Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

  Today, I am giving us Matthew's account of the week of Jesus' Passion.  I suggest reading slowly through these texts and letting all the events that transpired, sink into our hearts.  This is Matthew's Holy Spirit guided, eyewitness account of Christ's sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection.  The theme is that Jesus suffered for us, He died for us, and He rose from the dead for us.  Jesus died because the wages of sin is death, and He died in our place, as God's perfect Lamb.  I also suggest reading Isaiah 53 as this is a prophecy about Christ's sufferings, followed by His glory. Judas to Betray Jesus Mat 26:14  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,  Mat 26:15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.  Mat 26:16  And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.  The Passover with the Di...

Matthew 22:1-7  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,  2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,  3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.  4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  We previously learned that the "certain king" in this parable represents God the Father. "His son" represents the Lord Jesus Christ, ...

Matthew 22:1-3  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,  3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.    The beginning of this parable indicates that Jesus was speaking to the same multitude which included the scribes and priests from the last chapter. Therefore, this is the  third   consecutive parable preached by Jesus to a multitude that included unbelieving scribes and priests. We studied components of a Jewish marriage feast as it was in the time of Jesus, to help us see beautiful spiritual truth regarding God our Father, His Son Jesus and His kingdom. This parable pictures the Jews rejecting Christ as their King, and God turning from the Jews to call the Gentiles.  The gospel, with all its privileges, was offered to the Jewish people, but through their wickedness an...

Below is a link to a Methodist choir and congregation singing a Palm Sunday hymn titled "All Glory, Laud And Honor." Theodulph, Bishop of Orléans, (c. 750-821) had been a celebrated poet in Charlemagne’s court during a period of medieval renaissance.  Widely hailed as a friend of the poor, he helped institute a number of enlightened reforms and, with a nod from the emperor, built public schools. After Charlemagne’s death, Louis the Pious inherited the throne. Petty and paranoid, he had many people rounded up and held captive, including Theodulph. Walls and locks cannot confine creativity or faith. Theodulph, the condemned poet, continued to write, including these words of praise. According to the legend, on Palm Sunday in the year 820, when the paranoid emperor passed by the prison tower in a procession of palm-wavers, Theodulph stood at his window and loudly sang this hymn. The emperor  was so moved by this hymn, that he ordered the Bishop to be released. https://youtu.be/ix...