SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
Matthew 4:12 through 11:1

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)

BACKGROUND

After hearing of the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus left Nazareth and went to the area of Galilee. He made His residence in Capernaum — a city located on the northwestern end of the Sea of Galilee, a large lake that was also at times called the Lake of Gennesaret, Lake of Tiberias, and the Sea of Tiberias.

It was at this time that Jesus began to preach the message of repentance. Along the shoreline of Galilee, He called four fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James, and John to be His disciples. He healed the sick, preached the Gospel, and taught in the synagogues. The word synagogue comes from the Greek words syn which means “together” and ago, which means “to collect.” During the time of Jesus’ ministry, there were numerous synagogues in Israel; the number in Jerusalem alone was thought to be as high as 480.

It was on a hillside rather than in a synagogue that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples and the multitude. The fame of Jesus’ miracles had spread throughout the area and great numbers of people followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond Jordan. Decapolis was a region east of Jordan, containing ten cities, primarily inhabited by Greek settlers. People from Perea inhabited the area “beyond Jordan.” Jesus used this opportunity to teach on a mountain by the Sea of Galilee. The topography of the region provided a natural amphitheater, so His voice would have projected well. Tradition maintains that a sixty-foot hill once called the Horns of Hattin, square-shaped with two tops, is the location of the Sermon on the Mount. The location is now commonly called the Mount of the Beatitudes.

Jesus’ discourse began with the Beatitudes: nine blessings that result from proper attitudes of the heart. Next, He used salt and light to illustrate the effect His disciples should have in the world. He then taught about murder and anger, temptation, divorce, oaths, forgiveness, loving one’s enemies, giving, praying, fasting, obtaining treasures in Heaven, and worrying.

He concluded the sermon by encouraging His listeners not to judge others, and instructing them on how to ask and receive from God. Jesus described the way to Heaven as a “strait [narrow] gate” and the way to destruction as a “wide gate.” After warning about false prophets, He closed the sermon by describing people who would build on rock or sand, using this visualization to illustrate the importance of not merely hearing, but hearing and then obeying.

Chapters 8 and 9 record several of Jesus’ miracles: healing a leper, calming a stormy sea, casting the devils out of two men, and restoring sight and speech.

Jesus then called twelve men to be His disciples, giving them power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every type of disease and illness. It was at this time that they began to be called Apostles.

SUGGESTED RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS

1. After John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). What do you think He meant by this phrase?
   
   The Jewish people had expected that when the Messiah came, He would set up an earthly kingdom and deliver them from bondage, but that was not the kingdom of heaven that Jesus spoke of. To an oppressed world under the dominion of Satan, God’s kingdom, and the plan of salvation, was about to unfold. The Greek word engidzo, which is translated “at hand,” means, “to make near.” Soon Christ would be crucified and mankind would have access to redemption through His sacrifice, thus beginning the dispensation of Grace. Jesus began His first message of this Good News with the key to that kingdom — repent.
   
   Ask your students to share ways that people today are made aware of the “kingdom of heaven.” They will possibly bring out that Holy Ghost conviction, an invitation to church, personal testimonies, and printed Gospel literature are some of the ways God uses.
   
2. What was the profession of the first four men that Jesus asked to follow Him? Why do you suppose He singled out these four men?
   
   The first four disciples — Peter, Andrew, James, and John — had been fishermen. They appeared to be industrious, hard-working men. However, it was not these character attributes alone that caused Jesus to call them. He knew it was in their hearts to forsake their livelihood and to become His disciples.
   
   As a class exercise, you could ask for a list of things that we may need to leave in order to be followers of Christ. Suggestions may include: businesses, family, friends, hobbies, jobs, material possessions, and personal ambitions.
   
3. The word beatitude comes from the Latin beatus, which is translated “blessed.” In your own words, describe how each of the Beatitudes applies to us today.
   
   Encourage your students to share their answers and consider everyday situations where we may have an opportunity to demonstrate these qualities.
   
   “Poor in spirit” refers to a person who is humble and recognizes his spiritual poverty. This is the condition we were in at the point of repentance. We were humbled by our inability to overcome our failure before God and the inability within ourselves to do anything about it. Humility should continue in our Christian walk.
   
   Those who mourn have godly sorrow because they recognize their morally bankrupt condition before God. They recognize the depth of their sinful state, their indebtedness to God, and the judgment they deserve for their guilt, and their mourning leads to repentance and conversion. Mourning, however, does not stop there. Sincere Christians mourn over any area where they fall short of perfect Christlikeness. Only a shallow Christian can feel complacent.
   
