Reasoning Through the Bible

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?”
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve