Matthew 17

v1-13: Those who love Jesus, and who love to be with Him, love to tell Him so.  “Fellowship with Christ is the delight of Christians.”

v14-21: Christ gains victories over Satan by the power of His Word.  Those who under the dominion of the devil we are to bring to Christ in prayer and also to bring to them the word of Christ, for this is “the ordinary means by which Satan’s strongholds are demolished in the soul."

v22-23: “If Christ is a Sacrifice of atonement, he must be killed; without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”  Nothing but the precious blood of Christ would satisfy God’s justice.

v24-27: Whether it was His omnipotence that put the coin in the fish’s mouth or His omniscience that knew the coin was there, it does not matter.  What matters is that “it showed that he is God, the Lord of Hosts."

Matthew 18

v1-6: We are to be humble like little children.  Like children we are to desire milk, the milk of God’s Word.  Like children we are to trust our father, our Heavenly Father to care for us.  Like children we are to be infants in regard to evil.  Like children we are to be obedient and teachable.  "Pride threw the angels who sinned out of heaven, and pride will keep us out too unless we are converted from it."

v7-14: "Many successful temptations to sin arise from within ourselves; our own eyes and hands cause us to sin; if there were never a devil to tempt us, we would be drawn away by our own sinful desires.”  These sinful desires must be checked and stopped; they must be put to death, even if they are as precious to us as an eye or a hand.

v15-20: We should not speak about the faults of our brothers and sisters to others until we have first spoken to them.  The brother or sister is more likely to be won over by our rebuke, when he sees that we are not only concerned for their salvation, but also for their reputation, by telling them about it privately.  “Where private warning is not effective, public discipline must take place."

v21-35: Every time we sin, the debt we owe to God increases.  Our debt of sin is very large and so great that we are unable to pay it.  Wonderfully, God is a God of infinite mercy and is ready to forgive the sins of everyone who humble themselves before Him.  "There is forgiveness with God for the greatest sins if they are repented of… Although our sins are numerous and detestable, they may be forgiven under the gospel."