Welcome to AtoZMom’s BSF Blog! Learn about BSF (Bible Study Fellowship)’s BSF study of Matthew in 2021-2022. You’ll follow Jesus’s ministry all the way from his birth to his death on the cross that brought salvation to all of humanity. You’ll witness his resurrection, and with his resurrection, his redeeming purpose for all of mankind and his ushering in of eternal life.
During the fourth watch, Jesus walked on the lake to his disciples. They thought he was a ghost and were afraid. Jesus identified himself and said don’t be afraid. Peter then asked Jesus to tell him to come to him, which Jesus did. He walked towards Jesus but was afraid again. Peter then began to sink. He asked Jesus to save him, which he did. Jesus told Peter he had little faith in him. They all got in the boat, the wind died down, and they worshipped Jesus, believing he was the Son of God.
They landed at Gennesaret. The people recognized Jesus, and they spread word. All the sick came and begged to be healed by touching the edge of his cloak. And so they were healed.
12) They thought he was a ghost and were afraid. Jesus tells them to take courage and not be afraid. Jesus always wants to comfort us and meet our needs.
13a) He has faith and then it wanes. That’s like all of our faith and very human. It’s imperfect, and that’s okay.
b) I have peace when I rely on God. When I rely on myself, I have doubts.
14a) It revealed he was indeed the Son of God, that he had power over all the earth and its elements, and that he was there for them.
b) Jesus proved nothing was impossible for him, from feeding multitudes with very little to calming seas and walking on water. The disciples probably had no doubt whatsoever who Jesus was, which was important before Jesus died.
15) Many. Lately, with this last move. My job. Hard to see the purpose though.
I love the whole idea of walking on water. I want to be able to do that and maybe that’s why Peter asked Jesus to call him — he thought it would be cool, too.
The fourth watch was between 3 and 6 am. Mark (Mark 6:47-52) reveals that the disciples had been struggling against the waves all night.
Jesus could have just appeared in the boat, but he came to them in a way to grow their faith. Everything God does is for us.
Jesus takes us to places we’ve never been, and then he’s there to help us.
We have no idea Peter’s motivation for wanting to walk on water, but the disciples could do miracles, too,(Matthew 10:1) and Peter may just have wanted to try it.
When fear creeps in, we begin to sink.
Peter knew Jesus was there and cried out to him, as we all should.
We should examine why we doubt Jesus, so we can grow in faith.
Fun Fact: This is one of the first times Jesus is openly acknowledged as the Son of God and that the disciples worshipped him as such.
John tells us (John 6:21) that the boat was immediately whisked to shore after Jesus and Peter stepped in. Gennesaret was a region, not a town on the western side of the Sea of Galilee just south of Capernaum.
God uses physical objects, such as Jesus’s hem, hankerchiefs (Acts 19:11-12), and even a shadow (Acts 5:15), to heal. God offers man mercy by providing physical items we can believe in.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
After everyone was fed, Jesus made the disciples go on ahead of him in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. He dismissed the crowd and then went up a mountainside to pray alone. A wind had come up against the boat.
10a) The people began to call Jesus the Prophet. They wanted to make him king by force so he withdrew to the mountain by himself.
b)
For His disciples: he wanted to protect his disciples from an unruly crowd.
For the crowd: he wanted to escape the crowd and not get their hopes up about his earthly kingdom
For Jesus himself: he wanted to talk to His father alone and escape the hubbub, too.
11a) Jesus intentionally sends us into the storms in our lives so we can learn from them and grow closer to God.
b) I do not like living where I am living, and I’m trying to figure out how to move as quickly as possible. It’s an extreme let down here, but I’m trying to find God’s plan for me here until I can move again.
I love how there can be so much packed into three verses in the Bible. We get more information when we read the same story in different Gospels. I love how Jesus needed to be alone as much as we sometimes need to be alone.
Jesus made his disciples leave for many reasons:
Jesus needed to be with God and pray, as we all do in the midst of our daily lives and service.
Jesus controlled the storm he sent to the disciples in the boat. He let them row for many hours — till they point they had to rely on him. Perhaps Jesus was praying for them, too, on the mountainside with God.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hearing upon John the Baptist’s death, Jesus withdrew by boat to be alone. However, the crowds followed him. When Jesus landed, he had compassion on the people and healed the sick. When it was getting dark, Jesus’s disciples asked Jesus to send the crowds away so they could feed themselves. Jesus said the crowds could stay and asked the disciples to feed them. They said all they had was five loaves of bread and two fish.
Jesus had the loaves and the fish brought to him. Jesus then gave thanks for the food and broke the bread. The disciples distributed it. Everyone ate, and they had 12 basketfulls left over. 5,000 men ate in addition to women and children.
7a) He wanted to grieve the loss of his friend alone, as well as pray for John’s soul.
b) There are still obligations that must be met despite grief.
8a) By turning what they thought impossible (feeding thousands of people) into the possible — and with leftovers to boot!
b) God loves to provide for us abundantly. If we ask him for the impossible, He can do it, and we should expect that as well as to exceed our expectations.
