David Richey's Bible Study Blog

Matthew 27:41 "In the same way the chief priests also, with the scribes and elders, mocking him said, ..." Matthew 27:42 " 'He saved others. Himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." Interestingly the Shepherd may have been present at the crucifixion speaking out loudly at the crucifixion and the “...chief priests, with the scribes and elders...” Matthew 27:41 may have heard him? How did the religious leaders know they should believe in Jesus at the cross? Another tale tail sign is who actually comes down from the cross unless they have supernatural powers? The shouting of the Shepherd seems likely at play here, scripture doesn't say what the Shepherd said but the signs are here that a supernatural being was present? Jesus too was the presence of God however it seems that at least two witnesses were present at the crucifixion just not recorded out right? The disciples were not spiritu...

 Matthew 28:9 "And as they were going to tell his disciples, suddenly Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings”. And they came to him and clasped his feet and worshipped him." Matthew 28:10 "Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go tell my brethren that they should go to Galilee, and that they will see me there'." Matthew 28:11 "While the women were going, some of the guard appeared, coming into the city. And they reported to the chief priests everything that had happened." Matthew 28:12 "And when they had met with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,..."  Here some of the women who had followed Jesus went to the tomb on Sunday morning after Jesus crucifixion on Friday. The women were going to tell about the empty tomb when they ran into Jesus. After meeting Jesus alive, “...some of the guard appeared...” (Matthew 28:11) It is apparent that some of the soldiers may have seen Jesus alive and de...

 Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I will not be in want.” Psalms 23:2 “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters.” Psalms 23:3 “He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Here in Psalms 23:1 Scripture is talking about the Shepherd or an Angel who was in human form who would travel with Jesus in his ministry on earth at various times and would provide for Jesus. The Angel or Shepherd was a direct representative of God in human form and this Chapter foretells the activities of the Shepherd. Sometimes the Shepherd would be in the form of three men such as at the birth of Christ or with Abraham at the birth of Jesus showing Jesus ability to be in two places at one time in representative form. The Shepherd would lead Jesus as is written in verse two. The Shepherd,  “...restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalms 23:3 The Shepherd is a direct representative o...

Matthew 18:20 "...For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I among them'." The transfiguration also included three men Jesus, Moses and Elijah. (Matthew 17:3) In Genesis 18 three men approached Abraham. Abraham bowed to the three men signifying the nature of God. Abraham would not have bowed to ordinary men. Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” The reason why Abraham bowed down to all three men is because all three of the men are one (Deuteronomy 6:4), God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Where two men are gathered is similar to Jesus appearing with the Shepherd a representative of God in the flesh also appearing with Jesus and foretold in Psalms 23:1. The Shepherd Luke 23:43, Zechariah 13:7 believed to be an angel acting as the presence of God Luke 2:8-9, Zechariah 13:7 together with Jesus. 

 Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Matthew 13:11 He answered and said to them, “Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Matthew 13:12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even what he has. There is deep wisdom in this, when you speak the word to someone who may not understand it is wise to speak in parables because if they hear the word plainly, they will likely rebel against the word causing them to fall greater than they may already be living? This is a measure of mercy to those who are fallen so they won't fall worse.

 Matthew 12:48 But he answered and said to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” Matthew 12:49 And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “See my mother and my brothers! Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, that one is my brother, and sister, and mother”. Here is Jesus viewing people as if he is in heaven. He does not view women as women he views them like the Angels in heaven without viewing their sex. It's an interesting view through the glasses of our savior. 

 Matthew 12:22 “Then one who was demon-possessed, blind, and unable to speak, was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the blind and mute both spoke and saw.” Matthew 12:23 “And all the people were amazed, and said, 'Is not this the son of David?'” Jesus occasionally does some strange things but this registers as one of the stranger ones. Jesus healed a demon-possessed man but did not cast the demon out. The demon was blind and unable to speak until Jesus healed him. One of the Pharisees likely had a demon and knew that the demon had not been cast out which is likely why the Pharisees had the strange response to this healing? Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This fellow does not drive out demons except by Beelzebub the prince of demons”. Matthew 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” Matthew 12:26 “And if S...

 Matthew 9:18 "While he was speaking these things to them, suddenly a certain ruler came and worshipped him, saying, “Just now my daughter has died, but come and put your hand on her, and she will live”." Jairus was the name of the ruler and he was the ruler in Capernaum the town where Matthew was a tax collector so Matthew probably knew this man Jairus. It's interesting that Jairus worshiped Jesus he seems to have been influenced by Matthew or the teaching at the Synagogue? Jairus was a ruler of the Synagogue in Capernaum (Mark 5:22). The Roman Centurion who had great faith was also from Capernaum and probably got some of the tax money from Matthew at some point?

 Matthew 7:9 “Or which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" Matthew 7:10 "Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent?" Matthew 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?" Jesus was probably thinking here about when Satan told him in Matthew 4:3 to take some rocks and make bread out of them when Jesus was hungry. Jesus was saying even a man wouldn't give his son rocks instead of bread when asked for bread.  Here in the passage of Matthew 7:10 where someone asks for a fish the fish means a Christian and will God give him or her a Serpent meaning someone who is like Satan. It's an example of what we can pray for Christians in our lives something that we need, Christian relationships instead of Satan in your life. 

 Matthew 3:5 “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around Jordan, went out to him,...” Matthew 3:6 “...and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” Here in these two verses it talks about all Judea going out to be baptized by John the Baptist. What scripture doesn't say is how did all of these people know to go out to John the Baptist, he probably didn't go out and spread the word among so many people? This is likely another example of where a shepherd went out and spread the word with the voice of an angel blaring loud like a loudspeaker. Angels sometimes showed up as shepherds in the Bible as representatives of God himself in the flesh. Scripture doesn't say this but this seems suspiciously likely? 

 John 20:16 "Jesus said to her, 'Mary'. She turned around and said to him, 'Rabboni!' (which is to say, Teacher)." John 20:17 "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”. Jesus after he had been crucified and raised from the dead chose to appear first to Mary Magdalene. What was he greeted with, “Teacher” and he was given a hug? Clearly Jesus had been through a lot he had been through a Roman crucifixion had been raised from the dead and clearly he needed a hug. He needed someone to care for him emotionally and who believed in him. Mary didn't say I doubt you are alive she said, “Teacher”. She had no doubt that Jesus could be raised from the dead, her brother Lazarus had been raised from the dead by Jesus. Jesus probably chose to appear first to the one who believed in him the most right at that point...

 John 19:26 "Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, see your son'." John 19:27 "Then he said to the disciple, 'See your mother'. And from that time that disciple took her to his own home." Here in this passage Jesus while dying on the cross gave his mother Mary to John so that John could take care of Mary. John and his brother James owned a fishing boat (Matthew 4:20-22) on lake Galilee and were partners with Peter in fishing (Luke 5:10). Jesus setup Mary with a disciple who had a boat to take Mary out in and also a disciple who had the ability to take care of the food needs of his mother Mary.

 John 17:25 “Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have come to know that you sent me." John 17:26 "And I have made our name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them'." To know the name of Jesus is to have Love within us. To know Jesus is also to know God.

"John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so you also cannot, unless you remain in me." "John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit. For without me you can do nothing." Considering these verses John 15:4-5 we must remain in Christ as a branch and we can do nothing unless we are in the vine of Christ. This is almost a gift of being in the vine of Christ so that we don't stumble or fall.