Life can get hard sometimes and far from being sheltered from it, Christians are promised that we will be mistreated and persecuted. But difficult times sometimes breed doubt. Does the persecution of the messenger cast doubt on the message? No, but more significantly, we can trust that God is always good and the Jesus that fulfilled messianic prophecies in his first coming will fulfill the rest in vindication of his people and the establishment of righteousness without end at his second. He is our hope as we stand in the new age.

How high is the cost of discipleship? It really depends on how you look at it. It will certainly cost more than anything else we could do, but in light of the reward that is generously given, it's cost is minimal. Indeed, as Rich Mullins would sing, it's a steal at any price.

We can get quite fearful over many things, but the response is not to try to minimize those fears but have a better fear and a greater fear. Let us learn to fear God, the best cure for all other fears.

How stable is your faith? How stable will your faith be when persecution strengthens? Is your confidence in luxury, or in people or in the Lord? Matthew 10:16-25 shows us what Jesus said to the church in regard to being prepared for the inevitable persecution.

For the Twelve disciples, to be like their master is a great privilege. And the first part of the mission discourse establishes that continuity between the two.

Sheep need shepherds to guide and guard them, and so do people, and the shepherd we need is all-authoritative Jesus who scans the crowds and is moved with compassion for the multitudes who need him to lay down his life for them.

Being raised from the dead. Your faith has saved you. In accordance with your faith, you will receive mercy. Is this personal eschatological or Jesus' healing ministry. Join as Matthew finishes his miracles section continuing to blur the line between the healings and Jesus' ultimate ministry to die in order to save people from their sins.

Forgiveness is something as old as the fall, but there is something distinctly new about Jesus, enfleshed and human, able to forgive sins and bring about the new covenant. That newness means some old traditions (and ultimately an old covenant need broken).

We the reader know what the miracles of Jesus mean, but those in the narrative do not. But that seems to change here as the narrative shows us what the narration has told us: that the miracles indicate that Jesus is not a mere man, but rather the divine Son of Man prophesied in Daniel come to judge the world and forgive sins.

Easter weekend is a time of celebration: a victory won at Calvary, culminating in the resurrection, giving us grounds for hope in its consummation at the Second Coming! But it is also the call for complete commitment to the Christ who bore our sins. That's what Matthew teaches us during this pause in his miracles accounts.