Jesus gets in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee when a storm arises. Jesus is sleeping, so his disciples go to wake him. The waves are crashing. The disciples think they will drown. Jesus tells them they have little faith. Jesus calmed the sea, amazing his disciples.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 4: Matthew 8:23-27
10) He calms the storm so his disciples won’t be afraid. As noted by the disciples, the fact that he can command the waves and the wind shows his deity. We also see Jesus needs sleep, too, just like humans.
11a) That they had no faith in him because they were afraid.
b) That he cared for them enough to allay their fears.
12a) Unsure about storm. I’m trying to find a new day job. I’m also looking to maybe move again in the future.
b) I need to have faith in Jesus to calm the storms and sort them all out, sheltering me the entire way.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 4: Matthew 8:23-27
This is one of the best stories about Jesus. Jesus calms the storm for his disciples’ sake, and he shows his power. Plus, I love the whole idea of Jesus calming my storms. Fabulous!
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 4: Matthew 8:23-27
The Sea of Galilee frequently has heavy storms. Capernaum lies on its coast.
Jesus slept through the storm. This shows what rest we can have when we have complete faith in the Father to provide us with what we need and to protect us from the world’s evils.
When you have complete trust in the Father, there is no room for fear. This is why Jesus rebukes his disciples, not for having woken him. If you have the Savior of the World in your boat, you should feel secure. Plus, they had just seen Jesus heal people miraculously. Where was their faith?
Rebuke is stronger than calm. Rebuke means, “to express sharp disapproval or criticism of someone or someone’s behaviors.” Thus, some Bible scholars think Satan may have sent the storm to drown Jesus and his disciples.
Here, the disciples see Jesus as fully man and fully God for the first time. This is why they marveled. Powerful stuff!
Jesus crossed over the lake (Sea of Galilee) in order to escape the crowds. A teacher of the law told Jesus he would follow him wherever he went. Another said he would follow him after he buried his father. Jesus said to follow him and bury your dead later.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 3: Matthew 8:18-22
7) The first follower may be in a honeymoon stage, so Jesus tells him it’s not all fun and games. The second follower loves Jesus, but puts his human father first. He is a reluctant follower.
8a) The cost for the first man is giving up everything and living a very simple life with no real home.
b) The cost for the second man is putting him first above his human family and giving his whole heart to Jesus.
9a) People only follow Jesus when it’s convenient for them. The second it gets hard or they have to sacrifice, they bail.
b) You have to do what God wants you to do, not what others want you to do. You have to put God first always, and sometimes that can cause friction between family members. I’ve had to end some relationships with friends over following Jesus’s path for my life.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 3: Matthew 8:18-22
I love how simple Jesus is so that we simple humans can grasp his meaning. It’s simple: follow him completely and totally above all others.
Cool art decor here.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 3: Matthew 8:18-22
Jesus needed a break from the crowds. He did not seek notarity. Many were attracted to following Jesus because they were mesmerized by his miracles. But these two did not have the heart Jesus was seeking.
Jesus is blunt by saying that he truly did not have a home. He lived a very simple life, and by telling the man this, he hoped to not lead him astray about what his ministry was really all about. This is a great lesson for pastors of today.
Fun Fact: “The Son of Man” is used 81 times in the gospels. Jesus referred to himself as this many times, or you’ll see it when someone in the Bible quotes him. It evokes power and glory as seen here (Daniel 7:13-14) and the humility (Psalm 8:4).
What modern readers miss here is that the father of the second man is not dead; if he was, the man would have said something along the lines of digging a grave. Thus, the man wanted to care for his ailing father, which could have been years for all we know. This man was a disciple, but not with the heart of the 12 disciples who were all in. Jesus wants those who are all in for him.
Jesus clearly states that although family is important, he is more so. He is very forthright and honest in his ministry as we should be.
After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus came down from the mountain. His teaching amazed everyone. A man with leprosy approached Jesus and asked him to make him clean. Jesus healed the man and told him to not tell others but instead to go to the priests and offer a gift that Moses commanded as a testimony instead.
In Capernaum, a Roman centurion (an elite soldier) came to Jesus to ask him to heal one of his servants who is paralyzed. Jesus agreed to come. However, the centurion did not think he was worthy to have Jesus under his roof, so he asked Jesus to heal the man from afar. Jesus admired his faith and did so.
