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Matthew 14-20
Answers
2009
The Death of John the Baptist – Chapter
14
John was in prison for
rebuking Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great in Matt.1) for seducing his brother Philip’s wife Herodis, thereby committing
incest. John was outraged that a ruler in Israel would so openly commit sin.
- Why did Herod fear Jesus? John
the Baptist? (A) The people thronged to Jesus while despising Herod as a Roman
puppet. Herod feared an uprising and crowning of Jesus as Israel’s
political king. He feared John because of John’s spiritual
status as a prophet and John’s outspoken rage against Herod’s sin, thereby causing a public outcry
against Herod.
- Why does Jesus withdraw (v.13?)? How does He react to the interruption (v.14?)? (A) Jesus loved
John, his cousin, but more than that, He sorrowed for Israel, knowing that this signaled the coming end
for her during this age. It also foreshadowed His own impending death. When the crowds persisted, He had compassion and healed the sick.
- Describe how the disciples must have felt in v. 15. In vs. 16-17? (A) We do not really know
how they felt in this verse. Possible, they felt compassion for the many
because there was no food available. Perhaps they were tired and fed
up with the noise and clamor of the crowd and wanted peace and quiet. We
see their stunned reaction when Jesus tells them, “You feed them!”
Are you kidding Jesus? “Imposssible!”
- What new power do they learn about Jesus and what is the lesson here? How does this lesson affect you? (A)
They had seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons, but had never seen the power to supply food to so many
with so little. __________________________________________________________________
- Why does Jesus now separate Himself from both the crowd and from His
disciples? (A) He always sought time with His Father and did nothing
outside of the Father’s will. Possibly, He was spiritually
drained (as a man) from the constant demands of the crowds, not only the physical
needs, but even more so, their spiritual needs. He always sought guidance
from the Father in prayer? Do we?
- Is there a reason why the incident of the Sea of Galilee
takes place at this time? What is the response of the apostles? (A) This occurs immediately after the feeding of the five thousand (counting only the men,
not including the women and children!) To see Jesus walking on the water must
have been a shock, as they screamed in terror. Coupled with
the miraculous feeding, this miracle was used to give them further proof that Jesus really was the Messiah!
Jesus Teaches About
Inner Purity – Chapter 15
“Why
do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions? (15:2)”
1.
What were their “traditions” and
why were they so important to them? (A) In addition to the Mosaic Law given by
God to Israel, the Jews adopted a body of extrabiblical laws that had existed only in oral form and only
since the time of the Babylonian captivity. Later it was committed to writing
in the Mishna near the end of the second century. This became a way of short
circuiting the law and putting false parameters around laws that the leaders used to prohibit the people. For example, there was no law about washing one’s hands before eating- except for priests
who were required to wash before eating holy offerings.
- As reproof to the Pharisees, Jesus uncovers their sin in another of their traditions
(vs.4-9). Explain. (A) This is about
dishonoring one’s parents (Deut. 5:16; Exodus 20:12; 21:17.) To
get around God’s law, they claimed that they could not financially assist their parents because they had
dedicated a certain amount of money to God, who was greater than their parents.
The rabbis had approved this exception to the commandments of Moses and thus in effect nullified God’s
law.
- Read v.11. What is Jesus saying? (A) The people might defile themselves ceremoniously by eating something unclean,
but they would defile themselves morally by saying something sinful.
Ceremonial defilement can be dealt with by ceremonial cleansing, but moral defilement corrupts a person’s soul. The Law was ultimately about moral standards!
- What is Jesus saying in v. 13 –14?
(A) This is once again pointing to God’s sovereign election of those who will come
to Him. No one can come unless the Father wills it (see John 6:44).
- In the story of the healing of the Gentile woman’s daughter, Jesus seems
rather harsh as He first seemingly ignores the woman’s cry and then says what He does.
What in the world is He talking about (v.24)? Was not He sent for all
of us? Who are the “little dogs?”
(A) God’s first love was, and has always been, with His chosen people Israel. It is the entire scope of the OT – His love for her, his punishment for their great failure, and
her ultimate restoration. When Israel turned against her Messiah, the Gentiles
were adopted into the family of God. Christ’s words were not harsh
or unfeeling. In fact, He was tenderly drawing from her an expression
of her faith in v. 27.
