Daily Study Guide To Help You Grow In The Lord
Gospel of Matthew
Monday – Read Mark 6:14-29
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
Apparently John is arrested by Herod in the early part of the ministry of Jesus but is not put to death for some period after his arrest. You will read Matthew’s account of John’s death later in this study but today read Mark’s account to help paint a complete picture of John’s life.
Prayer: Thank God for John the Baptizer and his faithfulness to his calling and pray for a heart like John’s.
Tuesday – Read Matthew 4:12-29
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
1. Why do you think Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus does not include the events surrounding the arrest of John the Baptizer? Because it adds nothing to his purpose for writing, i.e. proving that Jesus was the messiah promised by the prophets.
2. What is Galilee? Why do you think Jesus withdrew into Galilee, verse 12? During the time of Jesus, Palestine, the land that once belonged to the Jewish nation was divided into three provinces under Roman rule; Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Galilee contained the whole northern section of the country and was the largest of the provinces. At this time Galilee also contained the largest Jewish population outside of Judea. Most of the ministry of Jesus among the Jews was in Galilee because when He entered Judea and Jerusalem He generally had conflict with the Jewish authorities and teachers of the Law.
3. What was Nazareth to the life of Jesus? Nazareth was the home of Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus and where He was raised once His family returned from Egypt. It was a small city situated among what is now the southern ridges of Lebanon, on the steep slope of a hill, about 14 miles from the Sea of Galilee and about 6 west from Mount Tabor. From the words of Nathanael in John 1:46 the city of Nazareth was held in great disrepute, either because, it is said, the people of Galilee were a rude and less cultivated class, and were largely influenced by the Gentiles who mingled with them, or because of their lower type of moral and religious character. Twice the people of the city rejected Jesus and His teaching which proved the wisdom of the prophet who said a prophet does not have any honor in his own country.
4. Why do you think Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum? Probably because He was rejected in Nazareth, his home town after He began His ministry, and Capernaum was a much larger city right on the Sea of Galilee.
5. What are the similarities between the message of Jesus (4:17) and the message of John (3:2)? Both preached the message of the kingdom.
6. What does it mean to repent? The word means “to turn.” Jesus and John were calling for the people “to turn” to the promised Messiah.
7. Why do you think Jesus went to the Jewish synagogues to teach, verse 23? This would be where He would always find an audience of people who believed in the One true God in heaven and who were looking for the promised Messiah.
8. Thought Question – What do you think Matthew is trying to tell you from verse 25? In terms of location, what is a little unusual about some of the locations listed in verse 25? Decapolis and “beyond the Jordan” would be areas where there were large Gentile populations, not just Jews. It seems Matthew is telling us that the news about Jesus spread all over Palestine and people from all over the area were following Him.
Prayer: Thank God that you heard the call to repentance and turned your life to Him through Jesus.
Wednesday – Read Matthew 5:1-12
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
9. Where do you think the mountain Jesus taught from was located, verse 1?Why do you think He went up on the mountain? Chapter 4 indicates that this part of the ministry of Jesus was in Galilee. Tradition says this mountain was part of a ridge of hills northwest of Capernaum, with a magnificent view of the Sea of Galilee. The crowd was probably so large that going up on the side of the mountain was the only way Jesus could address them.
10. Why do you think this section of scripture, Matthew 5:1-12, is called “The Beatitudes”? Because each of Jesus’ points begins with the Greek word for “blessed,” “markarious,” which has a meaning of “blessed” or “happy.” The word “Beatitude” comes from a Latin word meaning “happy” or “blessed” and that designation for this section of Scripture was retained by the different translators even after the Bible was translated in languages other than Latin.
11. What is your understanding of the word “blessed,” verses 1-11? Generally we think of happy or blessed but this word carries a stronger meaning which includes why a person should be happy or blessed; because they are “looked on favorably by God.”
12. What do you think it means to be “poor in spirit,” verse 3? There are at least four ways to understand the Beatitudes. (1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers. (2) They contrast kingdom values (what is eternal) with worldly values (what is temporary). (3) They contrast the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith Christ wants. (4) They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new kingdom. I accept that #1 is probably the better way to view these statements of Jesus, thus “poor in spirit” would be recognizing your spiritually destitute condition because of your sins which separate you from God.
13. What does Jesus say is the reward for those who are poor in spirit? Theirs if the kingdom of heaven because they recognize their spiritually destitute condition and turn to Jesus.
