by Geoff Waugh
Published by the Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, 1992.
Contents
Introduction
Part I The life and ministry of Jesus
Preparation: The coming of Jesus the Messiah
1. The coming of the Lord - Matthew 24:3644
2. John the Baptist - Matthew 3:112
3. The Messiah - Matthew 11:211
4. Mary's Son - Matthew 1:1825
5. Infancy and childhood of Jesus - Matthew 2:1323
6. Reflections on the birth of Jesus - John 1:118
Commencement: The figure of Jesus the Messiah
7. The baptism of Jesus - Matthew 3:1317
8. The witness of John the Baptist - John 1:2934
Christ's design for life in God's kingdom
Narrative:
9. The call of the first disciples - Matthew 4:1223
Discourse:
10. The sermon on the mount (1) - Matthew 5:112
11. The sermon on the mount (2) - Matthew 5:1316
12. The sermon on the mount (3) - Matthew 5:1726
13. The sermon on the mount (4) - Matthew 5:2737
14. The sermon on the mount (5) - Matthew 5:3848
15. The sermon on the mount (6) - Matthew 7:2129
The spread of God's kingdom
Narrative:
16. The call of Levi - Matthew 9:913
Discourse:
17. The mission sermon (1) - Matthew 9:3510:8
18. The mission sermon (2) - Matthew 10:2433
19. The mission sermon (3) - Matthew 10:3442
The mystery of God's kingdom
Narrative:
20. The revelation to the simple - Matthew 11:2530
Discourse:
21. The parable sermon (1) - Matthew 13:123
22. The parable sermon (2) - Matthew 13:2443
23. The parable sermon (3) - Matthew 13:4452
God's Kingdom on earth and the Church
Narrative:
24. The feeding of the five thousand - Matthew 14:1321
25. Jesus walks on the water - Matthew 14:2233
26. The Canaanite woman - Matthew 15:2128
27. Peter's confession - Matthew 16:1320
28. Discipleship - Matthew 16:2128
Discourse:
29. The community sermon (1) - Matthew 18:1520
30. The community sermon (2) - Matthew 18:2135
Authority and invitation: the ministry ends
Narrative:
31. The parable of the labourers - Matthew 20:116
32. The parable of the two sons - Matthew 21:2832
33. The parable of the tenants - Matthew 21:3343
34. The parable of the marriage feast - Matthew 22:114
35. Paying tribute to Caesar - Matthew 22:1522
36. The greatest commandment - Matthew 22:3446
37. Hypocrisy and ambition - Matthew 23:112
Discourse:
38. The final sermon (1) - Matthew 25:113
39. The final sermon (2) - Matthew 25:1430
Conclusion: God's kingdom fulfilled
40. Christ the King - Matthew 25:3146
Part II The death and resurrection of Jesus
Preparation for the passion of Jesus
1. The transfiguration - Matthew 17:19
2. The temptations - Matthew 4:111
3. The meaning of the cross - John 3:117
4. Signs of the resurrection (1) - John 4:542
5. Signs of the resurrection (2) - John 9:141
6. Signs of the resurrection (3) - John 11:145
7. Palm Sunday and the crucifixion - Matthew 21:111; Matthew 26:1427:66
Resurrection appearances of Jesus
8. The empty tomb - John 20:118
9. The leaders react - John 20:1931
10. The Emmaus road - Luke 24:1335
Observations about Jesus
11. Jesus the Good Shepherd - John 10:110
12. Jesus the way, truth and life - John 14:114
13. Jesus present among his people - John 14:1521
14. Jesus prays for his people - John 17:111
The coming of the Holy Spirit
15. The day of Pentecost - John 20:1923; John 7:3739
Conclusion: The Godhead
16. The Trinity - Matthew 28:1620
Appendix 1: Studies arranged according to lectionary readings
Appendix 2: Studies arranged according to gospel readings
Introduction
Matthew the evangelist wrote especially for Jews. He begins his gospel presenting Jesus Christ as the son of David, the son of Abraham. He ends his gospel with the Great Commission declaring that Jesus sends his followers into all nations. In Jesus, God's covenant embraces the whole world.
This radical evangelistic missionary gospel shocked traditional Jews. Matthew insists that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, backing up his claims with many quotations from the Old Testament. He argues that Jesus did not do away with the Scriptures, but fulfilled them (5:17). He emphasises the missionary nature of Jesus' ministry and of his church.