Leaders
Demand A Miraculous Sign – Chapter 16
The Pharisees and the Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven.
Are you kidding? Was has He been showing them for all this time, yet they
still do not believe. Isn’t it like so many today, given so much, blessed
with countless churches, television and radio programs and outreach ministries, yet so many do not believe?
1. What is the sign of
Jonah Jesus is speaking of (v.4)? (A) His death, burial & resurrection.
2. What is the yeast (leaven)
of the Pharisees Jesus warns of (v.6)? (A) The disciples still thought He was
talking about bread (this after feeding the 4,000). He spoke of the doctrine
of the Pharisees (v.12). Jesus often spoke out against their hypocrisy. They were too concerned with externals and the way things appeared, and not
concerned with matters of the heart.
3. When asked, who does
Peter exclaim Jesus to be? (A) “You
are the Messiah (the Christ), the son of the Living God (v.16). This is
Jehovah in the OT.
4. When Christ says, “...you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. (V.18)”- does He
mean that Peter is the foundation of the church, or as some denominations have it, he is the first leader, the pope, of the
church? (A) Jesus calls him petros, a small stone, indeed a foundation
stone of the church, but the NT makes it very clear that Jesus is both the foundation (Acts 4:11,12) and the
head (Eph. 5:23) of the church. Peter received a boulder-like truth from
the Father, confirming that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter explains in 1Peter 2:5): the church is built of “living stones” that, like Peter,
confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The church (literally
the “called out ones”) began at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit,
by whom the Lord baptized believers into His body, which is the church (Acts 2:1-4; 1Cor. 12:12-13).
The Transfiguration – Chapter 17
In the closing sentence of chapter 16, Jesus says, “And I assure you that some of you standing
here right now will not die before you see Me, the Son of Man, coming in my Kingdom (16:28).
1. How can this be when
the disciples did not die until much later? (A) The word for Kingdom in 16:28
can be translated “royal splendor.” Therefore, it is
a reference to the Transfiguration in which some of the disciples, six days from then, would indeed see Him in His glorified
state.
2. Why did Moses &
Elijah appear with Jesus? (A) They represented the Law and the Prophets,
both of which had foretold Christ’s death, and Luke says that is what the 3 were discussing (Luke 9:31).
3. Verse 12 says that
Elijah has come already. How? When? (A) It was prophesied in Mal: 4:5,6. The
Jewish leaders had failed to recognize John the Baptist and his coming in the spirit and power
of Elijah – and they killed him.
4. Why
did the disciples fail to heal as they once had? (A) Jesus calls them a “…stubborn,
faithless people.” It is not that they did not have faith –
they had confidence because they were surprised when they could not heal the man. The
problem lay in a failure to make God – rather than their own gifts – the object of
their confidence.”
5. So, if you had enough
faith, you could move a mountain? (A) True faith always involves complete
surrender to the will of God. It is all about Him
– both the source and the object of all genuine faith – Christ alone! If it is not His will that the mountain be moved, it is not going to move!!!!!!
The Greatest In The Kingdom – Chapter 18
“I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get
into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little
child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (18:3,4).”
1. For most people,
becoming like a little child is the last thing they think of. What is Jesus saying? (A) He is speaking of the childlikeness of the believer – the way He
characterizes conversion. Like the Beatitudes, it pictures faith
as simple, helpless dependence of those who have no resources of their own. Like
children, they have no achievements and no accomplishments to offer or commend themselves with.
2. Jesus says not
to “despise a single of these little ones (v.10).” What is He saying
to us? Do not look down on or belittle another believer by treating him
or her unkindly or indifferently.
3. Correcting a fellow
believer – In chapter 7:3-5, we looked at “first removing the plank in our own eye,” before criticizing
another. How do vs. 18:15-18 fit in with this admonition? (A) While it is true that we must first tend to our own sins, the sins of a brother could
lead him to eternal damnation. The verses are more about restoration
of the sinner than of his condemnation. In v. 14, Jesus says, “it
is not My Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
The point of removing one from the fellowship is not merely to punish the offender, or to shun him completely,
but to remove him as a detrimental influence from the fellowship of the church, and then to regard him as an evangelistic
prospect rather than a brother. Unfortunately, we seldom follow any of
this advice.
