Matthew
1-6
Questions
The first three Gospels cover many of the same events in Jesus’ life in
the same way. For that reason they are often called the “Synoptic Gospels”
meaning that they are “able to be seen together.” It is generally
assumed that Matthew and Luke used Mark as their prime source in compiling their writings.
In Matthew, nearly 90% of the material in Mark is reproduced. Theses,
similarities, however, do not mean that the Gospels are merely a restatement of each other.
Matthew adds many teaching sections and other details not found in Mark. Matthew
slants his material to a Jewish readership as he cites numerous OT prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus’ life and
ministry. His purpose was to show that Jesus
is the promised Son of David, the Messiah, come to establish
the kingdom of God, not only for the Jews, but also for all people.
Chapter 1 – The Genealogy
of Jesus
1. Matthew divides the genealogies of Jesus into 3 sections (not clear in this translation); vs. 1-6a,
a descendant of Abraham; vs. 6b- 11, a descendant of David; vs. 12-16, from the exile to Babylon to His birth. In this, we see God’s Promises fulfilled.
q
How are they fulfilled?
See Gen. 12:2-3, 17:6-8, and 2Samuel 7:12-16. * These are God’s
covenant Promises for _____________!
Fulfilled
____ _________ ____________, all the way back to Abraham, David and thru Mary & Joseph!
q
It is unusual to name women in a Jewish genealogy, yet Matthew
names five. Why? Three were ___________and
two were ______________. Bathsheba committed adultery and Mary was accused
of fornication. Each is an object lesson about the workings of __________
___________!
q
What does it mean to you that God’s promises are trustworthy
over the generations? It means that _____________ can trust Him, no matter
the circumstances
2. In verse 21, what reason does Matthew give as to why Jesus was born? Jesus, the Messiah, would _________His people from their _________(not from the oppression of the
Romans)!
q
What do you learn about faith from Joseph (v.24)?
He _______ exactly as he was commanded, even though he
_______ ______________ any of it.
Chapter 2 – The Visit
of the Wise Men
3. Why was it important that Jesus be born in Bethlehem (2:5,6)?
To fulfill the ___________ of Micah 5:2 that the King would come from there.
4. It is unclear as to when the Magi actually appeared. Some
think it may be as late a two years after His birth, yet their response would have been the same. What was it (v.11)? These Gentile astrologers fell down and
_____________ Christ –only thru the _______ __________ can that happen!
q
What do the star, the Magi, the gifts, the homage paid, the
hostility from Herod, and the prophecy teach about the significance of Jesus?
God’s Plan is _________ ____________ –the heavens, the
Gentiles proclaim it. Gifts of honor are given and homage is paid to a________. Herod fears, for he knows the prophecy that a King would come.
q
Joseph must have been some kind of man, faced with all of
problems and decisions he had to make! How did God use prophecy, dreams, faith
and circumstances to guide him (2:13-23)? This great man of faith, faced
with a pregnant wife (not his baby!), _____________God as He revealed exactly what He wanted Joseph to do. God used angels (probably Gabriel) to announce His plan and ________ _________ the Holy Spirit in order
to trust and believe.
Chapter 3 – John the
Baptist prepares the Way
5. John was, by all accounts, a bit strange. Why would
people go out of their way to hear this radical preacher (3: 4-6)? There had
been no ___________for over _______ years – they knew that this must be the _____________of the coming King!
q
What was John’s message (3:2)? Is it significant today & how would ________ present the message?
“____________ , for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It
is hard to tell people to repent – rather we beat around the bush and soft pedal it.
6. John is furious with the Pharisees and Sadducees (3:7-10).
Why?
These people _____________ to repent. In fact, their “religion” taught that the divine wrath that John taught
was only for ______ __________.
q
What do the
images of judgment mean: The coming wrath, the ax, the fire, and his winnowing
fork? How do these “prepare the Way?”
John taught about the “wrath to come” (3:7) – those
whose “prove by the way they live” (3:8) will escape all of the terrible _______________ of God’s wrath. This is not a “works” salvation, rather, like in James; your deeds are
________________of your faith.
**John’s message is repentance (v.2), but see how he follows
up in v.8. “Don’t just _______ the talk, but you must __________
the walk!!!”