14. Why do you think Jesus pronounces God’s favor on those who mourn, verse 4? Mourning is probably speaking of “mourning over sins, your spiritually destitute condition.” God responds to those who mourn their condition and look outside themselves, look to Him for help.
15. How do you think “those who mourn,” verse 4, will be comforted? God provided a Savior to take care of the sin problem over which they are mourning.
16. What is your definition of meekness? Some translations render this word as “gentle.” Meekness or gentleness is controlled strength, a person who does not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength.
17. How do you think the meek will inherit the earth? See Psalm 37:11. Because God promises a “new heaven and a new earth” for those who are like His Son.
18. Thought Question – What do you think is the major message that Jesus is teaching in the Beatitudes? Jesus overall message seems to be that kingdom entrance will be gained by people with much different attitudes than what the people were witnessing from the religious leaders of the time. This group of characteristics in the Beatitudes indicates that people seeking God’s kingdom will be people with servant’s hearts, sacrificing themselves to serve others and trusting God will provide.
Prayer: Thank God for His promise of the kingdom through Jesus.
Thursday – Read Matthew 5:1-12
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
19. What do you think it means to “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” verse 6? Hunger and thirst are driving passions in a person’s life to obtain what is necessary for continued existence. To hunger and thirst for righteousness means to have that same type of driving passion as a person who is starving or dying of thirst, to be right with God.
20. What does it mean to be merciful? To give to people what they do not deserve; to always do right by others.
21. What does it mean to be pure in heart? Ones who have a “single” heart, seek always to be right with God and have their thoughts controlled by God.
22. Why do you think peacemakers will be called sons of God? Because peacemakers are like God in their actions; God actions are to make peace with man through Jesus.
23. Why do you think Jesus says those who are persecuted for righteousness sake will receive the kingdom of heaven? That shows the degree to which they are pursuing righteousness; to such a degree that others see and persecute them for the way they act.
24. Thought Question – Why do you think a person should rejoice because they are being persecuted for righteousness? Because that would be an indication that their actions, their life, was like Jesus, not following the ways of the world.
Prayer: Ask God to help you to be a peacemaker.
Friday – Read Matthew 5:13-16
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
25. What do you think Jesus calls the disciples “the salt of the earth,” verse 13? God leaves the disciples on earth when they are forgiven of their sins so they can have an impact for the kingdom on earth.
26. What do you think Jesus is teaching with His illustration of salt? If we want to be kingdom people, we must be affecting, changing that which we come in contact with. Salt changes and preserves and that is what the disciples of Jesus are supposed to do.
27. What do you think Jesus is teaching with His illustration of being the “light of the world?” Kingdom people show others the way to the kingdom, the way to God.
28. According to Jesus, how are disciples supposed to let their light shine? Their actions are supposed to be such that those who see them recognize they are following Jesus.
29. What does Jesus say is the purpose of a disciple letting his light shine? To turn, to point others to God so that they will glorify His name by obedience.
30. Thought Question – Why do you think Jesus speaks these two illustrations of a disciples life immediately following His teaching of the beatitudes? Jesus seems to be saying if you possess the characteristics listed in the Beatitudes your life will make a difference. You will be helping others change and turn to glorify God.
Prayer: Ask God to help you in your efforts to let your light shine to His glory.
Saturday – Read Matthew 5:17-20
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared from you during your study.
31. Why do you think anyone would think Jesus had come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, verse 17? Because of the continual conflict Jesus had with the religious teachers, who were the representatives of the Law, it would be logical to assume Jesus must be trying to change it since He had such conflict with its leaders.
32. What do you think Jesus means when He said He came to “fulfill the Law and the Prophets,” verse 17? The word “fulfill” means to “make complete.” Jesus came to make the Law and the Prophets complete by providing what the Law and Prophets could not provide through his life, death and resurrection.
33. What do you think Jesus means when He said “... not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished,” verse 18? He was emphasizing that not the smallest stroke of a letter of the Law would be done away with until God accomplishes all He promised through Him.
34. At the time Jesus made this statement, verse 18, what of the Law had not been accomplished? The Law only pointed people to the Savior; it could not provide the Savior.
35. Thought Question – How do you think it would be possible for your righteousness to exceed the scribes and the Pharisees? Jesus is not talking about “doing more” than the scribes and the Pharisees. He is talking about your heart as you do the things of God.
Prayer: Thank God for fulfilling the Law and the Prophets in Jesus.
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