Reasoning Through the Bible

Why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a horse, and what caused Him to overturn the tables in the temple?

Matthew 21 continues the triumphal entry as Jesus fulfills prophecy and receives the praise of the crowds as the Son of David. Glenn and Steve examine why the donkey communicated peaceful kingship, why palm branches carried expectations of national victory, and why the crowd’s Messianic enthusiasm did not mean they fully understood the mission Jesus had come to accomplish.

Then Jesus enters the temple and finds worship entangled with commerce and greed. He drives out the sellers and money changers, declaring that His house should be a house of prayer rather than a den of robbers. Yet immediately afterward, the blind and lame come to Him and He heals them.

The contrast is striking: Jesus confronts religious exploitation while showing compassion toward those in need. Meanwhile, the religious leaders witness His works and hear children praising Him as the Son of David—and become even more indignant.

Matthew 21:1–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 43

Questions discussed in this session include:

•  What would we do if the Lord approached us asking for some of our resources? 
• Should church leaders sell anything inside churches?
• Do we ever view Jesus as being aggressive in throwing people out? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

The triumphal entry is much bigger than a crowd waving branches while Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Matthew 21 brings together several major movements that stretch across the Bible. Jesus enters Jerusalem during Passover as the crowds identify Him as the Son of David and welcome Him as their King. At the same time, the Passover setting points toward Jesus as the Lamb of God who is about to give His life.

Glenn and Steve also trace another remarkable biblical pattern involving the glory of God, the temple, and the Mount of Olives. The glory of the Lord filled Solomon’s temple, later departed toward the Mount of Olives in Ezekiel, and now Jesus approaches Jerusalem from that same direction. After His resurrection, He will ascend from the Mount of Olives, and biblical prophecy points toward His future return there.

These connections remind us that the triumphal entry is not an isolated event. It stands within the unfolding plan of God and gives us confidence that the God who fulfilled His promises in the past will also fulfill what He has promised for the future.

Matthew 21:1–11 | The Book of Matthew — Session 42

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What does greatness look like in the kingdom of God?

In Matthew 20, the mother of James and John approaches Jesus with a bold request: give her sons the places of highest honor beside Him in His kingdom. The request creates jealousy among the other disciples, but Jesus uses the conflict to teach one of His clearest lessons about leadership. The rulers of the world exercise authority over others, but among His followers, greatness is found in becoming a servant.

Glenn and Steve discuss what it meant to sit at the right and left of a king, the “cup” Jesus was preparing to drink, the distinction between the Father and Son, and what servant leadership should look like within the church. They also examine Jesus’ statement that He came “to give His life a ransom for many” and how that relates to the atonement.

The chapter concludes with two blind men outside Jericho who refuse to let the crowd silence them. They recognize Jesus as the Son of David, cry out for mercy, receive their sight, and immediately follow Him.

Matthew 20:20–34 | The Book of Matthew — Session 41

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• Are Christians sometimes asked to drink the same cup as Jesus?
• What can we learn about Jesus and the Godhead from this passage?
• What is the proper attitude that Christians should have with other Christians?
• How do we keep division and dissention out of the body of Christ? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why would Jesus tell a story in which workers who served all day received the same pay as workers who served for only one hour?

Matthew 20 continues Jesus’ teaching that “the last shall be first, and the first last.” In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, a landowner hires workers throughout the day but pays each group the same amount. The early workers immediately complain that the arrangement is unfair.

Glenn and Steve examine why nobody in the parable was actually cheated, what the vineyard teaches about Christian service and reward, and why comparing our ministry with someone else’s can quickly produce envy. The lesson is not that salvation is earned through work. It concerns the attitude of those already serving the Master.

The study then follows Jesus as He turns toward Jerusalem and tells the disciples exactly what awaits Him: betrayal, condemnation, mocking, scourging, crucifixion, and resurrection on the third day. Jesus is not walking unknowingly toward the Cross. He knows what is coming and goes willingly.

Matthew 20:1–19 | The Book of Matthew — Session 40

Questions discussed in this session include:

• What if I wake up late and don’t have much time to work? 
• When do Christians get rewards? 
• Is our reward guaranteed?
• We have such little time left, so how should we spend our time? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What was the rich young ruler missing?

Matthew 19 introduces a successful young man who approaches Jesus asking what good thing he must do to obtain eternal life. His question reflects a common assumption: if we can just do enough good things, perhaps we can earn our way to God.

Jesus exposes the flaw in that thinking. The young man believes he has kept the commandments, but Jesus points directly to the area controlling his heart—his wealth. When told to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus, he walks away grieving.

Glenn and Steve discuss why good works cannot erase past sin, why Jesus’ command to sell everything was directed specifically at this man’s idol, and why neither wealth nor poverty makes someone righteous. They also examine the camel and the eye of the needle, the dangers of the prosperity gospel, and Jesus’ promise that the apostles will one day sit on twelve thrones in His future Messianic kingdom.

The study begins with Jesus welcoming children and reminding us of the importance of bringing the next generation to Him.

Matthew 19:13–30 | The Book of Matthew — Session 39

This session discusses the following questions: 

• Are we able to keep the ten commandments? 
• How hard is it for a rich person to get into God’s kingdom? 
• What happens to children who die in infancy? 
• Is the church a continuation of Israel, or is there a distinction between the two? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What did Jesus really teach about marriage and divorce?