9) Jesus had compassion on the people and personally sacrificed to heal and feed them. He performed miracle after miracle, taking care of human needs and for humans only.
I love how God gives you more than what you ask for in this world. I need to remember this when I become down in life.
We will begin to see Jesus focus his ministry on growing the disciples’ faith.
I think most of us cannot fathom the depth of compassion Jesus had/has for his people. He fed the multitude not because he had to or it was expected, but because he wanted to.
Jesus challenged the disciples to have faith and to have compassion on others.
The bread and the fish were indeed from a little boy as told in (John 6:9). The disciples had no food as they relied on others to have compassion on them. Ironic, right?
Bible scholars suggest that this was a celebratory event. Perhaps Jesus was thinking this was a great way to remember John the Baptist.
Jesus thanked God for the food and again demonstrated his entire power over all of creation and the world.
God gave above and beyond to the people, which is what He wants to do for us.
Note there were 12 extra baskets of bread, one for each of the disciples. This miracle was about feeding people, but it was just as much for the disciples as for the people. Jesus needed to grow their faith in him as the ultimate provider of all things.
Bible scholars suggest the total number of people to be between 15,000 and 20,000.
Fun Fact: This story is recorded in all four Gospels, showing it’s importance as a miracle.
Many believed that the Messiah would restore manna. Here is that manna.
Jesus let the disciples be a part of the miracle, too, even though he didn’t have to. We are all a part of God’s plan, whether we know it or not.
Herod heard about Jesus and thought he was John the Baptist risen from the dead. Herod had arrested John and put him in prison because John had told him taking his brother’s wife was unlawful. He wanted to kill John, but he was afraid.
Herod was tricked by Herodias’ daughter. She danced for him on his birthday and he liked it so much he promised to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. The king had to acquiesce since he took an oath and so many people were there. The girl took the head to her mother, and John’s disciples buried John’s body and then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus had sent out his disciples to drive out demons and heal the sick. King Herod thought that John the Baptist had risen from the dead because of this. Others said he was Elijah. Herod had arrested John and thrown him in jail because he was saying it was unlawful for him to marry his brother’s wife. She did not like John and wanted him killed, but Herod feared John and protected him. He liked to listen to John.
On Herod’s birthday, he gave a banquet for his high officials. Herodias’ daughter dance for him, and he promised her he’d give her whatever she asked up to half his kingdom. The girl asked her mother what to ask for. She asked for the head of John the Baptist. The king could not back down. He immediately had John the Baptist beheaded and his head brought. The girl gave it to her mother, and John’s disciples buried John’s body.
3) He thought Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Because he knew John to be a prophet and genuinely believed this could happen. He was superstitious, and he felt guilty over killing him. Plus, scholars say John the Baptist looked a lot like Jesus.
4a) Herodias did not like how John said her marriage to Herod was unlawful. She wanted him dead so she concocted a scheme to do so.
b) She used her to dance and lure the king into promising her whatever she asked for.
c) He wanted to save face. He could not back down fearing he’d appear weak and his word would not be trusted.
5) Sin breeds sin, and it’s best to stop it as soon as possible rather than keep sinning when you know it to be wrong.
6) That they took John’s body to bury it, as was appropriate and that they told Jesus. This could have been because they knew how close they were or they wanted to Jesus to know becuase he may be in danger, too
The saddest part of this story is how a mother uses her daughter to commit murder essentially. This obviously is not how a good parent should act. Also, Herod is very superstitious.
A tetrarch was a ruling of four people. In this case, when Herod the Great died, each of his four sons received a portion of the territory. This was a title, but Herod wanted to be called king. Herod (known as Herod Antipas) asked Roman Emperor Caligula for the title but was denied. He ruled over Galilee and therefore had heard a lot about Jesus. He thought Jesus might be John the Baptist reincarnated. John has been killed a year ago when this story is being told.
Herod had illegally divorced his first wife in order to marry his brother’s wife. No one said anything about this out of fear of death except John the Baptist. Later, the King of Petra would declare war on Herod since his daughter was Herod’s first wife.
Herod feared what the people would do if he killed John.
Herodias’ daughter was a teenager, and the dance would have been inappropriate to say the least. Why a ruler’s daughter would dance is unknown here.
Herodias knew Herod would promise her daughter anything. She knew immediately she wanted John’s head.
Herod did not want to kill John, but he gave in to societal pressure. He pleased people rather than God.
Both Herodias and Herod end up disgraced later in life all due to this sin, and they both commit suicide. Herod was accused of treason, and he was banished.
Jesus was taken as Elijah by some because it was prophesied Elijah would come before the Messiah did (Malachi 4:5). Jesus was also thought to be the Prophet whom Moses said would come after him (Deuteronomy 18:15).
No doubt Herodias’ daughter was hoping she could request something she wanted.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hey all!
I thought I’d offer up some of my favorite holiday gifts for loved ones, friends, and family. These run the gamut in order to satifsy all of you. Enjoy!
Enjoy!
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The disciples say they understand. Jesus says then they are like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new and old treasures.
