main disciples and gave them genuine supernatural power to heal the sick and release people from demonic powers.  He himself had been demonstrating those powers already, and now it was time for his disciples to demonstrate themContinue reading “Thursday 12th January 2023”

MATTHEW 9 Try this little test.  Say “Your sins are forgiven” and then “Get up and walk” (to a paralysed man).  Which was easier to say?  Well, both have four words in the sentence and are probably equally easy to say.  But, for ordinary men or women, both are equally impossible to do.  I thinkContinue reading “Wednesday 11th January 2023”

MATTHEW 8 All in a day’s work, it would seem!  Everything in a frenetic Chapter 8 seems to have occurred within 24 hours.  First a leper demonstrated the faith to ask for healing: “If you are willing, you can make me clean” (v2).  That is all that is needed for healing to happen: faith thatContinue reading “Monday 9th January 2023”

MATTHEW 7 Jesus was especially against hypocrisy.  He hated outward righteousness blended with inward corruption.  He was particularly offended by those who criticised others whilst doing even worse things themselves.  The hyperbole of attempting to remove a speck from someone else’s eye, whilst having a ‘plank’ in your own, was a case in point.  WeContinue reading “Sunday 8th January 2023”

MATTHEW 6 It is the curse of short-termism!  It is a sign of immaturity…  The need to have it all now!  We see it every day: the credit card that ‘takes the waiting out of wanting’; the relationship where instant sexual gratification is a necessity.  The political bribery that promises ‘jam today’, regardless of theContinue reading “Saturday 7th January 2023”

MATTHEW 5 Moses climbed up the mountainside and sat while God dictated the Ten Commandments and the law to him, for the benefit of his people.  Here in Matthew, the author is portraying Jesus as the Great King, giving his own teaching to those listening on the mountainside of Galilee.  “The Sermon on the Mount”Continue reading “Thursday 5th January 2023”

MATTHEW 4 These days, after a baptism, everyone usually sits down to a relaxing celebratory meal with friends and family.  Not so for Jesus!  The very next thing was that the Spirit of God ‘drove him’ into the Judean wilderness to be tested or tempted by the devil.  ‘Devil’ (from the Greek) or ‘Satan’ (fromContinue reading “Wednesday 4th January 2023”

MATTHEW 3 John the Baptist represents the ‘tipping point’ between Old and New Covenants.  He was the final Old Covenant prophet, whose job was to ‘close’ that covenant and open the new one, by introducing the Messiah.  In a sense, his whole ministry was an outworking of Jeremiah Chapter 31.  For further explanation about John’sContinue reading “Tuesday 3rd January 2023”

MATTHEW 2 He was the Saddam Hussein of Judea, ruling by appointment of the Roman Senate from 37–4 BC.  He wasn’t even a Jew!  King Herod the Great was a byword for ruthlessness, warming up for his slaughter of the Bethlehem Under-Two’s by murdering his wife, three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and quite a fewContinue reading “Monday 2nd January 2023”

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! MATTHEW 1 We begin the first gospel of the New Testament.  Matthew is many people’s favourite gospel.  It is wonderfully poetic and beautifully structured.  It quotes the Old Testament more than any other gospel.  Its job is to prove to all Jews that Jesus really is their long-awaited Messiah.  It hasContinue reading “Sunday 1st January 2023”