Was Jesus the Son of David? Several texts say He was (Acts 2:30; 13:23; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Revelation 22:16), but Matthew 22:45 and Mark 12:35-37 say He was not. Is there a contradiction?
Jesus was asked by the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees,
Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink? (Luke 5:33)
To answer their inquiry, the Lord used three short parables. In the first, He emphasized His presence, in the latter two, He spoke of His message.
When did Jesus’ temple tantrum occur? Was it at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:11-16), on the day of his triumphal entry (Luke 19:36-45; Matthew 21:1-13) or the day after his triumphal entry (Mark 11:1-17)? Is there a contradiction?
Immediately after Jesus called Levi to follow Him, this new disciple hosted a feast at his home. Matthew 9:10 tells us that many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down at his table. Even at this early stage in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees and scribes were keeping tabs on what Jesus was doing. Mark 2:16 reveals that they saw Him eating with this motley crew at Matthew’s house. They asked His disciples why He ate with such people.
To the Pharisees, these people were untouchables. Bigotry was a huge problem with the religious leaders – why should they, the elite class, associate with such lowly individuals? In Luke 7:39, a Pharisee named Simon concluded that Jesus was not a prophet, since he willingly allowed a sinful woman to touch Him. Such an accusation was not laid against Him in our text, but was no doubt the thought on their minds.
When did Solomon ‘s reign begin? Was it 476 years after the Israelites left Egypt (1 Kings 6:1) or 570 years after they left Egypt (Acts 13:17-18, 20-21; 1 Chronicles 29:26-27)? Is there a contradiction?
For as long as I can remember, truck ads for GM have use Bob Segar’s song, “Like A Rock.” Of course, the idea General Motors wants to convey is that their trucks are strong and reliable. I’ve never owned one, so I don’t know if the image is appropriate or not. What I do know is that Jesus used the stability of a rock two millennium beforehand to speak of the faithful child of God.
As the discourse commonly called the sermon on the mount drew to a close, the Lord made a contrast be-tween those who do His will and those who merely hear it. He could simply have said the first is wise and the latter is foolish (which He did do), but to help illustrate and to make the teaching memorable, He employed a parable about two builders. His teaching is not complex; in fact, Matthew 7:24-27 has been fashioned into a simple children’s song. My first introduction to this text, as yours may also have been, was that song.
Were the Philistines subdued all the days of Samuel? 1 Samuel 7:13 says yes, but 1 Samuel 13:5-10 reveals no. Is there a contradiction?
Immediately after saying that the way to heaven is narrow, Jesus spoke of some who will hinder those who seek to walk the heavenly way. He identifies them as false prophets (Matthew 7:15), and uses two images to speak about them; the first speaks of their methods (Matthew 7:15), the second speaks of their manner of life (Matthew 7:16-20).
Who did the women see at the tomb? Was it an angel (Matthew 28:2), a young man (Mark 16:5), two men (Luke 24:4), or two angels (John 20:12)? Is there a contradiction?
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus used two simple images to speak about His people, the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
The Lord declared,
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13)