4. V. 35 - ”So My Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive
his brother his trespasses.” In the previous parable, the master was
angry and delivered the offending servant to prison (the torturers) until he had paid all that was due. Will the Father not forgive us if we don’t forgive? Does
it mean we will go to hell? (A) Because He is holy and just, God is always angry
at sin, even those of His children. The torturer, not executioners, pictures
severe discipline, not final condemnation.
Discussion About Divorce and Marriage – Chapter 19
1. “Should a man
be allowed to divorce his wife for any reason (19:2)?” (A) The Pharisees
misquoted Moses in Deut. 24:1-2 – it was not a command, but a limitation on remarriage in the event of
a divorce. Sexual sin was the only legitimate reason. Divorce is to be a last-resort response to sexual immorality.
2. The Rich Young Ruler
– “Good Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life (19:16)?”
Jesus answers in a round about, rather confusing (for us, the NT church) way _ “Why ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “Only God is
good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep
the commandments.” If this confuses you, it should! What is He really saying? (A) 1st, Jesus was not disclaiming
His own deity, but rather teaching the young man that all but God are sinners. The man’s biggest spiritual defect was his reluctance to confess his own spiritual
bankruptcy. Jesus was telling him to keep the law. Before showing him the way to life, Jesus wanted to impress on the young man both the high standard
required by God and the absolute futility of seeking salvation by one’s own merit. There is no way that he could have kept the whole of the commandments, but he refused to admit his
guilt. Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give it to the poor – not
as a means to salvation, but rather to expose the true nature of his heart.
Jesus really was demanding the young man give Him first place.
He failed and walked away in unbelief.
The Story of the Vineyard Workers – Chapter 20
1. If you were one of
the first workers hired, how would you have reacted to the landowner? What was
their problem?
2. In v.16, He says, “And
so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.” Explain. (A) It was the privilege of the owner to extend
the same generosity to all – they each received a full day’s wage.
The thief of the cross will enjoy the full blessings of heaven alongside those who have
labored their whole lives for Christ. Such is the grace of God. Praise Him!
Matthew 14-20
Questions
2009
The Death of John the Baptist – Chapter
14
John was in prison for
rebuking Herod Antipas (son of Herod the Great in Matt.1) for seducing his brother Philip’s wife Herodis, thereby committing
incest. John was outraged that a ruler in Israel would so openly commit sin.
- Why did Herod fear Jesus?
John the Baptist? (A) The people thronged to Jesus while despising Herod
as a _______ ________. Herod feared an uprising and crowning of Jesus as Israel’s
_________ ________. He feared John because of John’s spiritual status as
a ________ and John’s outspoken rage against Herod’s ______, thereby causing a public outcry against Herod.
- Why does Jesus withdraw (v.13?)? How does He react to the interruption (v.14)? (A) Jesus _______
John, his cousin, but more than that, He _______ for Israel, knowing that this signaled the _______ _____ for her during this
age. It also ____________ His own impending death. When the crowds persisted, He had ____________ and healed the sick.
- Describe how the disciples must have felt
in v. 15. In vs. 16-17? (A) We do
not really know how they felt in this verse. Possible, they felt _____________
for the many because there was no food available. Perhaps they were _______ and
_____ ____ with the noise and clamor of the crowd and wanted peace and quiet. We
see their _______ _________ when Jesus tells them, “You feed them!” Are
you kidding Jesus? “______________!”
- What new power do they learn about Jesus and what is
the lesson here? How does this lesson affect you?
(A) They had seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons, but had never seen the power to _________ ______ to so many
with so little. __________________________________________________________
- Why does Jesus now separate Himself from both the crowd
and from His disciples? (A) He always sought time with His _______ and did _________outside
of the ________ _____. Possibly, He was __________ drained (as a man) from the constant demands of the crowds, not only the physical needs, but even more so, their
spiritual needs. He always sought ______________ from the Father in __________? Do we?
- Is there a reason why the incident of the
Sea of Galilee takes place at this time? What is the response of the apostles? (A) This occurs ___________ _____ the feeding of the five thousand (counting only
the men, not including the women and children!) To see Jesus walking on the water
must have been a shock, as they _________ ___ _________. Coupled with the miraculous
feeding, this miracle was used to give them further _________ that Jesus really was the __________!