Jesus then traveled to his hometown of Nazareth to teach. They were amazed by his wisdom and miraculous powers. They knew he was Mary’s son and his brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and his sisters. The took offense because they couldn’t see how he could have these powers. Jesus told them he was without honor amongst those who knew him. Since they lacked faith, Jesus did not do many miracles there.
11a) The responsibility to teach others.
b) The “old” treasures refer to the Old Testament laws and the “new” treasures refer to Jesus and the redemption he brings. Alternatively, you can think of this as the “old” as the truths and mysteries that Jesus (the “new”) fulfilled.
c) Having both the knowledge of the Old and the New Testament gives you a full picture of how to live your life on this side of heaven. The treasures God has given me is helping others through this medium know him. And, helping my family and those I know understand God’s Word, too.
12a) They took offense.
b) He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
c) Some people will never turn to the Lord no matter what they see or hear.
13) None, in truth.
I always love the idea of old and new, like putting on your new self (Ephesians 4:22-24). It gives me hope when I sin that I can be new again.
Great resource!
The disciples say they understand, but how many times have you said you understood when in reality, you had no clue? More would be revealed as time goes on, which is how our journey in Christ looks, too. The more we know, the deeper we grow with God and the more we understand.
The parable of the household or homeowner is Jesus’s last parable of the kingdom of heaven.
You bring items out of a storeroom to share.
Since the disciples understand, they must now impart that knowledge to others. Teachers of the Word must understand so that the people do.
No one can believe a lowly carpenter’s son can do such things. He was a normal boy when they knew him.
We can infer that most people of extraordinary talent or ability are normal people.
Note how important belief is again in Jesus’s healing and helping others. You must believe if you are to be helped.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Jesus tells the parable of the net. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches all kinds of fish. The fisherman collected the good fish but threw the bad fish away. At the End Times, the angels will separate the wicked from the good in the same way. The wicked will be thrown into a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
9)
The net: the world
The good fish: believers
the bad fish: unbelievers
The fisherman: Jesus
The outcomes for both types of fish:
Good fish — go to heaven
Bad fish — will be thrown into a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
10a)
In Matthew 13:37-43:
The two sowers: the sower who sowed the good seed is Jesus. The sower who sowed the weeds is the devil.
The good seed: believers
The weeds: unbelievers
The harvest: the Second Coming
The harvesters: angels
Both set up and tell the same scenario how at the End Times, there will be a judgement and a forever separation of the wicked from the good.
b) People either ignore the warnings and encouragement, or they turn to Jesus. Both the warning and encouragment serve to help people turn to Jesus and give believers strength to carry on. People’s response to the warnings or encouragement determine their eternal destination.
c) There have been several but none really stand out for instances. Holding your tongue, patience, and doing God’s will. In sum, just try to be more like Jesus every day.
I love this parable because it’s easy to understand and everyone can relate, even in modern times.
Dragnets were thrown out like in my photo above, and all types of fish were caught. The good ones were the ones that were kept; the rest were thrown back. Remember, Old Testament food laws still applied; some types of fish were considered unclean and could not be eaten.
Gnashing teeth represent anger, as unbelievers will be eternally angry at God for sending them to the pits of Hell.
There will always be unbelievers, even at the End Times. Trying to convert everyone is unrealistic.
Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found the treasure, he hid it and then sold all he had to buy the field where the treasure lie. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he sold everything he had to buy it.
6a) Similarities in two tales: Both times the man sold all he had to acquire what he wanted. Something extremely valuable is discovered, desired, and purchased. Differences: the man could have kept the treasure the first time without having to sell everything he owned to acquire it.
b) That the man would give up everything he had to have what he desired.
7a) In order to have the kingdom of heaven, you must be willing to give up everything you have. Philippians 3:8 says you must be willing to lose all things to know Christ. In Colossians 2:2-3, Paul says his purpose is to that all of us have complete understanding to know the mystery of God and Christ where all wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Psalms 16:5-6 says God has assigned us our portion and cup and made our lot secure as our inheritance. Romans 8:32 says that God gave up his own Son for us and give us all things.
b) That we must be willing to give all we have to follow Christ.
8 ) It’s encouraging to know that the more you give up in Christ’s name, the more you will know him. This is sacrificing time to study the Bible, tell others about the Bible, and grow deeper in your relationship with God.
It’s important to note the differences here. You must be willing to sell everything to follow Christ. However, do so smartly. For Christ, we are worth it. Is he worth it to you?
Great resource!
In the parable of the hidden treasure, the man is Jesus and the field is the world. Jesus gave everything to purchase his treasure (believers). At the time, whoever owned the land would get the treasure; not the one who found it.
Consider how rare it is to find buried treasure. That shows how valuable we are to Jesus.
So we go from corruption to value added in Jesus’s parables.
In the parable of the pearl, Jesus is the buyer of the pearl, and the believer is the pearl that is so valuable to him that he would be happy to sell everything to have it. A pearl in ancient times was extremely valuable and desired. People would have instantly recognized this value. This shows you just how much Jesus values you.
Fun Fact: “Kingdom of heaven” appears more than 60 times in the Gospels.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.