This gospel continually confronted the Jewish Christian community as well as other Jews. Here is a persistent and urgent call to mission. The good news is for all people, not only for Jews.
Matthew begins his Gospel telling of the coming of Jesus the Messiah who proclaims God's kingdom (1:1; 2:2). The figure of Jesus the Messiah is announced by John the Baptist, as prophesied (3:13).
The beginning of the ministry in Galilee shows Christ's design for life in God's kingdom, again fulfilling prophecy (4:1517, 23). Chapters 57 gather the words of Jesus together in 'The Sermon on the Mount' in which we are challenged to seek first the kingdom of God (6:33). Here is the kingdom charter, the ethics of kingdom living. The chapters that follow demonstrate God's kingdom in the works of Jesus.
Matthew gathers the discourses of Jesus as teaching segments throughout his narrative. He often uses the phrase 'kingdom of heaven' for 'kingdom of God' in typical Jewish reverence for the word 'God' (19:2324).
Jesus' ministry is summarised in 4:23 as teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. This statement introduces the words and works of Jesus in chapters 59. Then in 9:35 the same statement is repeated. Here it introduces the mission of Jesus' followers.
The mission discourse commencing from 9:35 tells of Jesus' plan for the spread of God's kingdom. His disciples will continue his ministry. They will proclaim the kingdom of God (10:1, 78).
The chapters following the mission discourse show the radical nature of the mystery of God's kingdom. This mystery is revealed by Jesus to those committed to him (11:27; 13:11), but concealed from others, as indicated in the parable discourses of chapter 13.
Matthew, the only gospel writer to use the word church, points out that Jesus' church has his authority (16:1819; 18:1718). The church is the agent of God's kigdom and manifests the kindgom in the world.
Tensions with the keepers of Israel's traditions reached flash point and boiled over into Jesus' arrest and execution. That is the volatile setting in which Jesus pressed his authority and invitation as the ministry ends. The king is crowned with thorns and crucified. Apparent defeat in death is then turned into the amazing victory of resurrection. Christ the King reigns. We all acknowledge his reign in the end. In Jesus' victory we see God's kingdom fulfilled.
The mysteries of the passion of Jesus, his death and resurrection and the promise of the Holy Spirit conclude with the astounding claim in the Great Commission that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, God's Son, the Messiah. He commissions us to make disciples of all nations. He is with us to the end.
Relational Bible studies
These relational Bible studies can be used for both personal and group study.
Personal study, which may be in preparation for a group session or just for your own interest, will involve reading the Bible passages and thinking about the questions for yourself. It helps to keep a note book or journal of your insights or discoveries.
If these readings are used in your church on Sundays you could work through the study after that Sunday and also read the next study in preparation for the following Sunday. You may have friends with whom you would like to discuss some of the issues.
Group study involves you with others. These studies invite you to relate together at the beginning, to respond to the Bible material in personal ways and to reflect on its meaning for your own lives and circumstances.
A rough time guide for each study would be to allow about 15 minutes for the Relate section, about 30 minutes for the Respond section and another 15 minutes for the Reflect section. Sometimes you will go longer than that, especially at the end. Reading the passages at home before the study helps you become familiar with the topic and gain more from your group discussion.
Any study can be used on its own, so you could select some to suit the number of weeks or studies you want. If your group is large, you will gain more by working in subgroups of about three to five, particularly for the final section of the study. Smaller groups allow more personal sharing and specific prayer.
Using the lectionary
This study book follows the story of Jesus using lectionary readings from the year of Matthew (Year A). The readings include passages from other gospels as well, especially John.
These group studies may be used following the lectionary dates or may be used independently, in full or in part, at any time. You could try one section to see if it suits your group or meets your needs, such as studies for Lent (see Appendix 1). Some groups may choose to select passages from Matthew only and omit studies from other gospels used in the lectionary readings (see Appendix 2).
Appendix 1 gives you an outline of the lectionary year. For groups following the set dates of Sunday readings the studies from Part II on the death and resurrection of Jesus will fit into Part I at the Lent to Pentecost seasons.
Study 1, The Coming of the Lord, forms a bridge between the previous lectionary year (which concludes with Christ the King) and the new lectionary year. So the first study both looks toward the fulfilment of the coming of the Lord as King and introduces the advent of Jesus.
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(c) Geoff Waugh, 1992, The Joint Board of Christian Education.
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