Feeding On Manna

Matthew chapter 8

2008-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

8:1-4 Curing leprosy
Greek word for leprosy also meant any of the various skin diseases
Not all of the diseases were contagious

8:5-13 Centurion's faith
Commanded 100 soldiers
Concern for his servant

QUESTION: what connection is there between faith and healing?

8:14-17 Other healing
Peter's mother-in-law
Casting out demons

QUESTION: This seems like a big deal. Why is so little attention given to it?

8:18-22 Cost of following Jesus
A son can't bury his father
Counter cultural

QUESTION: Does this seem rather harsh?

8:23-27 Calms a storm
Disciples scared
Jesus speaks
Disciples amazed

QUESTION: Why the amazement?

8:28-34 Casting demons into pigs
Gadarene area is South East of the Sea of Galilee
Demons knew who Jesus was
Jesus honored their request
Jesus was asked to leave the area

QUESTION: why did Jesus deal with people who were unclean in 3 ways; gentiles, possessed, and lived in tombs/graveyard?

QUESTION: Why would Jesus honor the demon's request?

Matthew chapter 7

2008-10-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

7:1-6 Criticizing others
We will be judged how we judge others
A log in your eye, a splinter in your brother's eye

QUESTION: what does this tell us about our relationships? With God? With others?

7:7-12 Asking, Seeking, Knocking
We will receive what we ask, find what we seek, doors opened when we knock

QUESTION: Does this give us carte blanc?

7:13-14 Way to heaven
The narrow road

QUESTION: Does this mean that it is hard to get into heaven or that only a few will get there?

7:15-20 Fruit
False prophets
Recognized by their fruit

QUESTION: How does this correlate to Paul when he wouldn't condemn teachers who got paid?

7:21-29 Building on rock and sand
Not everyone will get to heaven
Good works will not get you there
Only those who obey Jesus and follow His teaching

QUESTION: If good works don't get you anywhere, why do them?

QUESTION: Were the crowds amazed at WHAT Jesus taught or HOW He taught?

Matthew chapter 6

2008-10-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

TEACHINGS

6:1-4 Giving to the needy
Do it quietly/anonymously
Don't worry about recognition

QUESTION: Why is this important to us today?

6:5-15 Prayer
This is HOW to pray, not necessarily what to pray
Get some quiet time
ACTS
Acknowledge God and who He is
Confess our shortcomings/weaknesses/sins
Thank God for blessings/presence
Supplicate our needs

QUESTION: If we really understood what we are saying in the "Lord's Prayer", what kind of impact would it have on us?

6:16-18 Fasting
Be joyful
Do it secretly

QUESTION: Why not let it be known that we are fasting?

6:19-24 Money
Don't make money your God
Money is a tool, not an end

QUESTION: Does this mean that stewardship is not important?

6:25-34 Worry
If it's in your control, change it and don't worry
If it's out of your control, worrying won't help
Be concerned with things that matter, not superficial things

QUESTION: What are we to when we are overwhelmed with life?

Matthew Chapter 5

2008-09-19T14:21:00.002-07:00

Matt. 5: 1-12

Be-Attitudes

9 Beatitudes

4 ways to understand them

1) Code of ethics and conduct for Christians
2) Contrast Kingdom values with worldly values
3) Contrast superficial faith with deep faith
4) Show how Old Testament expectations are fulfilled in the New Testament

QUESTION: Are these commandments or traits we are to exhibit?

TEACHINGS

Matt. 5:13-16 Salt and Light

Salt-preserves Light-draws attention
-purifies -kills darkness
-flavors -shows the way

QUESTION: What does this tell us?

Matt. 5:17-20 Law

The Law fulfilled

Everything will be accomplished

QUESTION: What is there left to accomplish?

Matt. 5:21-26 Anger

Anger and murder correlated

Reconciliation is more important than giving

Settle thing quickly and early

QUESTION: Why is this teaching important?

Matt. 5:27-30 Lust

Secret desires

The act doesn't need to be committed if the thought is there

Get rid of whatever is the cause

QUESTION: Are we to literally cut off body parts or is this imagery?

Matt. 5:31-32 Divorce

Unfaithfulness
Sexual-staying true
Emotional-loving, cherishing
Physical-protecting, nourishing
Mental-nurturing
Spiritual-edifying

QUESTION: Why does the church focus on sexual unfaithfulness and not the other issues?

Matt. 5:33-37 Vows

Don't make a vow

Let your word be all that is needed

QUESTION: How has this changed in our society and why?

Matt. 5:38-42 Retaliation

Turn the other cheek

Go out of our way to do good

QUESTION: Does this make Christians easy targets?

Matt. 5:43-48 Love our enemies

Pray for them

Do as Jesus did

QUESTION: Why give this commandment? Is this demanding the impossible?