Jesus arrived at Peter’s house. His mother-in-law was sick. When he touched her, he healed her.
Jesus healed many more and cast out many demons.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 2: Matthew 8:1-17
3) He asked Jesus in a humble way (kneeling and worshipping him) to heal him and Jesus did. He had faith Jesus could heal him; it was only a matter of if Jesus was willing. Leviticus 13:2-3 tells us that priests declared those with an infectious skin disease unceremoniously. Verses 44-46 tell us that those who continue to have an infectious skin disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, and cry out, “Unclean!” They must live alone and outside of camp. Here, Jesus touches the man without hesitation despite his unclean status.
4a) The centurion asked Jesus to heal one of his servants who is paralyzed. Jesus agreed to come.
b) However, the centurion did not think he was worthy to have Jesus under his roof, so he asked Jesus to heal the man from afar. Jesus admired his faith and did so.
5) Healing people showed Jesus’s compassion, his authority, and his power. It also showed he fulfilled prophecy, as we read in Isaiah about how their savior will heal the deaf, the blind, the lame, to free captives from prison, and to release those in the dark. It revealed he was God’s chosen one.
6) It’s encouraging that Jesus has the power to change lives.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 2: Matthew 8:1-17
I love these stories of Jesus’s healing ministry. It gives me hope that Jesus will heal others, and I love to imagine what it would have been like to see Jesus do so.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 9, Day 2: Matthew 8:1-17
We will not see 10 miracles that Jesus performs after the Sermon on the Mount. This served to further establish his authority. Matthew puts these in no particular order, and they differ considerably from the order in Mark and Luke. These chapters will focus on Jesus’s power and authority over all things. Here, we’ll see three people who normally would have been ignored in the Jewish culture.
The Healing of the Leper
Leprosy was akin to COVID-19 except you had no hope of a cure. You had to stay in isolation, away from friends and family. You had to stay 6 feet away from lepers (sound familiar?), so you wouldn’t be unclean. Those with leprosy were essentially dead. This man wanted cleansing — cleansing of his life, of the treatment he had to endure, of the mental anguish he suffered.
NOTE: This is the first place in the Bible where Jesus is called Lord. And note it’s by a leper, an outcast in society. It’s also Jesus’s first recorded healing in the Gospels.
You could not touch a leper, but Jesus did. He didn’t have to, but the leper needed to be touched. Mark 1:41 Jesus has compassion. He shows this to us each and every day.
We see Jesus carefully controlling his reputation when he tells the leper not to shout to the world what happened. Instead, he tells the leper to go quietly to the priest so he could be declared clean and enter society again. He did not want the crowds to get excited. Instead, he meets us where we are at. However, we see in Mark that the leper proclaimed his healing anyway. (Mark 1:44-45).
The Centurion
Jesus lived in Capernaum Matthew 4:13 , so he was going home here.
The Centurion was a man of substance, stature, and wealth. He must have cared a great deal about his servant to come to a Jewish leader on his behalf. Under Roman law, if a slave became ill, the owner could kill him. This would have been the normal reaction, not going to a rabbi.
FUN FACT: There are at least 7 centurions mentioned in the New Testament, and they are all good-hearted.
Jews were not allowed to enter Gentiles’ homes because they would become unclean. The centurion knew this so was looking out for Jesus.
The centurion understood that Jesus did not need to be present to heal. He had faith in Jesus’s powers.
You could say that this centurion understood who Jesus was much more than 99% of the Jewish people at this time, and more than most of the spiritual leaders/Pharisees, too.
Jesus praised this faith, going further by saying that Gentiles will share in God’s kingdom, too. He says that Jews are not guaranteed entry just because of their identity, either.
Heaven will have people sitting and people from everywhere.
FUN FACT: Jesus spoke of hell more so than any other in the Bible.
Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law
This makes it clear that Peter was married, making it clear you did not have to be celibate to be a priest. Again, Jesus uses a touch to heal; he cares for the big hurts and the small hurts alike. She rises and serves.
Jesus Heals Many
Matthew shows Jesus as the true Messiah and the one Isaiah speaks of. Jesus takes our sicknesses and carries them himself. This is how we can be with God.
