On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/09/21), Hank continues working his way through the Gospel of Matthew. Last time Hank began chapter 12, reading the account of the Pharisees accusing Jesus’ disciples of violating the Sabbath by picking heads of wheat to feed their hunger. Jesus countered them by pointing out Israel’s appointed King eating the showbread of the tabernacle, demonstrating that even the ceremonial laws were not unconditional in their application. Following this encounter, Jesus went into their synagogue, where He encountered a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees once again attempted to trap Jesus. “Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath’” (Matthew 12:10-12 NIV). Perhaps the greatest takeaway from this passage is that Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath was also the fulfillment of the Sabbath and thus quite obviously the shadow had been supplanted by the Substance of the Savior. In Genesis, the Sabbath had been a celebration of God’s completed work of creation. After the Exodus, the Sabbath had expanded to a celebration of God’s deliverance from Egypt. And now with the Advent of Jesus, the greatest danger lay in a failure to recognize that Jesus was the substance that fulfilled the symbol of the Sabbath—a fact that he made perfectly plain by doing what no one else could do—by healing the withered hand of a man in plain view of His detractors.

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/08/21), Hank returns to his series on the Gospel of Matthew, picking back up where he left off in chapter 11. Starting in verse 20, we see Jesus rebuke the cities in which most of His miraculous works were done, for they had not repented. These words from Jesus are more than chilling! He has been doing mighty works—things never before experienced upon the earth. Despite this, two cities on the shore of Galilee, along with Capernaum, a city in which He lived, refused repentance. Thus, says Jesus, their judgment would be even greater than that of the twin cities, Tyre and Sidon, as well as for the notoriously evil city of Sodom. Here we see once again that there are degrees of punishment in hell, just as there are degrees of reward in heaven. Every sin is an act of rebellion against a holy God, but some sins carry far more serious consequences than others and thus receive a greater punishment in this life as well as in the next. Tragically, people in the cities in which Jesus revealed His glory are destined to experience that very reality. Though the words of Jesus are specifically directed at them, we ourselves must ponder them soberly for they apply to us as well.After going over the remaining verses in chapter 11, Hank moves onto chapter 12, where we see the Pharisees attempting to trap Jesus in a perceived indiscretion. As Jesus and His disciples went through a grain field on the Sabbath, the disciples plucked heads of grain to feed their hunger. The Pharisees saw this and seized upon this perceived indiscretion to impugn the righteousness of the Master Teacher. Their claim is that the Sabbath was violated. Jesus, however, points to Israel’s appointed King eating the showbread of the tabernacle, thus demonstrating that even the ceremonial laws were not unconditional in their application and that God cares far more for inward realities than for the external observance of civil and ceremonial laws.

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/07/21), Hank answers the following questions:What are your thoughts on contemporary Christian music?What is the difference between the actions of groups like ISIS, and God’s commands to destroy nations in the Old Testament?What does God think about nations solving their problems by going to war? We know that killing is a sin. How can we pray for our service members?What prophecies in the Bible are yet to be fulfilled?Where do you stand on the age of the earth?I was divorced fifteen years ago and have been remarried, so when I get to heaven, will I know that both men were my husband?

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/06/21), Hank wishes all of you a happy Labor Day and goes into detail on the Labor Day holiday that God gave us long before the government did—our Sabbath Day rest. Just as we are resting today on Labor Day, the Lord commands us to rest on the Sabbath each week. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do” (Deut. 5:13-14 NIV). So our Labor Day holiday according to God is our Sabbath Day rest, which begs the question: why do Christians rest from their labor on the first day of the week (Sunday), rather than the last day of the week (Saturday)? The answer, says Hank, is encapsulated in just one word—resurrection. Hank also discusses something else that comes to his mind when he thinks about the word labor, and that is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, that each person is going to be rewarded according to their own labor. In other words, what we do now in this life counts for all eternity. Hank uses the illustration of his invitation to play Cypress Point, which he claims to be the most spectacular golf course on Earth. For months he beat his body into submission while dreaming of the day he would experience walking its fairways. Without his strenuous preparations, he would have still experienced the same breathtaking views, however, all his hard work added immeasurably to his experience. That is how heaven will be like. As phenomenal as Cypress Point is, it pales by comparison to what paradise restored will be. Hank spent one day at a golf haven; he will spend an eternity in God’s heaven. It stands to reason, therefore, that he would put a lot more labor into preparing for an eternity in heaven with God than he did for playing eighteen holes of golf.

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank answers the following questions:In Matthew 6:33, what does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? How do we go about doing this?What is your opinion of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, and the Local Church?I have friends who are gay; is there somewhere in the Bible that tells me not to associate with these people?Have archaeologists found bones of Old Testament saints?Can you explain what it means to cast pearls before swine? Should I stop speaking with friends who claim to be Christians but do live like it?

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/03/21), Hank answers the following questions:Why do some churches observe closed Communion, and is it biblical?There are so many different interpretations of Scripture, how can I know what the Bible is really teaching? Why doesn’t God speak to us clearly?What is the origin of Easter?In the book of Job, what is his basic argument and why were Job’s three friends wrong?With respect to a previous question, can’t we just ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Word?

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/02/21), Hank answers the following questions:Is Matthew 24:29 referring to what happens right after the destruction of the second temple? Is verse 31 talking about Jesus’ second coming?When Jesus quotes from Psalm 22 on the cross, many say there’s a separation between the Father and the Son at that point. Can you explain what’s going on there and why it’s important that there isn’t a separation in the Trinity?What is the New Perspective on Paul, and is this something the church needs to embrace?Doesn’t the story of Jacob and Rachel show Jacob’s lack of faith since he didn’t trust God to provide children through Rachel?With all the things taking place in the Middle East, how close do you think we may be to the return of Jesus?

On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/01/21), Hank answers the following questions:Which commandments is Solomon referring to in Ecclesiastes 12:13?The Old Testament speaks of men “inquiring of the Lord.” What was this process and is there an equivalent today?I believe that all babies are children of God. Do you see abortion as a form of Christian persecution?What about those who have never heard about Jesus?I’ve been watching videos by Chris Lasala; what do you think of him and his view of demons?