Reasoning Through the Bible

Is simply cleaning up your life enough?

Matthew 12 closes with Jesus describing an unclean spirit that leaves a person, only to return later and find the “house” swept, orderly, and empty. The warning is clear: removing something evil without being filled by God does not produce lasting spiritual change.

Glenn and Steve discuss why true transformation requires more than behavior modification, how the Holy Spirit changes the believer from the inside, and why the generation rejecting Jesus was in danger of ending up worse than before.

The passage then shifts to Jesus’ mother and brothers standing outside. Jesus responds by pointing to His disciples and saying that those who do the will of His Father are His true family.

That leads into a discussion of Mary, later Christian teachings about her, the meaning of Jesus’ brothers and sisters, and why every believer has direct access to Christ without needing another human mediator.

Matthew 12:43–50 | The Book of Matthew — Session 24

 Questions discussed during this session include:

• Should people today be afraid of the devil or demons? 
• Can Christians be attacked or possessed by demons? 
• Who is Mary and what is her position in the Bible?
• Are there people on earth today who are closer to God than Mary? 

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Have you ever worried that you may have committed the unpardonable sin?

Matthew 12:31–42 contains one of Jesus’ most debated warnings: “Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.” But what did He mean, and can someone today accidentally place himself beyond God’s forgiveness?

Glenn and Steve examine the immediate context of Jesus’ words, where the Pharisees had just attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. They discuss why this is not simply about saying one terrible sentence and why anyone who genuinely comes to Christ seeking forgiveness can still be forgiven.

The study then turns to Jesus’ teaching that the mouth reveals what fills the heart, the certainty of judgment, why salvation is not based on balancing good works against bad, and how the blood of Christ covers the believer’s guilt.

Finally, when the Pharisees demand another sign, Jesus points them to the sign of Jonah—His coming death, burial, and resurrection—and declares that something greater than Jonah and Solomon is standing before them.

Matthew 12:31–42 | The Book of Matthew — Session 23

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• Is there going to be a judgement day? What will it be like?
• What is the only way to stand justified before a holy and righteous God?
• Which prophet is greater than Jonah? 
• If we do more good things than bad, can we get into heaven? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Matthew 12 reaches a major turning point as the religious leaders move from questioning Jesus to openly rejecting Him.

After the Pharisees begin plotting His death, Jesus withdraws and continues healing those who follow Him. Matthew connects His gentle ministry to Isaiah’s prophecy of the Servant who would bring justice and become the hope of the Gentiles.

Then Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. The crowd begins asking the crucial question: “Could this be the Son of David?” The Pharisees cannot deny the miracle, so they claim Jesus is casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Glenn and Steve examine why this miracle mattered, how Jesus answers the accusation with the logic of a divided kingdom, why His authority over demons confirms the presence of the King, and what He means when He says, “He who is not with Me is against Me.”

Matthew 12:15–30 | The Book of Matthew — Session 22

 Questions discussed during this session include:

• Who is the only person who can know someone’s thoughts?
• Can someone be neutral regarding Jesus? 
• What about people who merely do not care about Jesus? 
• Has Jesus shown Himself trustworthy, or is faith blind?

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Did Jesus and His disciples break the Sabbath?

In Matthew 12:1–14, the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of doing unlawful work because they plucked grain while walking through a field on the Sabbath. But the Mosaic Law actually permitted what they were doing.

Glenn and Steve examine how religious leaders had added layers of tradition around God’s commands and turned the Sabbath—a gift intended for rest—into a burden. Jesus answers their accusation by pointing to David eating the consecrated bread, the priests working in the temple on the Sabbath, and the greater importance of mercy, compassion, and genuine worship.

Jesus then makes two remarkable claims: something greater than the temple is here, and the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

The conflict intensifies when the Pharisees try to trap Jesus over healing a man with a withered hand. Jesus responds simply: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” The man is healed, and the Pharisees respond by beginning to plot Jesus’ death.

Matthew 12:1–14 | The Book of Matthew — Session 21

 Questions discussed in this Session include:

• We learn the purpose of showbread and the priests’ responsibilities
• Can giving up things result in pleasing God?
• What is the purpose of the sabbath and how important is it to God?
• Jesus asks “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath?”

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Why do some people refuse to believe even when the evidence is right in front of them?

In Matthew 11:16–30, Jesus compares His generation to children who are impossible to satisfy. John the Baptist lived an austere life and was accused of having a demon. Jesus ate with sinners and was called a glutton and a drunkard. No matter what God did, the critics found a reason to reject it.

Jesus then pronounces judgment on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—cities that had witnessed His miracles and still refused to repent. Glenn and Steve discuss judgment, human responsibility, God’s knowledge of what people would do under different circumstances, sovereignty and free will, and why theological systems often struggle to explain an infinite God.

The passage then turns from warning to invitation. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” The burden of trying to earn righteousness through religion is heavy, but Christ offers rest, grace, and a yoke that is easy and light.

Matthew 11:16–30 | The Book of Matthew — Session 20

Questions discussed in this session include:

• If a skeptic were to see a true miracle, would they then be satisfied?
• Is there a judgement to come? 
• Does God draw all people to Himself with the same degree of force?
• What is Molinism and what questions need to be answered by this system? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Did John the Baptist begin to doubt Jesus while sitting in prison?

