MONDAY (3/8/21)

Hi, I’m Andrew Gates, the “In” Pastor of Riverside Church where, among
other things, I get the privilege of overseeing our home group ministry,
and am part of the new Unnamed Home Group at Riverside. I would be
extremely shocked if any of our five kids grow to be taller than me (6’ 9”)
or shorter than their mom, my wife Marcie (5’ 1”).

Please take the next 7:09 to watch the BibleProject video “Overview:
Matthew 14-28.”

Soren Kierkegaard’s profound line “life can only be understood backwards;
but it must be lived forwards,” certainly applies to our lives, but there’s
another layer to Jesus’ story, where it seems clear throughout that Jesus
is the only one who understands what is happening in the moment, and
with two millennia of hindsight we are still struggling to unravel the full
significance of the greatest story ever told.

Even if you’ve read all of Matthew several times throughout your life, you
may not have noticed or considered many of the elements of the narrative
so clearly outlined in this video.

As you watch the video, please reflect on and wrestle with some of these thoughts and questions:

  • The Gentile crowd seemed ready to receive Jesus as Messiah after he fed them, whereas the Jewish crowd, who had strong biblical and historical expectations for their Messiah, had lots of objections. As you read Matthew 14-28 in the coming weeks, notice how people’s expectations and assumptions get in the way of seeing and understanding what Jesus is doing.
  • Peter declares “You are the Messiah!” and he is correct! In what way does Jesus challenge their expectations for the Messiah? (hint: see Isaiah 53)
  • Matthew’s gospel begins and ends with “God with us” in the person of Jesus Christ. Remind yourself regularly today that God is with you. How does that attentiveness to Christ’s presence make a difference throughout your day?