There were many possessed of demons at this time, and the reasoning for it is unclear. Bible scholars say it was just a dark time and magic was prevalent.
God heals physically in many ways as we see here — with a touch, words, and other ways. Jesus heals those who ask, those who others ask for, and those who don’t ask. God is sovereign in His healing powers.
Only those who do the will of the Father will get into heaven. Basically, those who aren’t hypocrites and truly have a heart for God.
Those who follow God’s law and Jesus’s teaching will have a firm foundation like someone who built his house on a rock. Those who don’t are like the foolish man who built his house on sand, so the house eventually fell under the strain.
The crowds were amazing as Jesus’s authoritative teachings.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 5: Matthew 7:21-29
12a) Only those who do the will of the Father will get into heaven. Basically, those who aren’t hypocrites and truly have a heart for God.
b) You have to walk the walk. It’s important to act on God’s Word and not just know it.
13a) Isaiah 28:16 says trust in God. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says that Jesus Christ is our foundation. You build your life upon God’s Word and Jesus’s teachings by doing your best to follow them.
b) By not following God’s laws, commands, and teachings. By being completely out for yourself. By doing evil.
14) It gives me hope, strength, and encouragement to keep going.
15) Your actions.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 5: Matthew 7:21-29
I love the foundation analogies because it’s so true. If you are grounded in God and His Word, no storm can penetrate or blow you over.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 5: Matthew 7:21-29
Jesus warns about those who do not have a heart for God. They merely say things without truly believing it. Saying Jesus is your Lord and Savior is not enough. You have to have a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved.
“In that day” or “On that day” refers to Jesus’s Second Coming.
Preaching is not enough. Just ask Judas.
Note that each house most likely looked the same from the outside; it was what was on the inside — the foundations — that mattered.
Your foundations will be shaken by life; it’s important that they stand the test with Jesus. (Proverbs 10:25)
We must be doers of God’s Word. We must seek out God. Doing nothing is almost as bad as doing evil. (Numbers 32:23) The results are the same.
The listeners had never heard these teachings before, and they had never seen the authority of God. Imagine! I’m sure Jesus had quite the presence.
Once your astonishment is over, it’s time to get to work, implementing the teachings.
Summary of The Sermon on the Mount
This concludes Matthew 5-7, Jesus’s longest recorded speech, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is concerned with what was on the inside. During these times, the emphasis was on the front you portrayed to others. Those who were religious tried to outdo each other by fasting for show, praying in public, and wearing Bible verses strapped to their foreheads and left arms. We cannot fool God and fake religion. He knows that inside we are broken and need a Savior.
These three chapters are among the most studied in the entire Bible. Yet, Jesus says none of this is new. He comes to fulfill the Old Testament and lays out the one truth we must hold dear: we are to live for God alone. A heart living, not one of appearances.
I hope you enjoyed these chapters as much as I did. They are full of great heart advice and reminders of who is our king and who we live for.
“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” If you ask God, He will give you good gifts like we would our kids.
Do unto others what you want done to you. This is the Law.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 3: Matthew 7:7-12
6) “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” He promises that you will receive, you will find, and doors will be opened.
7a) That God cares for us more than anything even though we are evil.
b) Romans 8:28 says that God works through all things for our good. After all, God gave us His only Son and gives us all things in His grace.
8a) Be very gentle, listen, offer advice, help, be caring and compassionate.
b) Matthew 22:34-40 teaches us that the greatest commands are to love God and love your neighbor. God gave us the to show us how to live and to point to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for us. God gave us all of this out of His great love. When we love, we have God’s heart.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 3: Matthew 7:7-12
This is one of my favorite verses of the Bible. God makes things so simple, yet we humans complicate them so much. Ask, seek, and knock. Then love. That’s all it takes to be God’s.
A great read about the best way to live. Check it out!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 3: Matthew 7:7-12
Jesus takes more time to teach us how to pray. When we ask, we receive, which is the reward of asking. When we seek God, we’ll find Him. He doesn’t hide from us. We knock at God’s door (heaven) to be let in. God opens the door in response to us knocking.
You enter into the Gospel like you enter an open door. While it is there, you have to ask for it and seek it out.
Sometimes you must keep asking, seeking, and knocking; God does not answer immediately. Prayer shows our dependence on God.