Matthew 11 opens with John sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Rather than simply saying yes, Jesus points them to the evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear the gospel.

Glenn and Steve consider whether John himself was struggling with doubt or whether he may have been intentionally sending his remaining followers to Jesus. They also discuss why John was imprisoned, whether Christians should speak publicly about moral issues, and how Jesus described John as a bold prophet rather than a reed shaken by the wind.

The study then moves into Malachi’s prophecies, John’s connection to Elijah, the deity of Christ, the relationship between the Law and the Prophets and the kingdom, and the meaning of Jesus’ difficult statement that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.”

Matthew 11:1–15 | The Book of Matthew — Session 19

  Questions discussed in this session include:

• How do I know whether to keep silent on moral issues or speak out and risk persecution?
• What should we do if we have doubts? 
• Of what value is it being in Christ’s kingdom? 
• Are churches receptive to people asking doubtful questions? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

What should followers of Jesus expect from the world?

In Matthew 10:24–42, Jesus tells His disciples that they should not expect better treatment than He received. If the world maligned Him, some will malign His followers too. Yet Jesus repeatedly says, “Do not fear.”

Glenn and Steve discuss why false accusations will ultimately be exposed, why believers should fear God rather than men, and how Jesus’ teaching about sparrows and numbered hairs gives comfort during persecution and discouragement.

The discussion also examines Jesus’ difficult statement that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword; why following Christ can divide families; what it really means to take up your cross; why losing your life for Christ leads to true life; and how even simple acts of service will receive eternal reward.

Matthew 10:24–42 | The Book of Matthew — Session 18

 Questions discussed during this session include:

• What should you do if you think God has forgotten about you? 
• What does Jesus mean when He says He came to separate family members? 
• What does it mean for us to carry our cross? 
• What message should we proclaim from the housetops?
• What does it mean to fear God? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why did Jesus tell the Twelve to go only to Israel when He later commanded them to make disciples of all nations?

Matthew 10 contains instructions that apply to more than one setting. Jesus sends the Twelve on an immediate mission to the lost sheep of Israel with the message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He tells them to travel lightly, depend on God’s provision, and move on when a city rejects their message.

But later in the same chapter, Jesus speaks about persecution, appearing before governors and kings, testimony to Gentiles, and enduring severe opposition. Glenn and Steve discuss how Matthew’s topical structure helps explain why instructions from different time periods can appear together.

The study also examines what it means to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, why repeated rejection can harden the heart, why believers should prepare themselves in Scripture rather than expect effortless inspiration, and how to understand “he who endures to the end will be saved.”

Matthew 10:5–23 | The Book of Matthew — Session 17

 Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Why would Jesus send out His disciples only to Israel?
• Why were the disciples sent out without money or extra supplies?
• Why would God punish a city more than Sodom for rejecting the message of the kingdom?
• What does Jesus mean when He says “He who endures to the end will be saved?”

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Matthew 10 introduces the Twelve as Jesus prepares to send them throughout Israel. They were not an impressive religious elite. Among them were fishermen, a tax collector associated with Roman rule, a Zealot connected with opposition to Rome, and several men about whom Scripture tells us very little.

Glenn and Steve discuss the difference between a disciple and an apostle, why being well-known does not make someone more important in the work of the church, and why Jesus gave these apostles special miraculous authority.

The session also examines the message Jesus sent them to preach—“The kingdom of heaven is at hand”—and why that message was directed specifically to Israel at this stage of His ministry. The miracles authenticated both the messengers and the Messiah they proclaimed.

Finally, the discussion looks at the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership, particularly over the oral traditions that had accumulated around the Mosaic Law, and considers how God still calls and prepares believers for service today.

Matthew 10:1–8 | The Book of Matthew — Session 16 

Questions discussed in this session include: 

• Did Jesus pick Judas knowing he would be His betrayer? 
• In our day, does God still pick people today for a purpose? 
• Do we have the office of apostle in the church today? 
• What are the proofs that someone is an apostle?
• How were spiritual gifts given to people in the New Testament? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why did Jesus say new wine cannot be put into old wineskins?

In Matthew 9:14–38, Jesus continues challenging religious assumptions while demonstrating His authority through a remarkable series of miracles.

The discussion begins with fasting. Jesus explains that fasting is useful for prayer and spiritual discipline, but it does not make anyone righteous. He then uses the illustrations of an unshrunk patch and new wine in old wineskins to show that He did not come simply to repair an old system of religious works.

The session then turns to several powerful miracles. A woman suffering for twelve years reaches out in faith and touches Jesus’ garment. A ruler comes to Jesus believing He can raise his daughter. Two blind men recognize Him as the Son of David, and a mute demon-possessed man is freed.

Glenn and Steve also discuss why faith does not guarantee physical healing today, how the miracles function as signs of Jesus’ deity, why some Pharisees still rejected Him despite overwhelming evidence, and Jesus’ final call: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

Matthew 9:14–38 | The Book of Matthew — Session 15

 Questions discussed in this session include:

• What is the purpose of fasting?
• Did Jesus come to patch up an old religious system? 
• Who has power over death? 
• What will happen if we get close to Jesus and touch Him? 

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve