Bible

Today, in the Bible room, we continue reading the book of Matthew. Here is Session 3, the summaries of chapters 15 through 21. ____________________________________

Matthew

Session 3 of 4

Chapter 15. Tradition

Jesus says the scribes and the Pharisees are hypocrites:

• He says they ignore the commandments of God,
• They try to replace them with man-made tradition;
• They observe the disciples eating with unwashed hands;
• They are concerned about what goes into the mouth;
• Jesus says what comes out of the mouth is from the heart;
• And it is those things that defile the man,
• Eating with unwashed hands does not defile the man;
• A woman of Canaan says her daughter is demon-possessed;
• Jesus sees her faith in Him, so, He heals her daughter;
• Later, a great crowd has gathered around Jesus;
• They bring all the sick and place them at His feet;
• He heals them all; they glorify the God of Israel;
• There are about four thousand men plus their families;
• Jesus feeds that entire crowd with seven fish, a little bread;
• Afterwards, the disciples gather seven baskets of left-overs.

Chapter 16. Rock

Later, a crowd of Pharisees and Sadducees have gathered around Jesus:

• Again, they ask Him for a sign from heaven;
• He says: there will be no sign from Him; just look at Jonah;
• On the other side of the lake, He meets with the disciples;
• They have forgotten to bring any bread with them;
• Jesus has to remind them of the recent miracles of food:
• The feeding of the five thousand, then the four thousand;
• He asks the disciples who they think He is;
• Simon says Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God;
• Jesus says Simon has received this truth directly from God;
• This truth is the rock upon which He will build His church;
• Jesus gives Simon a new name: he will now be called Peter;
• He tells the disciples they have received the key to heaven;
• But they are not to tell anyone that He is the Christ;
• From that day forward Jesus begins talking about the future;
• He says He will be killed by the religious leaders at Jerusalem;
• And then He will be raised to life again on the third day.

Chapter 17. Changed

One day on a mountain Jesus is changed:

• Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a mountain top;
• There, His face shines like the sun, His clothes are pure white;
• Moses and Elijah are there also; Jesus is talking with them;
• While Jesus is talking, there is a voice from heaven;
• God’s voice declares Jesus to be the Son of God;
• Jesus tells the disciples to keep this day a secret until later;
• He says John the Baptist is like Elijah of former times;
• The disciples are unable to heal an epileptic boy;
• Jesus heals the boy, expelling his resident demon;
• He tells the disciples they will need more faith;
• And they can have it by more prayer and fasting;
• At Capernaum, Peter is asked about paying the temple tax;
• Jesus says they do not owe the temple tax;
• But not to offend the temple staff, He says they will pay it;
• He tells Peter to catch a fish and take a coin from its mouth;
• Then he can pay the tax for Jesus and the disciples.

Chapter 18. Child

Jesus says to enter His kingdom everyone must become as a little child:

• He says if your hand or foot or eye causes you to sin,
• Get rid of them or risk being cast into hell fire;
• And do not ever harm one of the little ones;
• Jesus says He has come to save the lost;
• Like a shepherd if he loses one of his one hundred sheep,
• He will leave the ninety-nine to go find the lost one;
• The Father in heaven does not want to lose even one child;
• Jesus says if two of His followers agree about any need,
• They can ask the Father in heaven and He will do it for them;
• Jesus says where two or three are gathered in His name,
• He is there in their midst;
• Peter asks Jesus how many times we are to forgive others;
• Jesus says we are to forgive others seventy times seven;
• He says we must forgive others of we want forgiveness.

Chapter 19. Testing

Jesus leaves Galilee and crosses to the region east of the Jordan:

• Large crowds gather to Him, and he heals the sick;
• Pharisees come testing Him about marriage and divorce;
• Jesus says God never intended that couples would divorce;
• Sexual infidelity is the only approved grounds for divorce;
• Remarriage under any other condition is adultery;
• Jesus lays His hands on the children and prays for them;
• A young man asks Jesus what he can do to enter heaven;
• Jesus says he must sell all he has and give it to the poor;
• The young man turns away because he was very rich;
• Jesus says it is difficult for the rich to enter heaven,
• But with God all things are possible;
• Peter says they have left everything to follow Jesus;
• He wants to know what kind of reward they will have;
• Jesus says they will be exalted over all Israel;
• He also says everyone who follows Him will prosper:
• They will receive a hundredfold blessing,
• And they will inherit everlasting life.

Chapter 20. Kingdom

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner hiring workers:

• He hires some early in the morning, and some later on;
• All the workers agree to a set amount of pay for the day;
• The later hires receive the same pay as the early hires;
• Jesus says He makes the rules, everyone agrees;
• Jesus talks to the disciples as they walk toward Jerusalem;
• He explains to them that He is going there to be arrested;
• Then He will be sentenced to death and then be crucified;
• And, after three days, He will come back to life;
• The mother of Zebedee’s sons asks Jesus for a favor:
• In heaven, she wants her sons to be seated at each side of Jesus;
• Jesus says only God will make that decision;
• The disciples begin arguing against the two brothers;
• Jesus says to be the greatest, you must be a servant;
• He says He came not to be served, but to serve;
• When they left Jericho the crowd began to gather again;
• Along the road two blind men call out to Jesus;
• They ask Him to heal their eyes, so He does.

Chapter 21. Recognized

Jesus and His disciples are getting closer to Jerusalem:

• At the Mount of Olives Jesus sends two disciples to the city;
• They are to borrow a donkey and a colt for Jesus;
• The crowds spread clothing and tree branches along the road;
• Jesus rides the donkey into Jerusalem as the crowd shouts;
• They say “this is Jesus, the prophet, from Nazareth”;
• Jesus enters the temple, drives out the moneychangers;
• He heals the blind, the lame, angering the priests and scribes;
• The children cried loudly: “Hosanna to the Son of David”;
• Jesus approaches a fig tree, but it has no fruit;
• He tells that tree it will never bear fruit; it withers and dies;
• Jesus tells His disciples they will have that kind of power;
• He tells them whatever they ask for they will have;
• Back in the temple, the priests ask Him about His authority;
• He says He will not tell them where He got His authority;
• So, Jesus speaks to them in parables which they understand;
• He tells them sinners will be saved before they are;
• And they will kill Jesus, but God will punish them;
• After these parables, they thought about arresting Him;
• But they feared the people who have recognized Jesus.

End of Session 3 of 4 of the book of Matthew.