   The meek are those who have a true attitude of humility. Being meek is not being weak. The world believes that the way to win is to aggressively promote oneself, but the meek recognize the necessity of putting down pride and self.
   
   Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are those who crave God’s Word and close communion with Him. These are the sincere and diligent seekers who depend daily on God for spiritual sustenance.
   
   The merciful are those who have received mercy from Christ, and thus are conscious of the necessity to freely forgive and pardon their fellowman. Forgiving one who has wronged us is a powerful testimony, and it is indicative of a nature that is like Christ’s.
   
   The pure in heart are those who have their minds, motives, and principles sanctified by God. The experience of sanctification gives us the ability to live in a holy manner and be pure in heart.
   
   The peacemakers are those who strive to prevent contention and strife. Out of God-given love for our fellowman, we will have a desire to foster unity where Satan sows strife.
   
   The persecuted for righteousness’ sake are the ones who suffer mental and physical abuse for upholding the truths found in God’s Word. We may be subject to threats, vandalism, and physical abuse for taking our stand for God.
   
   The reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused are those who have evil things spoken against them both in their presence and absence. People may ridicule our Christian views, make fun of us, and accuse us falsely in an effort to discredit us.
   
4. Jesus used two symbols to describe the influence that Christians have on a non-Christian society. What were these two symbols, and how can we exhibit attributes of these in our daily lives? Matthew 5:13-16
   
   The two symbols Jesus used were salt and light. In the ancient world, salt was used both as a flavor enhancer and a food preservative. Insipid foods are unpalatable without salt; life without Jesus is insipid. The students should be encouraged to consider ways that they can “flavor” the world through their Christian testimony and example. In order to slow the decay of meat, people would rub salt into it. Class discussion should bring out ways we can help others to resist the “decaying” effects of sin.
   
   Jesus once referred to Himself as the “light of the world” (John 8:12). Here, He tells His disciples that they are the light of the world. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Christ’s followers are to reflect the light from the “Sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) to a world darkened by sin.
   
5. What did Jesus mean when He said, in Matthew 5:17, that He had not come to destroy, but to fulfill the law and prophets?
   
   The word fulfill means “to accomplish, complete, execute, or perform.” The ceremonial law that Moses gave contained many rituals and sacrifices that pointed forward to Jesus Christ. They were types and shadows of the Messiah who would come, and these were fulfilled when Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to God for the sins of mankind. Thus, these laws were no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
   
   The prophets made predictions of His coming and death, which were fulfilled when Jesus was born and ultimately died on the Cross.
   
6. How is it possible for us to love our enemies? Matthew 5:44
   
   While we may not love the actions of our enemies, Jesus would have us pray for them and love their souls. The Lord said that the love we show those who curse, hate, despitefully use, and persecute us would be what distinguishes us from the world. By doing this, we overcome evil with good.
   
   Ask your students for some present-day examples of “enemies,” and have them come up with a list of ways that we can show them our love. Possibilities may include: classmates, co-workers, customers, employers, family members, neighbors, students, and teachers. Some suggestions for showing love could be: by avoiding strife, being compliant, engaging in kind conversation, performing courteous acts, apologizing quickly for real or perceived misunderstandings, and praying for the individuals who oppose us.
   
7. What was the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ teachings? Matthew 7:28-29
   
   They were astonished (amazed) at His doctrine. He taught with authority and not in the manner of the religious leaders.
   
   Ask your students why they think the people were astonished. What type of teaching were they used to? The students should conclude that rather than rituals, rules, and regulations, Jesus taught them principles by which they could live. For the first time, they heard how true godly character flowed from within. Jesus spoke with divine authority, which came directly from God, the highest Authority.
   
8. In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus and His disciples were in a ship when a storm struck. Jesus was awakened from sleep and when He rebuked the winds and the sea, there was a great calm. Consider a time when the Lord calmed a troubling situation in your life. What was your reaction to your situation? How did you solicit the Lord’s help and what was the result?
   
   You may want to have one or two students share personal testimonies. The point should be made that it is easy to become overwhelmed by a problem. We may try to figure it out on our own. However, it is through prayer that we get “self” out of the way and receive answers and peace from God.
   
   Bring out that the Lord is just as aware of our situations as He was of the storm blowing around the disciples who were in the ship with Him. We can have confidence and faith that the Lord knows our needs and hears us when we ask Him for help.

CONCLUSION

The Lord desires for us to build our lives on the foundation of His Word. As we apply the Word in daily living, we will exhibit the true Christian character that will draw others to Christ.