Jesus Teaches About
Inner Purity – Chapter 15
“Why
do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions? (15:2)”
1.
What were their “traditions” and why were they
so important to them? (A) In addition to the Mosaic Law given by God to Israel,
the Jews adopted a body of ______________ ________ that had existed only in _____ form and only since the time of the Babylonian
captivity. Later it was committed to writing in the Mishna near the end of the
second century. This became a way of _______ __________ the law and putting false
parameters around laws that the leaders used to prohibit the people. For example,
there was no law about washing one’s hands before eating- except for _______who were required to wash before eating
holy ___________.
- As reproof to the Pharisees, Jesus uncovers their sin in another of their traditions
(vs.4-9). Explain. (A) This is about
______________ one’s parents (Deut. 5:16; Exodus 20:12; 21:17.) To get
around God’s law, they claimed that they could not _____________ _________ their parents because they had dedicated
a certain amount of money to _____, who was greater than their parents. The rabbis
had approved this exception to the commandments of Moses and thus in effect _____________ God’s law.
- Read v.11. What is Jesus saying? (A) The people might defile themselves ________________by eating something ___________,
but they would defile themselves __________ by saying something ________. Ceremonial defilement can be dealt with by ceremonial cleansing, but moral defilement
corrupts a person’s ______. The Law was ultimately about _____standards!
- What is Jesus saying in v. 13 –14?
(A) This is once again pointing to God’s _________ _________ of those who _____ ______ to Him. ___ ___ can come unless the ________ wills it (see John 6:44).
- In the story of the healing of the Gentile woman’s daughter, Jesus seems
rather harsh as He first seemingly ignores the woman’s cry and then says what He does.
What in the world is He talking about (v.24)? Was not He sent for all
of us? Who are the “little dogs?”
(A) God’s _____ love was, and has always been, with His _______ _______ Israel.
It is the entire scope of the OT – His love for her, his punishment for their great failure, and her ultimate
restoration. When Israel turned against her Messiah, the ________ were adopted
into the family of God. Christ’s words were ____ _______ or unfeeling. In fact, He was tenderly drawing from her ___ ______________ __ ____ ______ in v.
27.
Leaders
Demand A Miraculous Sign – Chapter 16
The Pharisees and the Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven.
Are you kidding? Was has He been showing them for all this time, yet they
still do not believe. Isn’t it like so many today, given so much, blessed
with countless churches, television and radio programs and outreach ministries, yet so many do not believe?
1. What is the sign of Jonah Jesus
is speaking of (v.4)? (A) His _____, _______ & _____________.
2. What is the yeast (leaven) of the
Pharisees Jesus warns of (v.6)? (A) The disciples still thought He was talking
about bread (this after feeding the 4,000). He spoke of the ______________ of
the Pharisees (v.12). Jesus often spoke out against their __________. They were too concerned with _____ and the way things appeared, and not concerned with matters of the _______.
3. When asked, who does Peter exclaim
Jesus to be? (A) “You are
the ______ (the Christ), the son of the Living God (v.16). This is Jehovah in
the OT.
4. When Christ says, “...you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. (V.18)”- does He mean
that Peter is the foundation of the church, or as some denominations have it, he is the first leader, the pope, of the church? (A) Jesus calls him ______, a small stone, indeed a foundation stone of the
church, but the NT makes it very clear that ______ is both the ___________ Acts 4:11,12) and the ______(Eph. 5:23) of the
church. Peter received a boulder-like truth from the Father, confirming that
Jesus is the Messiah. Peter explains in (1Peter 2:5): the church is built of “_______ _______” who, like Peter, _________ that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the Living God. The church (literally the “_______ ____ _____”)
began at Pentecost with the coming of the _______ _______, by whom the Lord ________ believers into His body, which is the
church (Acts 2:1-4; 1Cor. 12:12-13).
The Transfiguration – Chapter 17
In the closing sentence of chapter 16, Jesus says, “And I assure you that some of you standing here
right now will not die before you see Me, the Son of Man, coming in my Kingdom (16:28).
1. How can this be when the disciples
did not die until much later? (A) The word for Kingdom in 16:28 can be translated
“_______ _______.” Therefore it is a reference to the Transfiguration
in which some of the disciples, six days from then, would indeed see Him in His ___________ state.