In Matthew 19, the Pharisees approach Jesus with another trap: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” Instead of beginning with their arguments over the Mosaic Law, Jesus takes them back to creation. God made humanity male and female, established marriage, and intended husband and wife to become one flesh.

Glenn and Steve work through why Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart, what Jesus means by His exception for sexual immorality, the difficult subject of remarriage, and why God’s high standard should never become an excuse for Christians to treat divorced people as permanently disqualified from grace or meaningful service.

The discussion also considers singleness, the disciples’ surprising reaction to Jesus’ teaching, and the real-world question of what someone should do when a marriage becomes abusive. Biblical commitment to marriage does not require someone to remain physically endangered.

Matthew 19:1–12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 38

Questions discussed in this session include:

• What have been the consequences of no-fault divorce?
• What were the Old Testament rules about divorce and remarriage?  
• What role does creation of mankind have with marriage and divorce? 
• What if a Christian has a spouse that leaves them? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How many times are Christians expected to forgive someone who keeps hurting them?

Matthew 18 continues Jesus’ teaching about church discipline and then turns directly to forgiveness. Glenn and Steve first examine the often-quoted statements about binding and loosing, agreeing together in prayer, and “where two or three are gathered.” The surrounding context shows that Jesus is speaking about the authority of believers gathered in His name as they deal with serious sin within a local church.

Peter then asks how often he must forgive a brother who sins against him. Seven times? Jesus responds, “seventy times seven,” and tells the parable of a servant forgiven an enormous debt who refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed to him.

The discussion looks at the relationship between forgiveness and a changed heart, why this passage does not teach that salvation can be lost, the difference between forgiveness and enabling continued abuse, and how bitterness can damage the person who refuses to forgive.

Matthew 18:18–35 | The Book of Matthew — Session 37

Questions discussed in this session include:

• Where is the center of authority in the church? 
• If someone is put out of a church, can they still be saved person?
• When people realize how much God has forgiven them, how do they act towards others?

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How should Christians respond when another believer is caught in serious sin and refuses to change?

Matthew 18 gives some of Jesus’ most practical teaching about life within the church. He begins with a strong warning about stumbling blocks and the seriousness of causing someone else to fall into sin. He then describes God as the faithful Shepherd who goes after one wandering sheep rather than simply abandoning it.

That same concern for restoration carries into Jesus’ teaching on church discipline. Glenn and Steve walk through the process Jesus gives: go privately first, involve two or three others if necessary, and only then bring the matter before the church.

The goal is not embarrassment, revenge, or winning an argument. The goal is restoration.

They also discuss why serious sin cannot simply be ignored, what it means to treat an unrepentant person as a Gentile and tax collector, why shunning goes beyond what Jesus teaches here, and why both truth and gentleness are necessary when churches deal with sin.

Matthew 18:7–20 | The Book of Matthew — Session 36

Questions discussed in this session include:

• What is the goal of church discipline?
• What is the three-step process of church discipline?
• Why should we first approach a person one-on-one? 
• Is there ever a time we should publicly announce a person’s sin? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

How much faith does it take to move a mountain?

In Matthew 17, Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and encounters a desperate father whose son has been suffering terribly. The disciples had previously been given authority to cast out demons, yet this time they cannot help him. Jesus uses their failure to teach about “faith like a mustard seed.”

Glenn and Steve examine what that phrase actually means, why moving a mountain should be understood as figurative language, and why Christian faith should never become faith in our own ability to produce a miracle. The power belongs to God.

The study also looks at why some Bibles include Matthew 17:21 while others place it in brackets or a footnote, Jesus’ repeated prediction of His death and resurrection, the coin found in the fish’s mouth, and why Jesus willingly paid a tax He did not technically owe.

Then the discussion moves into Matthew 18, where the disciples ask who will be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus answers by placing a child before them and teaching about conversion, humility, childlike trust, and the serious responsibility of protecting those who believe in Him.

Matthew 17:14–18:6 | The Book of Matthew — Session 35

Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Is God’s acting in our lives dependent on our faith? 
• What do we do when we have problems we cannot overcome?
• What does Jesus say we must do to enter the kingdom?
• What does it mean to have childlike faith? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What did Jesus mean when He said that some standing with Him would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom?

Matthew 17 immediately follows that statement with the Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where His hidden glory is suddenly unveiled. His face shines like the sun, His garments become white as light, Moses and Elijah appear, and the Father speaks from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son… listen to Him.”

Glenn and Steve discuss why the end of Matthew 16 flows naturally into the Transfiguration, what Moses and Elijah represent, why Peter wanted to build three tabernacles, and what the Father’s command tells us about the unique supremacy of Christ.

They also examine Jesus’ teaching about Elijah and John the Baptist, why the cross was never “Plan B,” and how the Transfiguration anticipates the future kingdom while reminding believers that Christ can transform us even now.

Matthew 16:28–17:13 | The Book of Matthew — Session 34

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• What can we determine by Jesus’ glory?
• What details are in this passage that tell us this is true history and not a religious myth? 
• Has Elijah already come and restored all things? 
• What does Jesus do when He sees the disciples have great fear?  

Support the show

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You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve