Day One through the New Testament (Matthew 1-7)

Another journey through the New Testament began for me today.

Did you know the first three minutes of the Gospel of Matthew is the ancestry of Jesus traced all the way back to Abraham? I caught my mind wondering from the list of ancestors and even had to fight sleep. I woke up to hear that there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile from Babylon, then fourteen generations from the exile to the birth of Christ. It sounds like God had a plan. Does He have a plan for me? Does God have a plan for you? Is He that detailed?

I listened on and marveled at how God orchestrated the birth of Christ. He knew what He was doing. He even thwarted the evil plan of King Herod to kill baby Jesus. God is at work "behind the scenes" to accomplish His will.

Things started to get exciting with the preaching of John the Baptist, the baptism and temptation of Jesus. I laughed a little at how they tried to make Satan's voice sound evil.
I sometimes wonder if Satan really talks that way or maybe just talks like one of us. You know how he loves to desquise himself.

Which brings us to Matthew 5-7....the great Sermon on the Mount (one of my favorite passages of Scripture). You could preach on this section for a year...in fact I did. Yet, the verse that always gets me is "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will in no way enter the Kingdom of Heaven".

Some tough words from Jesus. It got my attention. The scribes and Pharisees were the religious leaders of that day and time. They knew the Old Testament backwards and forwards. They faithfully went to synagogue They gave at the altar. They worshipped.

They did a lot of religious things.....but they did not know God.

After listening to the Sermon on the Mount...I am convinced of one thing....

Here is the point......we need saving from ourselves.