Matthew 17:14-27

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

(xref Mark 9: 14-33)

A man approached Jesus and indicated that his son had seizures and was suffering greatly. He noted that the boy often fell into the fire or the water. In the corresponding section in Mark, it is identified that the child was struggling with demon possession. 

 The father brought the son to the disciples for their help. However, the disciples could not heal him.

1. If this was your child, discuss how you would respond to his struggles. 

-Would you take him to all of the available doctors? 

-Would you try all of the available homeopathic options? 

-When would prayer be used as an option? At the beginning? Through out the ordeal? As a last option?

 The disciples were not able to cast out the demon, but Jesus does it immediately. Review the discussion between Jesus and His disciples in verses 17-22.

1. Jesus explained that they were not able to cast the demons out due to a lack of faith. 

-If you were one of the disciples- one that was given the authority to cast out demons, (xref Matthew 10:1,) what would YOU have thought was the reason you were not able to cast out the demon?

-Would you have agreed w/ Jesus' analysis of the situation or would you have blamed HIM for not giving you sufficient means to address the issue?

2. He mentioned that if their faith was even as big as a mustard seed- the smallest seed known to the people of Israel at the time this was communicated- they could tell a mountain to move and it would.

-Gauge your level of faith- do you have faith as big as a mustard seed? More? Less? What is the evidence of this faith level?

-If it is a high faith level, how did it get to that point? If it is low, why does it stay that way?

3. Do you believe that anything is possible with faith? 

-What role does God's Will play in this? For instance, does HE want the mountain to be moved?

The Temple Tax

(xref Exodus 30: 11-16)

The question of temple tax was brought up to Jesus. 

1. What is the temple tax? 

2. Jesus asked Peter about a tax that is imposed by a king. What does this have to do w/ the temple tax?

3. Peter correctly notes that the king's sons are exempt in verse 16. 

-What is the significance of this point?

4. Review vs 27. 

-Why did Jesus use a miracle to obtain this coin? 

5. What are some of your thoughts regarding this story?

-Is it more disappointing that The King was not acknowledged as such and was forced to pay the temple tax or that He took the form of a meager carpenter that did not have money to pay it in the first place?

As a side note, Matthew the former tax collector, is the only one that notes this story in the Gospels.

-Apart from this point about his former occupation, can you think of any other reason he would feel compelled to add this incident to his narrative?

Teacher: Jeff Dodge

Matthew 17:14-27

Matthew 16:13-17:13

Peter's Confession of Christ

1. Review vs 13 of chapter 16

-Why would Jesus ask this? As the Son of God, wouldn't He already know this information?

2. In verse 14, the disciples tell Jesus that He was referred to as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.

-Why didn't the disciples note any of the negative things that people called Jesus?

-How about in 2009? What do people claim Jesus to be? A prophet? A teacher? A good man?

-How about some of the negative things? 

Jesus then asked Peter who he thought Jesus was. Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." 

3. Review Jesus' response starting with verse 17

-Jesus advised Peter that this correct assessment was revealed to him by God. In what way?

-If you call Jesus, the Son of God, do you believe that this was revealed to you by God Himself? Why isn't He revealing this to everyone else in the world? Or, is He?

4. Review vs 19

-What does this mean?

-Was Peter the only person with this gift?

Jesus predicts His death

Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He would have to suffer a painful death and would raise again to life on the third day.

1. Review Peter's comments in verse 22 and Jesus' response in vs 23

-What was the sentiment behind Peter's comments?

-Why did Jesus refer to Peter in the way that He did in verse 23? Don't these comments contrast the ones spoken in verses 17 and 18?

2. Review vs 24- 28

-Do people really consider this cost when they decide to follow Christ?

Chapter 17

The Transfiguration

After six days, Jesus went up to a high mountain and He was transfigured before His Peter, James, and John. At that same time, Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking with Jesus.

1. What does "transfigured" mean? Can anybody do that?

2. Is there any significance behind why Jesus transfigured before these specific disciples? 

-Why not the entire group of 12? Or, everyone that followed Him, for that matter?

3. What role do Moses and Elijah play in these events?  

-Why not any two other men noted in the Bible- like Noah or Joshua, for instance?

-Is there any significance that these two men showed up during the transfiguration? 

4. Review vs 5

-Why did God say this? Was it for Jesus' benefit? For the disciples?

-Hadn't these disciples already determined that Jesus was worth listening to?

5. In verse 9, Jesus instructed the men not to tell anyone until after Jesus rose from the dead.

-Imagine you were one of the disciples on that mountain? Would you be able to keep these events to yourself?

-How would it affect your future ministry? How did it affect theirs?

Teacher: Troy Nesbitt

Matthew 16:13- 17:13

Matthew 16: 1-12

Editor's note:

(Last week, per request, I added an outline to the Talksheet. Don't know if it was helpful or not. If it was helpful, let me know. Otherwise, I will go back to the more familiar method... jv)

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The Demand for a Sign

1. Review vs 1

-Why did the Pharisees and the Sadducees wish to test Jesus? What was their goal?

2. Review Jesus' response to their request for a sign from heaven in vs 2 and 3

-What were the "signs of the times" when this was spoken by Jesus?

-Why were they not able to interpret these things? Was this due to their ignorance? Arrogance? Lack of faith? All of the above?