7. John follows up this call to repent with ___________(v.11). What kind
of “baptism” is this? Does it save the sinner? John’s baptism is for ______________as OT rituals demanded.
It did _________save. Baptism never does!
*Note: The symbolism of John’s baptism had it roots in OT purification rituals (Lev.
15:13), concerning a man's uncleanness due to a bodily discharge and resultant upon healing, he is to wash himself and his
clothes in running water and after 8 days, he would be cleansed. He then must
sacrifice a sin and a burnt offering for atonement. While the people’s
repentance was powerful, the best that could be offered in return was_______________, ____ _____________ ________________–
Christ had not yet _________the price! The people were repenting in __________________of
the Messiah’s arrival.
q
How does John’s ____________ Baptism then differ from
Christian baptism today? We are baptized ___________our repentance as a way to
___________ ___________ our lives with Christ. “For I am crucified with
Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal 2:20
*Christian baptism altered the significance of the ritual, ___________________the
believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12.)
q
V.11, three different forms of baptism are mentioned; one
is from John and the others from Jesus. What does it say and what does it mean?
o Water –
cleansing - symbolic of _________ and _______________with Christ.
o Holy Spirit –_____believers
In Christ are _________ __________(1 Cor. 12:13).
o Fire – the
baptism of _____________upon the _______________(within the context of John’s teaching in vv.10, 12)
8. Why did Jesus insist on being baptized (3:15)? After
all, was not He holy, sinless, God Himself in human form? Jesus was _______________
Himself with sinners. He was to bear all of their sins and He showed His ______________
in this. It pictured His coming death and resurrection and was a public affirmation
of His Messiahship by testimony directly from heaven.
q
Some do not believe in the Trinity, but in these passages,
what evidence do we see of it (vs. 16-17)? Why is this important?
We see the __________of God in form of a
dove; the voice of the _________ and the testimony that Jesus is the _____________ (Messiah).
Chapter 4 – The Temptation
of Jesus
9. v. 4:1 tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit (God) into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Why tempt Jesus? Did Satan actually have
the power to do all of these things? By whose power? Jesus had to endure these temptations to put Himself on _______ level.
God ___________ Satan these powers. He can do nothing without God’s
OK.
q
What three temptations do we see? How might these three appeals to Jesus during this time?
o “Lust of
the flesh” – vv.2, 3 – turn the stones to _________ - God alone provides
o “The pride
of life” – vv5, 6 – Just throw yourself off – don’t tempt God
o “The lust
of the eyes” – vv.8, 9 – Tempted with all of the ______________
q
What does His response to each teach us? “It is written” – it is all about__________!
The Ministry of Jesus Begins – vs. 4:12
10. Prophecy
is so important in the Bible and Isaiah is probably the prophet most quoted. What
does his prophesy in 4:15,16 imply? Israel was in spiritual _____________(and
still is!!!) The period of darkness is almost over. During Christ’s ________________Reign, her spiritual blindness will be lifted and she will be restored.
q
“From then on, Jesus began to preach (4:17). What was His message?
“_________, for the kingdom of heaven is ________________”
–it is all about repenting!
q
In Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa.: 9:1,2), (vv.15, 16,) what
is “the light”?
Jesus is the Light of the world!
The First Disciples are called and the Sick are Healed
11.
Why do you think Jesus picked fishermen as His first Disciples? What was
unusual about their response? Do you think He might have known them before? No one knows for sure, maybe because they were “______________” kind of
guys –Joe average, hard working, honest. He probably did know them thru_____________,
Peter’s brother, a disciple of John.
12. Why does Jesus now begin his ministry in Galilee, not
in Nazareth? Where does He teach? What
needs do the people have? What real needs do they have? In Nazareth, He was simply known as a carpenter. He
taught in synagogues. _____________ needs –hunger, disease, demon
possession, etc. ______________ awakening.
Chapter Five
– The Beatitudes – The Sermon on the Mount
If you were to present Jesus’ teachings on the Beatitudes to
a modern day psychologist (and society in general) how might they respond? What
He taught was, and is, ______________ to what society in general believes.
