a. According to Matthew, why did Jesus begin His ministry in Galilee?
b. From the following information, what other reasons might Jesus have in beginning His ministry in Galilee?
Galilee:
1. This was not the first time Jesus met these four young
men; take a look at John 1:35-42 and get a sense of what preceded this
calling by Jesus.
2. Can you imagine what might have happened to Peter and Andrew after their first encounter with Jesus in John 1?
3. Why did they respond to Jesus’s calling now and so readily?
4. How much might they have understood by being fishers of men?
5. Is using “fishers of men” an appropriate analogy of their calling by Jesus? How so?
6. What had the four given up in following Christ? What might be the toughest thing to give up?
7. What about you?
8. Matthew goes on to tell us the ministries of Jesus which were very
effective and that His name grew rapidly. What did His ministries entail
and why? What can we emulate of Jesus as we seek to minister to our
world today?
9. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
a. Why is one blessed because the kingdom is his or hers?3. The second reason for being blessed is because “they will be comforted”:
b. Is being “poor in the spirit” a must for one to be in the kingdom of God? Why or why not?
a. Why do people consider that mourning is a loss and not a blessing? What might be the loss that would cause a person to mourn the most?4. The third reason for being blessed is because “they will inherit the earth”:
b. Will all who mourn necessarily be comforted? How then will a mourner not be comforted? On what basis will a mourner be willing to receive comfort and thus be blessed?
a. What is the meaning of “inherit”? What does “inherit” not mean?5. The fourth reason for being blessed is because “they will be filled”:
b. Who then does Jesus say will inherit the land/earth? Why? (You may want to look up Ps. 37, the theme of which is “inherit the land”.)
a. What do people go after in order to fill or satisfy their inner hunger?
b. Can they be filled? Why or why not?
c. What then is meant by hungering and thirsting after righteousness?
d. How can Jesus “guarantee” that they will be filled?
a. To whom does the world like to extend mercy?7. The sixth reason for being blessed is because “they will see God”:
b. According to your personal experience, how different is the basis of God’s mercy from that of the world’s?
c. Do you still extend mercy to only those whom you think deserve it?
a. What makes a heart impure?8. The seventh reason for being blessed is because “they will be called sons of God”:
b. How can one have a pure heart?
c. How does this particular beatitude speak to us concerning our daily time of seeking God?
a. What does it mean to be called a “son of God”?9. The eighth reason for being blessed is again because “theirs is the kingdom of God”:
b. In what way does being a peacemaker resemble Jesus, the Son of God? What “peace” does Jesus make?
c. What then is the true meaning of being “peace- maker”?
a. Why would one be persecuted “because of righteousness” (v.10)?10. It is obvious that no one can, by themselves, live out the beatitudes, therefore the eight beatitudes as a whole, are not the “conditions” based on which one belongs to the kingdom of God. What then are the beatitudes in relation to the Kingdom of God?
b. In v.11, whom does Jesus substitute for “righteousness” (v.10)? What is the message He is sending to these first audiences about who He is?
a. Why can’t the law be changed in any way?
b. But why does it need to be fulfilled and how would Jesus fulfill it?
a. Which kind of person did the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law think they belonged to and why?7. How then can one’s righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? (See Gal. 3:9-11.)
b. According to Jesus, would they be able to enter into the Kingdom of heaven? Why or why not?
c. Would those who break the Law and even teach others to do the same be like the Pharisees — i.e. they will not be able to enter into the Kingdom of heaven? Why or why not?
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Gal. 3:24-25)Indeed, the law has been divinely inspired by God, but its purpose is to lead us to faith in Christ. Therefore, Paul reminds us that the sum or end of the law is Christ (Rom. 10:4) and the goal of the command is love (I Tim. 1:5).
a. Refer to Exodus 20. To which commandment was Jesus referring?4. Vv. 27-32: On Adultery
b. What is the letter of this Law and what is the spirit of this Law?
c. What sin is it when we call someone Raca (literally an idiot) or a fool?
d. In OT times, when one was offering a sacrifice (to atone for one’s sin), what was he or she trying to mend? But Jesus points out that effective atonement needs to be mended at two levels. What are they?
e. Jesus then offers very practical advice in v.25. How did He apply the same principle to our relationship with God in v.26?
a. Refer to Exodus 20. To which commandment was Jesus referring?
b. What is the letter of this Law and what is the spirit of this Law?
c. Jesus often uses exaggeration to hammer His point across. What is His point in vv. 29-30? How can you apply this in your life?
