THE DIVINE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
If you love me, keep My Commandments.
John 14:15
The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tells the story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. From the time He was sent here by God, until the time He went back to be with His Father. The four books tell us about Jesus, the person. They tell us about His assignment. They write about His teachings, and the many wonderful things that He did.
I want to focus on what Jesus taught His disciples (followers). The following verses from the book of Matthew are just some of the teachings, commandments, Devine rules, that have been given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus. They were given to us to observe and to obey.
THE DIVINE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
As it is written:
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
(Note: The Greatest Commandments)
As it is written:
Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
As it is written:
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
As it is written:
Matthew 4:17
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:16
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:17
17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:20
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:21-26
21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother "Raca," is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, "you fool," will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:27-28
27 You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14, You shall not commit adultery).
28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:29-30
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
(Note: Jesus is not teaching self-mutilation, but rather that we should see the seriousness of sin. Regarding the right eye; which is lusting after sin. Turn away from the lust and stop committing those sins. Regarding the right hand, which are the wrong things you set your hand to do. Turn away from the wrong and stop committing those sins).
As it is written:
Matthew 5:31-32
31 It has been said, anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:33-37
33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.
34 But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne.
35 or by the earth for it is His footstool: or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
37 Simply let your yes be yes, and your no, no; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:38-42
38 You have heard that it was said, eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.
39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:43-45
43 You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44 But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
As it is written:
Matthew 5:48
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:1-4
1 Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:5-8
5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:9-13
9 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name,
10 your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:16-18
16 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:19-21
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:24
24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
As it is written:
Matthew 6:25
25 Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
As it is written:
Matthew 6:31-34
31 So, do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear?
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:1-2
1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:6
6 Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
(Note: You are to teach the people that has spiritual capacity in the Lord and not to the people that are not interested and rejects one's teaching).
As it is written:
Matthew 7:7-8
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:15-20
15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons, and in your name, perform many miracles?
23 Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers.
As it is written:
Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
As it is written:
Matthew 9:37-38
37 Then He said to His disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.
As it is written:
Matthew 10:16
16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
As it is written:
Matthew 10:26-31
26 So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
As it is written:
Matthew 10:32-33
32 Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
As it is written:
Matthew 10:34-37
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
As it is written:
Matthew 10:38-39
38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
As it is written:
Matthew 11:27-30
27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
As it is written:
Matthew 12:30-32
30 Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.
31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
As it is written:
Matthew 12:33-37
33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
As it is written:
Matthew 16:24-28
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.
25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
As it is written:
Matthew 18:1-6
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 He called a little child to Him and placed the child among them.
3 And He said: Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me.
6 If anyone causes one of these little ones those who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
As it is written:
Matthew 18:7
7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble. Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come.
As it is written:
Matthew 18:15-17
15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
As it is written:
Matthew 18:18
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
As it is written:
Matthew 18:19-20
19 Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.
As it is written:
Matthew 19:1-8
1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to Him to test Him. They asked, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?
4 Haven’t you read, He replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
5 and said, for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.
7 Why then, they asked, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?
8 Jesus replied, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.
As it is written:
Matthew 21:21-22
21 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done.
22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
As it is written:
Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in His words.
16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. Teacher, they said, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax. They brought Him a denarius,
20 and He asked them, whose image is this? And whose inscription?
21 Caesar’s, they replied. Then He said to them, so give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So, they left Him and went away.
As it is written:
Matthew 23:8-12
8 But you are not to be called "Rabbi," for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth "father," for you have one Father, and He is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
The Signs of the Coming of Jesus
As it is written:
Matthew 24:3-8
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
4 Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
As it is written:
Matthew 24:9-44
9 Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me.
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel let the reader understand,
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.
18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.
19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equaled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
23 At that time if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Messiah. Or there He is. Do not believe it.
24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 So if anyone tells you, There He is, out in the wilderness, do not go out; or, here He is, in the inner rooms, do not believe it.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
30 Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
34 Truly I tell you; this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.
As it is written:
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited Me in,
36 I needed clothes, and you clothed Me, I was sick, and you looked after Me, I was in prison, and you came to visit Me.
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?
38 When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
40 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.
41 Then He will say to those on His left, Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes, and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.
44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?
45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.
46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
As it is written:
Matthew 26:26-29
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body.
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you; I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
As it is written:
Matthew 26:41
41 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.
As it is written:
Matthew 26:62-64
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against You?
63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to Him, I charge you under oath by the living God: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.
64 You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments
and His commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3