The word "Blessed” literally means “happy, fortunate, blissful.” Here it speaks of more than a surface emotion.
Jesus was describing the divinely bestowed well-being that belongs only to the faithful. The Beatitudes demonstrate that the way to heavenly blessedness is the ________________ of the worldly
path normally followed in pursuit of happiness. The Beatitudes give us Jesus’
description of the character of __________ faith.
13. How do the eight Beatitudes relate to the promises that follow them? It
would seem that each Beatitudes is a______________ , not what we would want, yet each promise is ____________ what the world
could possibly give us.
q
How would you describe the opposite of each quality? It is what I, as a Christian, truly desire.
q
Do you think Jesus is describing who His followers are? Or prescribing what they must do? Why? Describing what His followers__________ _______! Like the Law, we want it, but
________________really achieve it.
q
What is the mourning that Jesus talks about in v.4? What should cause you to mourn? Mourning
over_______, the godly ____________that produces repentance _____________ to salvation without regret.
q
How are the Beatitudes related to being salt and light (VV.13-16)? How is your light supposed to shine (v.16)?
Jesus calls us to obey these “Beatitudes” in order to be truly______________. When we do, we are like a Light to the world and what salt is to food, both a preservative and a flavor
enhancer. We should be that to the world.
q
Of the eight, which two do you most desire right now? Which are you most tempted to avoid?
q
Based on these Be – Attitudes, is the light of your life more like a flickering candle? A steady campfire? A blazing furnace? How can ___________ add fuel to the fire? Be a Christian in
all you do – do not just talk the part – act it!
Now it becomes difficult! Jesus Fulfills the Law (5:17-48)
In the next several verses, Jesus addresses several
sins by stating, “ You have heard that it was said”…But
I tell you that…”
14.
Was He trying to do away with the Law and tradition held for so long? No! What He was trying to do was to explain the true significance of the ____________
content of Moses’ Law and the rest of the OT. (“I want your love,
not your sacrifice!” Hosea 6:6).
q
How does Jesus fulfill the Law? He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it_______________. He
fulfilled the Jewish ceremonial laws by being everything that the law’s _________ and ______________pointed to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by representing _____________ perfect
justice.
q
V.18. “I
assure you, until earth and heaven disappear, even the smallest of God’s law will remain until it’s purpose is
achieved.”
What can this mean, when men of every age have failed completely in being able to fulfill the entire law? Is the Law bad? How does this make you feel? After all, the penalty for sin is condemnation, is it not? Christ
did not come to do away with the Law. Indeed, the Law was, and is, __________,
instituted by God; it cannot be otherwise. He was specifically affirming the
utter _________________ and _______________authority of the OT as the Word of God, down to the last dot and crossed t. Jesus is the fulfillment of ______that the OT teaches!
q How
can your
righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (5:20), because if it does not, you cannot enter into
the kingdom? Our righteousness is through
Christ alone and is through His substitutionary
death on the cross and through His_____________. In Him, we are declared holy, blameless, and perfect in His sight!
Chapter 6 – Giving
to the Needy
15.
What does this passage teach you about the approach Jesus wants us to have toward giving? Our giving is supposed to
be ____________ rendered to God, not for self- recognition.
16.
Jesus teaches them to pray the “Lord’s Prayer”; are we to repeat this prayer every time we pray. Why or why not? Jesus says in v.7 not
to use “vain repetitions.” This is a ___________ prayer – simple,
short, comprehensive, ________________ to God’s purposes, plans, and glory. It
also seeks forgiveness for sin and praises The Father.
17. What are vv.14-15 saying? That you will not be forgiven,
that you will lose your salvation, if you do not forgive? No, Justification is
a free gift from God thru Christ – a perfect and _________________ state of holiness belonging to all that are “In
Christ.” We are to confess our sins in order to obtain a day-to-day ________________
(1 John 1:9) - a simple washing from the worldly stain of sin.
18. Read vv. 28-34. Jesus tells
us to first seek what? What promise follows?
Seek first the kingdom of God – that is, seek_______________– and with it would come the full care and
provision of God (Rom. 8:32).
