Reading Plan
Introduction: The Uniqueness of Jesus
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Step 1: The Adventure
0/6
Step 2: The Abundant Life
0/7
Step 3: The Holy Spirit
0/6
Step 4: Prayer
0/6
Step 5: The Bible
0/7
Step 6: Obedience
0/6
Step 7: Witnessing
0/6
Step 8: Giving
0/8
Step 9: Exploring the Old Testament
0/8
Step 10: Exploring the New Testament
0/9
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
The Acts of the Apostles
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians
Prison Epistles, Thessalonians, Pastoral Epistles
The General Epistles
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Intro
Scripture
Questions

Lesson

LESSON ONE

Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the link between the Old and New Testaments. Matthew wrote to the Jews to prove that Christ is their promised Messiah and the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords. Therefore, Matthew is careful not to alienate his Jewish readers. Matthew also shows how Jesus fulfilled prophecy and how he is the Person who will bring in God’s kingdom. Because the “Kingdom of heaven” is found thirty-three times in this Gospel, it has been called the Gospel of the Kingdom. The book also shows that followers of Christ are the true people of God and the heirs of the coming kingdom. Matthew records Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, the Parables of the Kingdom, and Peter’s confession of the deity of Christ. It is Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes that are memorized in childhood, and it is his form of the Lord’s Prayer that we use the most in church today.

Lesson Objective: To see the relationship of Christ to the Old Testament, and to understand his role as King of kings

Handbook for Christian Maturity written by Bill Bright © 2003, 2009, 2016 Bright Media Foundation. All rights reserved. Previously©1965- 2003 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. Bright Media Foundation® is a registered trademark of Bright Media Foundation, Inc. Campus Crusade for Christ International® and Cru® are registered trademarks of Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, except in the case of brief quotations printed in articles or reviews, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Bible Study

BIBLE STUDY

Read Matthew 21:1–16

Before you consider the many verses below, be sure to read the Bible passage listed above.

If you click on the verses in the study below you can see the entire verse! If you are not on-the-go, consider opening a physical Bible and looking up the passages.

Genealogy

Of the four Gospels, only Matthew and Luke give Christ’s genealogy. Compare Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38.

  1. What differences do you find?
  2. Keeping in mind that Matthew presented Christ as King, why do you think Matthew wrote the genealogy the way he did?

Sermons

In presenting his record of the life of Jesus, Matthew is careful to record the major sermons that Jesus preached. The longest sermon on record is the “Sermon on the Mount,” which is found in chapters 5 through 7.

  1. As you read this sermon, answer the following questions:
    Give one reason Jesus considers it important for his disciples to live according to the moral standards of the Old Testament Law and prophets (Matthew 5:16).
    What promise does Jesus give that helps the Christian overcome his desire for man’s praise as he does good deeds (Matthew 6:1–18)?
    What assurance does Jesus give to help the Christian overcome his anxiety over physical needs such as food and clothing (Matthew 6:25–34)?
  2. Read Jesus’ sermons recorded by Matthew in the chapters listed below and write in your own words the verse that means the most to you.
    Matthew 10
    Matthew 13
    Matthew 18
    Matthew 24
    Matthew 25

A Vital Question

In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asks a question.

  1. Why is answering this question so vital?
  2. Read verses 14–16. Why does Jesus say Peter’s answer was revealed by the Father?
  3. How have you answered this question?

The Great Commandment

Read Matthew 22:34–40.

  1. What does Jesus mean when he says that the whole Law and prophets depend on these two commandments?
  2. How have you seen Jesus demonstrating the Great Commandment in Matthew’s Gospel? Use specific examples.

The Great Commission

Read Matthew 28:18–20. Jesus gave his friends one last commandment before he ascended into heaven. Many call this commandment the Great Commission.

  1. How is Jesus’ goal different from that of human rulers?
  2. In your own words, paraphrase Christ’s Great Commission.
  3. What does the Great Commission mean to you?

Application

LIFE APPLICATION

Questions

  1. Which instruction from Jesus’ sermons in Matthew do you need to pay particular attention to?
  2. How will you apply that teaching to your life?
  3. To let Christ rule your life, what areas do you need to turn over to him? Be specific.
    Now ask him to take control of each area.
  4. List ways you can better apply the Great Commandment in your:
    Home life
    Work place
    Devotional life
  5. How will obedience to Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19, 20 give your life purpose?
  6. Do you see the relationship of Christ to the Old Testament, and understand his role as King of kings?

 

Memory Verse: “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

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