d. The Jews of His time, had developed a practice called “Divorce for Any Cause”; it was commonly used by the men. How did Jesus address their wrong in this area?
e. If divorce is only permitted based on adultery, then what would the wife be turned into (or labeled) by the husband who divorced her (even though she had not committed adultery)?5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.” (Prov. 29:22)Of all kinds of Christ-likeness that we can think of, Jesus Himself only mentions two in the Bible:
“…because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:20)
“(An overseer must) not (be) given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” (I Tim 3:3)
“Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.” (Titus 1:7)
“…learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” (Matt. 11:29)What do you think His reason is?
a. Refer to Numbers 30:2, and see what the letter of this Law is and what the spirit of this Law is.2. Vv. 38-42: On True Humility
b. What normally was the reason for their swearing, especially by pointing to heaven, earth, or Jerusalem?
c. Why then is swearing itself something that “comes from the evil one”?
d. What does it teach us when we need to impress others of our innocence or truthful words or deeds?
a. Refer to Exodus 21:22-25: Whom does the Law address? The victim or the judge?
b. Is the Law aimed to exact retribution or to restrict excessive retribution?
Jesus explains in vv. 39-42 the spirit of the Law:
c. Why did Jesus use the example of striking one’s cheek and not the cutting of one’s hand?3. How would you define a person who can overlook the hurt of bearable physical pain, the loss of material possession and the involuntary doing of something extra within one’s ability? Behind all these, what might the toughest to overcome - the hurt, the loss, the inconvenience or one’s pride?
d. Why did Jesus use the example of taking one’s tunic and not the seizing of one’s children?
e. How long will it take for you to walk one mile? Why did Jesus use the example of one mile, not ten?
a. Refer to Leviticus 19:18, and see what the letter of this Law is and what already the spirit of this Law is.
b. Jesus gives several reasons that loving one’s neighbor only is not God’s kind of love. How does each of His reasons speak to you:
- Being sons of God;
- Not being better than tax collectors and pagans;
- Being perfect as our heavenly Father is.
c. What then should you do?5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Blessed are the meek,In essence, Jesus is not saying anything new. He is simply repeating what has already been written in Psalm 37. Throughout the psalm, the theme is one of “inheriting” (73: 9, 11, 18, 22 and 29).
for they will inherit the earth.”
1. They are all bearable: Jesus was not talking about the cutting off of an arm, having one’s wife or children seized, or walking an impossible distance; andTherefore, if a person can overlook or put up with physical pain, the loss of material possessions and inconveniences, and, most important of all, can let go of his ego, he will truly be humble! In fact, he will almost be invincible!
2. They all must overcome the greatest hurdle of all, pride or ego!
a. What was the intention (i.e. the desired outcome) of their public act of almsgiving, according to Jesus?2. Vv. 5-8: On the Wrong Prayer
b. While such an act would not draw reward from the Father in heaven, yet Jesus said they “have received their reward in full”. What have they received as a reward?
c. What is meant by “the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing”? Is it possible? (Have you noticed that you have done something so natural and habitual to you that you are not even aware that you are doing it?)
a. Again, what was the intention (i.e. the desired outcome) of their public act of praying, according to Jesus?
b. While such an act would not draw reward from the Father in heaven, yet Jesus said they “have received their reward in full”. What have they received as a reward?
c. Vv. 6-8 spells out the proper attitude of prayer which includes:
3. Vv. 9-15: On the Right Prayer
- Being behind closed doors (what does it mean?)
- Prayer is being spoken to the unseen Father (and so?)
- Not being like the pagans (what is the purpose of saying many words in their prayers?)
- Recognizing that our Father knows our need. How important is this to prayer?
- How should the above affect your prayer life?
a. Address: who is our object of prayer and where is He?
b. Why should we begin our prayer not with supplication, but with acknowledging the holiness of His name, and about His kingdom? How would you define “adoration” within this context?
c. In supplication, why would Jesus begin with such earthly request? How would it affect the prayer that follows?
d. Confession: How important is it that our prayer needs to include not only confession, but having our forgiveness tied to our forgiveness of others? Have you taken this seriously in your confession?
e. In further supplication, the focus is on sin and temptation: How practical is this prayer of asking God to “not lead us into temptation”? Are we not trying to pass the buck? Why or why not?
f. Some manuscripts end with a doxology (“for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”). Why did Jesus teach us to end our prayer with a doxology?
g. How different is this prayer from that of the pagan to their gods?