Matthew Chapter 4

2008-09-19T14:21:00.001-07:00

Matt. 4:1-11

Temptation of Jesus by Satan

Led by the Spirit into the wilderness

Temptation:

Bread-sustenance
Tempting/testing God-ego
Kingdoms-power

Kept asking, "If You are the Son of God..."

QUESTION: Why keep asking, "If You are the Son of God..."?

Matt. 4: 12-17

Ministry begins

Moved to Capernaum about 20 miles NNE of Nazareth

Started teaching/preaching

QUESTION: Why preach, "Repentance, the Kingdom of God is at hand"?

Matt. 4: 18-22

Choosing the Apostles

Peter and Andrew-brothers

James and John-brothers

QUESTION: Why did Jesus choose the people He did?

Matt. 4:23-25

Ministry in Galilee

Preaching

Teaching

Healing

Great crowds formed and followed Him

QUESTION: With all the evidence shown, why were people reluctant to accept Jesus for who He was?

Matthew Chapter 3

2008-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Matt. 3: 1-12

Preparation for ministry

John-baptism of repentance with water

Isaiah is cited

Jesus-baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire

QUESTION: What exactly is baptism?

QUESTION: Why the difference between John's and Jesus' baptisms?

3: 13-17

Jesus baptized by John who balked to fulfill all righteousness

Holy Spirit descended (Dove)

Voice of God (Father)

The Trinity is present

QUESTION: Why is this event important, then and now?

QUESTION: What does John's reaction say about him?

QUESTION: what does Jesus' reaction say about Him?

Matthew 2: 19-23

2008-07-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

The return to Nazareth

Herod died and his son succeeded him. The threat to Jesus was over.

Joseph again had a vision to return to Nazareth.

Again, this is a fulfillment of prophecy.

Why keep mentioning prophecy fulfillment?

Why is it important that Jesus life and Old Testament prophecy are intertwined?

Matthew 2: 13-18

2008-07-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

Flight to Egypt.

Joseph has a vision from God to take his family away.

Herod ordered the killing of all sons under the age of 2.

Going to Egypt fulfilled prophecy.

Why kill all the boys 2 years old and younger?

Do you find it ironic that Joseph was told to go to Egypt, the place God called His people out of slavery?

Matthew 2: 1-12

2008-07-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

The birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, about 90 miles.

They had to go to Bethlehem because of their lineage from David. This fulfilled prophecy.

The Magi (Wise men) visited. We don't know how many. Tradition says three because of the 3 gifts.

Jesus was about 18 months old when they came.

Gifts: Gold-a gift for a king
Incense-a gift for God
Myrrh-a gift for burial.

Why was Herod disturbed?

Matthew 1: 18-25

2008-06-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Joseph is visited by an Angel of the Lord after he learns that Mary is with child. He plans to divorce (put her away quietly) to possibly avoid embarassment. The marriage process is well along. This process took between 12 and 18 months to complete. It starts with the marriage contract being signed by the parties and ends with the consummation and the wedding feast.

The angel tells Joseph to marry Mary. Joseph obeys and Jesus is born. This fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy.

Luke, Chapter 1, relates an angelic visit by Gabriel to Mary who told he what was going to happen. So, there were two separate visits to two different people about the same event.

What significance did this (Mathews acount) have for Joseph?

What significance did this (Matthews account) have for Mary?

What significance does thi (Matthews acount) have for us?

Matthew 1: 1-17

2008-06-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Geneology was important to the Israelites. Matthew has a geneology of Jesus from Abraham to Jesus.

Why was that important to them?

Why was that important to Jewish converts?

Why is it important to us?

In Luke 3: 23-38, there is another geneology of Jesus going back to Adam. This geneology is not exactly the same as the one in Matthew.

Why is there another geneology that is different in Luke?

Is this important? why or why not?

Matthew

2008-06-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

BACKGROUND

Matthew was a tax collector before he was an Apostle. As such, he was well educated for the time. Most scholars believe this Gospel was written around 50 A.D. The specific audience were Jewish converts to Christianity. There is a lot of reference to the Old testament, mainly the Jewish Bible.

The main theme of this book is "Jesus as King and Messiah". The Jews had been waiting on a military leader to make Israel a great nation again. Jesus as King would appeal to them for the message to be heard. Other themes include: discipleship, the Sermon on the Mount; mission/apostleship, chapter 10; parables of the Kingdom, chapter 13; discipline and fellowship of the church, chapter 18; and apocalyptic discourse, chapters 24-25.

Matthew also presents Jesus as the "Son of David". The is important because of the promise that David's heir will be on the throne. Jesus geneology is presented in three parts: Abraham to David; david to the exile; the exile to Jesus. Each grouping is in 14 generations.

Throughout Matthew's Gospel, it is made clear that the Old Testament points to Jesus. All the Law and prophets that the Jews learned about were looking toward Jesus