-What about the crowds that followed Jesus? Were they able to interpret these things? If they were not able to interpret them, why not?

-What about 2009? What stands in the way of people being able to interpret these matters today?

3. Review vs 4

-What is the sign of Jonah? Why was this sign given to the wicked and adulterous generation of the time of Jesus?

-How would people interpret it today?

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Jesus warns the disciples against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 

Review the dialogue between the disciples and Jesus in verses 7-12

1. If Jesus had advised you to "be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees," what would your reaction have been?

-Would you have taken it as a reprimand or as a warning? Something else?

2. After the disciples mistakenly interpret Jesus' warning, He points out their lack of faith. He then reminds them of His miracles of feeding many thousands of people.

-Why did He bring up these miracles? Why did he not reference His miraculous healing of the blind or making the lame walk?

-Why would the disciples be concerned about a lack of bread, especially after Jesus was miraculously able to provide bread twice?

-Why did the disciples so quickly forget these two miracles?

3. The disciples finally interpret Jesus' statements as a warning against the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

-What was so bad about their teaching? Was Jesus referencing something else? Their cynical attitudes, maybe? Their lack of faith? Their hypocrisy?

4. In Matthew 13,  Jesus told His audience that the "Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that once mixed into flour, it eventually worked through out the dough." 

-Was the "yeast" of the Pharisees and the Sadducees capable of spreading in the same fashion?

-If it was so dangerous, why didn't Jesus just plainly say that?

Teacher: Troy Nesbitt

Matthew 16: 1-12

Matthew 15: 21-39

Outline

I. Matthew 15: 21-28

A. A Canaanite woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon approached Jesus

1. The woman indicated that her daughter is suffering from demon possession.

2. At first, Jesus did not respond.

 

B. The disciples ask Jesus to send the Canaanite woman away.

1. The disciples were frustrated that the woman kept requesting Jesus' help.

 

C. Jesus advised the woman that He was sent to the lost sheep of Isreal.

1. He indicated that it is not right to take the bread meant for children and instead toss it to their dogs. 

D. The woman pointed out that the dogs sometimes eat crumbs that fall from their master's table.

  

E. Jesus commended the woman's faith and healed her daughter.

II. Matthew 15: 29-39

A. Jesus left this area and went to a mountainside where He continued to heal those that came to Him.

1. The lame, the blind, those that were crippled and many others sought Jesus' healing.

2. The crowds were amazed at Jesus' miraculous healing.

3. They, in turn, praised the God of Israel.

B. Jesus continues to have compassion on the people and wanted them to be fed for they were following Jesus for 3 days.

1. The disciples questioned if there could be enough bread to feed the multitude of people.

C. With seven loaves and a few fish, Jesus fed the crowd of people.

1. Afterward, the disciples were able to pick up seven basketfuls of broken pieces.

2. Besides woman and children, there were four thousand people that were fed.

Discussion questions

1. Review vs 21-23

-Matthew pointed out that this woman was a Canaanite. Why did he add this information?

-Why did Jesus not answer her when she first called Him?

-Why were the disciples frustrated by her pleading for help?

-Why did the disciples feel that the woman was calling out for them?

2. Review vs 24.

-Who are the lost sheep of Israel?

-How did they come to be lost?

-Did they know they were lost?

-Why would God send Jesus to these people first? What about the rest of the lost?

3. Review vs 26

-Did Jesus' statement seem out of character? Is this a racist comment? 

-Why would Jesus compare the woman to a dog?

-Why did Jesus say this to her, but not to any other Gentile that approached Him? This woman was not the only Gentile that Jesus healed or helped- (xref the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8...) 

4. Let's take a second and breakdown the woman's response in verse 27

-Why did the lady not retreat into the crowd after this comment from Jesus? 

-Why did she acknowledge that she was in low standing versus trying to defend herself?

-What are the crumbs that she referred to?

-Would you have felt defeated? Would you have just turned around and left?

5. Review Jesus response in v 28

-How did the woman's response show "great faith?"

-Why did Jesus change His course of action? Were the lost sheep of Israel no longer His chief concern?

Jesus Feeds the four thousand

In Matthew 14, Jesus healed 5 thousand people and faced a similar situation near the Sea of Galilee in Chapter 15.

1. After the people of the crowd were healed, vs 31 indicated that the crowd "praised the God of Israel."

-Was this a crowd of people that were not Israelites?

2. Why did Jesus bring the hunger of the crowd to the attention of the disciples?

-If the disciples had been with this crowd for 3 days, why hadn't they noticed that people hadn't eaten.

3. Review vs 33

-What led the disciples to forget that Jesus was able to feed this large group of people?

-Are the disciples just pointing out a fact or is this a lack of faith?

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How are these stories related to the "clean and unclean" section at the beginning of Matthew 15?

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Additional questions:

1. In reference to the story of the Canaanite woman, do you think that sometimes people don't approach Jesus because of the level of sin in their life? Do you think they view themselves as "dogs?"

2. Facing 4 thousand hungry men, women and children, the disciples question if there is enough food to feed them all. That said, they have witnessed Jesus feed more than these and even greater miracles.

-When we face trials in our life, why do we forget that God has taken us through even bigger trials in our past?

Teacher: Jeff Dodge

Matthew 15: 21-39