Matthew 10: 17-42

Jesus' advised his disciples in verse 16 that they were being sent out like sheep among wolves and that they should be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 

1. Review v 17

- Who are the men that Jesus is referring to in this verse? 

- What would compel the men to turn the disciples into the local synagogues and have them flogged?

2. Notice in verses 17-19 that the matter is not one of IF the disciples of Christ will be arrested and persecuted, it is a matter of WHEN...

  Jesus also comforted His disciples in these verses. He advised them not to worry about what to say or how to say it.

-If you were a disciple of Christ when these statements were made, what would be going through your mind?

-Would you have been wondering how to be the best witness to your faith? Would you have wondered what it would feel like to be flogged? Why did Jesus address the concern of what to say in front of those that are persecuting you versus the concern of BEING persecuted?

3. Review v 22

-What is it about Jesus' message that would lead people to hate you because of Him?

4. Review v 26

-Is Jesus referring to the hypocrisy of the religious elite? Was He saying that their lives were lived one way in public and another way behind close doors? Or, was this a warning to anyone living that way?

5. In verse 28, Jesus encouraged His disciples with the statement that they shouldn't be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, "be afraid of the One that can destroy both soul and body in hell."

-Is this encouraging to you? 

-Why are we afraid of those that can kill the body? Why are so many people not afraid of the One that can destroy both body and soul in Hell?

6. Review verses 29-32.

-Jesus told His disciples that a sparrow can not fall to the ground, without God knowing about it. Would this encourage you? Or, would it discourage you that God was aware of the persecution and He allowed it to happen? 

-He told the disciples that the very hairs on their heads are numbered by God. Why is this encouraging?

7. In verses 32 and 33, Jesus pointed out the consequence of disowning Jesus before others.

-Are we guilty of this?

-Discuss some examples in which we could have acknowledged Christ in front of others, but instead disowned Him.

8. In verse 34, Jesus explained that He did not come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword.

-What does this mean?

-Isn't Christ's message of love supposed to bring peace? Why would it cause division?

9. Later, He added that anyone that chooses his or her family over Christ is not worthy of Him.

-Is He worth that sacrifice?

Teacher: Jeff Dodge

Matthew 10: 17-42

Matthew 10: 1-16

Jesus Sends out the Twelve

 Jesus called his 12 disciples and gave them the authority to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease. He also gave them specific instructions...

1. Review v 5

-What is a Gentile? What are Samaritans? 

-Does Jesus' instruction seem unloving? Are the Gentiles and Samaritans not worthy of His Message? (Suggested reading- Romans 1:16)

2. Review v 6

-Who are the lost sheep of Israel? 

-How did they get lost? 

-If they are lost, how will the disciples "find" them?

3. Jesus told them in v 8 to preach the message of His Kingdom. He also advises them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those that have leprosy, and drive out demons.

-Why did Jesus give this authority to His disciples?

-Do you think that ALL of the disciples used this authority?

-Why do you think that we don't routinely see people being raised from the dead, etc., today?

-Does this affect the central message of the Gospel?

4. Jesus told the disciples in verses 9 and 10 to leave their homes without taking along any money or extra clothing.

-Why would He instruct the disciples to not bring any belongings with them?

-Would this instruction have been easy for them? (As if any of Jesus' instructions have been easy...)

5. Jesus said in vs 11, that they should look for a worthy person in any town that they enter. Also, in v 12, He tells them to rest their peace on any deserving home.

-In reference to these verses, what is a worthy person? Would the disciples be able to tell the difference between a worthy person and an unworthy one?

-What is a deserving home? How does one "rest their peace" on it?

6. Review v 14

-If someone did not welcome a disciple into his or her home, was this a hospitality issue or were they saying that they did not want Jesus' message in their lives?

-Does this instruction mean that Jesus is ok with the sheep remaining lost?

7. Sodom and Gomorrah were considered two of the most sinful cities of the Old Testament- (see Genesis 18: 20-33 an 19: 1-29)

-Why would Jesus compare a city that is not open to the message of Christ to two of the most notoriously sinful cities of the Old Testament?

-Why would Sodom and Gomorrah's day of judgement be more bearable than that town's? Does this seem fair?

8. Review vs 16

-Why would Jesus send His disciples out with this warning?

-If they had the ability to heal the sick and cast out demons, wouldn't they be able to protect themselves?

Teacher: Tim Lubinus

Matthew 10: 1-16

Matthew 9: 27-38

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

1. Review v 27

-Why did the blind men call Jesus the Son of David? What did that mean? How would they have known this information?

2. Review v 28

-Why did Jesus ask this question?

-Why didn't He ask EVERYONE that He healed?

3. Review v 30= Despite Jesus' warning, the blind men tell the whole region about Him

-Is it possible to have a high level of faith AND be disobedient?

 After Jesus healed the blind men, a mute man who was demon-possessed was brought to Jesus. Jesus drove the demons out of the man, which led the Pharisees to question the affiliation of Jesus.

1. Review v34

-Who is the prince of demons?