2. Why did Moses & Elijah appear
with Jesus? (A) They represented the _____ and the ________, both of which had
__________ Christ’s death, and Luke says that is what the 3 were discussing (Luke 9:31).
3. Verse 12 says that Elijah has come
already. How? When? (A) It was prophesied in Mal: 4:5,6. The Jewish leaders had
failed to recognize ______ ___ _______ and his coming in the ______ and _______ of Elijah – and they killed him.
4. Why did the disciples fail to heal
as they once had? (A) Jesus calls them a “…stubborn, faithless people.” It is not that they did not have ______ – they had confidence because they were
surprised when they could not heal the man. The problem lay in a ________ to
make _____ – rather than their _____ _____ – the object of their confidence.”
5. So, if you had enough faith, you
could move a mountain? (A) True faith always involves _________ __________ to
the _____ of God. It is all ____ ____ – both the _______and the ________
of all genuine faith – Christ alone! If it is not His will that the mountain
be moved, it is not going to move!!!!!!
The Greatest In The Kingdom – Chapter 18
“I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get
into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little
child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (18:3,4).”
1. For most people, becoming like a
little child is the last thing they think of. What is Jesus saying? (A) He is speaking of the _____________ of the believer – the way He characterizes _________. Like the Beatitudes, it pictures _____ as simple, helpless __________of those who
have no resources of their own. Like children, they have no achievements and
no accomplishments to offer or commend __________ with.
2. Jesus says not to “despise
a single of these little ones (v.10).” What is He saying to us? Do not look down on or belittle another ______________ by treating him or her ___________or _____________.
3. Correcting a fellow believer –
In chapter 7:3-5, we looked at “first removing the plank in our own eye,” before criticizing another. How do vs. 18:15-18 fit in with this admonition? (A) While
it is true that we must first tend to ____ ____ sins, the sins of a brother could lead him to eternal __________. The verses are more about ____________of the sinner than of his __________.
In v. 14, Jesus says, “it is not My Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” The point of removing one from the fellowship is not merely to _______ the offender,
or to _____ him completely, but to remove him as a __________ influence from the fellowship of the church, and then to regard
him as an ______________ __________ rather than a brother. Unfortunately, we
seldom follow any of this advice.
4. V. 35 - ”So My Heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses.” In the previous parable, the master was angry
and delivered the offending servant to prison (the torturers) until he had paid all that was due. Will the Father not forgive us if we don’t forgive? Does
it mean we will go to hell? (A) Because He is holy and just, God is always ______
at sin, even those of His children. The _______, not executioners, pictures ________
________, not final ________________.
Discussion About Divorce and Marriage – Chapter 19
1. “Should a man be allowed to
divorce his wife for any reason (19:2)?” (A) The Pharisees misquoted Moses
in Deut. 24:1-2 – it was not a _________, but a limitation on __________ in the event of a divorce. _________sin was the only legitimate reason. Divorce is to
be a last-resort response to sexual ___________.
2. The Rich Young Ruler – “Good
Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life (19:16)?” Jesus
answers in a round about, rather confusing (for us, the NT church) way _ “Why ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “Only God is good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments.” If this confuses you, it should! What
is He really saying? (A) 1st, Jesus was not disclaiming His own _________, but
rather teaching the young man that ____ but God are _______. The man’s
biggest ________ defect was his reluctance to ______ his own ________ __________. Jesus
was telling him to keep the ____. Before showing him the way to eternal life,
Jesus wanted to impress on the young man both the _____ _______ required by God and the absolute _________of seeking salvation
by one’s own _______. There is no way that he could have kept the ______
of the commandments, but he refused to admit his guilt. Jesus tells him to sell
all he has and give it to the poor – not as a _____ to ___________, but rather to expose the true nature of his heart. Jesus really was demanding the young man give _____ ____ _______. He failed and walked away in unbelief.
The Story of the Vineyard Workers – Chapter 20
1. If you were one of the first workers
hired, how would you have reacted to the landowner? What was their problem? ___________________________________________________
2. In v.16, He says, “And so
it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.” Explain. (A) It was the ________ of the owner to extend the
same ___________ to all – they each received a full day’s _____. The
______ ___ the _____ will enjoy the ______ _______ of heaven alongside those who have labored their whole lives for Christ. Such is the ________ of God.
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