Matthew 18:5

Thursday, 19 March 2026   Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. Matthew 18:5   “And whoever, if he should receive one such child upon My name, He receives Me” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples that whoever humbles himself as a child is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens. Continuing His thought, He next says, “And whoever, if he should receive one such child upon My name, He receives Me.”   The context of Jesus’ words is based on the question asked in Matthew 18:1 to which Jesus responded in the next verses. He has used the child as an object lesson of one who is the type to enter the kingdom of the heavens. He, by faith, accepts God’s premise that Jesus is the Messiah who died for the sins of the world.   Hence, His words “one such child” are to be taken metaphorically to indicate any person who has such a disposition. He is not specifically referring to receiving little children, but to any who are like them in their simple faith. Understanding this, His words are about unity among believers. When a true believer is received, it is as if the person is receiving Jesus Himself.   Why would this be? It is because those who have come to Christ are “in” Christ. Jesus’s last words were, “Accordingly, whoever, he should humble himself as this child, he, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.”   Imagine not receiving the greatest in the kingdom! Jesus is the greatest in the kingdom. But He has said that the person who has humbled himself as a child is the greatest. To reject such a person is to reject Him because that person has received Him.   Obviously, Jesus is still speaking to men who are under the Law of Moses. They have not yet seen Jesus die in fulfillment of the law, so their understanding of salvation by grace through faith is lacking. However, Jesus is giving them advanced instruction in this matter. A person who is fixed on his merit for salvation could not properly understand Jesus’ words.   And in fact, they still didn’t get what Jesus was saying after His resurrection. They continued to argue and debate over the significance of the law. And, unfortunately, the church continues to do so today.   Life application: As a Christian, someone will eventually tell you that you need to observe the Sabbath (Saturday worship) because “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” How will you respond to that?   The seventh day was the day God rested from His labors. Sanctifying it was an act that anticipates Christ and what He offers us. It is also a pattern for man on earth. There were six days of creation followed by rest. It is a pattern for the seven-thousand-year dispensational model. There are six thousand years of man’s labors followed by a thousand years of millennial rest.   Nothing is said in Genesis of God mandating a Sabbath observance. If Moses didn’t record it as a fact, nobody would ever have known it was so. There was no prescription to observe the Sabbath, and there is no record of anyone doing so until Exodus 16, when Israel was told to do so.   It became a law for Israel, and for them alone. It was incorporated into the Law of Moses. But when the Law of Moses was fulfilled, it no longer applied. This is why Paul says –   “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17   Other verses from Paul confirm this, and nothing was said to the church in Acts 15 concerning Sabbath worship. In Hebrews 4:3, it says that those who have believed enter into God’s rest.   Think through issues like this. Don’t be fooled by people who want to put you under the bondage of law when you have been freed from law through Christ.   This is important. Jesus spoke of those who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He never said such people were law observers, Sabbath keepers, or those who follow the feasts of the Lord. This is because those things are opposed to grace. Trust in Jesus and what He offers, not in yourself and what you can do to supposedly impress God!   Lord God, in Christ, we have entered our rest. Why would we go back to working when Jesus has rested us in Himself? That makes no sense. Help us to be people of reason and sense. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.