-If what the Pharisees were saying was true, why would the prince of demons give Jesus the authority to drive demons OUT of people?

-After witnessing all that Jesus had done, why would the Pharisees spread this rumor about Jesus?

The Workers are Few

The King went through all the towns and villages and noticed that the people were harassed and helpless. 

Let's take some time to break down vs 37 and 38

1. Jesus tells his disciples that the "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

-Why did/does Jesus view the harassed and helpless people in the crowds as a harvest?

-Who are the workers? How did they become workers? Why are there so few of them?

2. Jesus also tells the disciples, "Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field."

-Who is the Lord of the harvest?

-Is it His fault that there are not enough workers and too much harvest?

-Why do we have to ask the Lord of the harvest for help?

-Do we have some responsibility to find other workers or is just asking the Lord of the harvest enough?

Big picture questions:

 As it pertains to ministering to the needs of others, it is said that about "20% of the Body, do 80% of the work." This statistic basically means that there are many emotionally, physically and spiritually sick people out there and only a few people that are doing anything about it.

1. Who are part of the harvest?

-Do you have to be "harassed and helpless" to be part of the harvest?

-Are your unbelieving friends or relatives in the harvest? Your coworkers? Your enemies?

2. Where is the harvest?

-Are the "harassed and the helpless" the ones that seek out assistance or spiritual guidance?

-Is it their responsibility to come out to the workers? 

3. Why are there so few workers? 

-Do the 80% not see the problem? Is it an issue of priority? Do the 80% feel that their needs are more important than the needs of others? Are you in the 80%?

4. What is our responsibility?

-Do you see that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few? Does that bother you?

-Are you actively working in the harvest?

-Are you asking God for help or is it your private mission to work in the harvest on your own?

-What are you doing to raise up other workers? 

Matthew 9: 27-38

Teacher: Jeff Dodge

Matthew 9: 9-26

The Calling of Matthew

Imagine a toll booth along the side of a dusty road outside Capernaum in the time of Jesus. Inside that booth is Matthew, a tax collector. As a Jewish tax collector, he would be an agent of the "enemy" of the Jews- the oppressive Roman Empire. Basically, he collected the hard-earned money of the Jewish people and then paid the taxes imposed by Caesar.  

 Jewish tax collectors were seen as outcasts and traitors. Jesus, purposefully, sought out Matthew- someone that society shunned.

1. A man with Leprosy, a Roman Centurion, two demon possessed men, and now a tax collector...

-What are some things that these people had in common?

-Why did Jesus pursue people like this? Would His ministry not have been effective if He only pursued the social elite- the very rich, the scholars, etc.?

2. Jesus walked up to the tax collector and simply said- "Follow me."

-Why didn't Matthew ask "where" or "why?"

3. Jesus accompanied Matthew to his house where a dinner was being served. At this dinner, there were other tax collectors and people that are noted as "sinners" in the text.

-Who would be seen as a "sinner" in the time of Jesus? How about in 2008? 

-If eating dinner with someone was seen as a sign of friendship, why would Matthew call these "sinners" his friends?

4. The Pharisees are shocked that Jesus was eating dinner with these "sinners." In response to their shock, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." He continued with "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

-Why would a sinner need to be spiritually healed?

-Would they recognize this need?

-What did Jesus mean when He said that He "did not come to call the righteous?" Isn't being righteous a good thing? Was Jesus referring to those that are self-righteous? 

Jesus Questioned about Fasting

Jesus was questioned about why His disciples were not fasting. 

1. What is fasting? 

-Why do people do it? 

-What are some inappropriate reasons to fast?

2. Review v 15

-Why does Jesus refer to Himself as the bride groom?

-Why would Jesus say that an appropriate time to fast would be after He leaves?

A Dead Girl and A Sick Woman

A woman's medical issue has led to bleeding for 12 years. 

1. Like leprosy, her bleeding would make her ceremoniously unclean...

-How would this illness affect her socially? Spiritually?

2. Review v 20, 21

-Why would this sick woman believe that healing could be brought about by simply making contact with the clothes that Jesus wore?

-Is her faith similar to that of the Roman Centurion or is it different in some way?

3. Review v 22 

-How did this faith develop?

-Do you have that level of faith?

-What if Jesus hadn't healed her? Would her faith have changed? Would yours?

 A ruler in the area came to Jesus for healing of his young daughter. However, when he approached Jesus, the daughter was already dead...

1. Imagine you were able to witness the miracles that occurred in the time of Jesus.

-Would you naturally assume that He also had the power over death and that He could resurrect your daughter?

-If you had mentioned this to your family, before you left your home to look for Jesus, what do you think their reaction would be? Do you think that they would share your faith?

2. When Jesus arrived at the ruler's house, He told the assembled crowd to "Go away, the girl is not dead but asleep."

-What did Jesus mean by this statement?

-Why did He indicate that she was sleeping and not dead? Wouldn't the family have known the difference?

-If the child was able to "sleep" through the noise, why did Jesus ask for noisy crowd to "go away?"

Teacher: Troy Nesbitt

Matthew 9: 9-26