God wants to give us what we ask for and more.
The Golden Rule
The negative form of this was a popular saying in Jewish culture at the time. “You should not do to your neighbor what you would not want him to do to you.” Jesus turned a negative into a positive. Many cultures have a similar saying to the Golden Rule. Jesus wants us to take action.
You cannot break any of God’s laws by treating others as we want to be treated.
None of us can maintain this high standard except Jesus, but it is a worthy goal.
Jesus is still speaking his sermon on the mount. Do not judge others, and you won’t be judged. Quit being a hypocrite and judging others for it. Do not give your valuables to others who may trample them and tear you to pieces.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 2: Matthew 7:1-6
3a) Just that — Don’t judge others and think you are better than them when you are not.
b) Discernment by definition is “the ability to judge well” or in Biblical thinking “perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.” God helps you arrive at the best decision. Romans says that discernment is knowing the right thing to do and doing it. You will be able to know God’s will and be able to do it, too. Philippians says discernment is knowing what is best in order to do good and avoid sin. Hebrews says God blesses wise discernment.
c) Galatians says that believers should help those who have been caught in sin with a spirit of forgiveness. If you know about God, you must share it with others. Ephesians reminds us to be gentle, humble, and patient with others in love. Christians are to support one another, forgive each other, and help each other to be better discerners and walkers in God’s word.
4) You must be merciful because you yourself have faults, too, and are in need of mercy. James reminds us to speak and act as though you will be judged.
5) I judge others when they do behavior I think is not right. I have to remember that I probably do the same things, am a sinner, and I’m in need of mercy, too.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 2: Matthew 7:1-6
I love being reminded about how wrong judging is and to not do it. It’s such a human thing to do, to think better of yourself than others, but in God’s eyes, we are all the same. We need to look at others as such, too.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 8, Day 2: Matthew 7:1-6
You will be judged the same way you judge others. That being said, approving of others’ behavior is not the same as judging. This verse does not say you have to approve, only not to judge and/or treat others differently because of what they do, say, or believe.
Can you judge others’ behavior? Yes. But you must do so in the same manner that you want to be judged. Since a lot of people judge others by different standards than they judge themselves, it is often best not to judge at all.
Jesus uses an example to drive home his point. A plank is much larger than a speck. We are often blind to our own faults, but can see the smallest faults in others. In short, we are hypocrites. First, fix your own faults before you worry about others’.
Still, Jesus said we must use discernment to not give precious things to those who will not appreciate them. Or, do not give unbelievers holy things.
Bible scholars say that pearls are precious items. Do not give them to those who don’t want to receive them.
In sum, don’t give all of your precious strength and valuables to those whom God has not prepared to accept him. Look for those who are ready to receive Christ.
Do not worry about life, food, your body, and clothes. God takes care of the birds, and you are more valuable to God than them. Will worrying add an hour to your life? (In fact, all it does is take away an hour or more from your life).
Don’t worry about your clothes. The lilies of the field are more splendid than Solomon’s clothes ever were. If God clothes the lilies as such, won’t he clothe you, too?
Do not worry about your basic needs; God knows you need them. If you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness, all things will be given to you. Thus, don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Focus on the day at hand.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 5: Matthew 6:25-34
13) Do not worry about life, food, your body, and clothes.
14a) God takes care of the birds’ needs and He clothes the lilies of the field.
b) Money and paying the bills.
15) If you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness, all things will be given to you.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 5: Matthew 6:25-34
Most of us know a worrier (or, that person may be you). God says to trust Him that He’s got it. If you think about all of the time you worry about “what ifs” (most of which never come true), that could be time you spent instead drawing nearer to God. We all have limited hours and days given to us: how are you spending yours?
For your kids:
For you:
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 5: Matthew 6:25-34
Life is more about your physical needs. Your spiritual needs should take precedence.
You have to work to eat so this passage is not saying sit around and hope God will feed you. Stress can kill you, so there is no point to worry. It’s about working and allowing God to do the rest.
You honor God and seek His kingdom when you do the right thing in the world, such as honoring others. We spend most of our time worrying about things we have no control over and that never come to fruition. Give it to God instead.
Don’t store up treasures on earth that will eventually disappear. Instead, store up treasures in heaven where nothing can destroy or steal them. Your heart is where your treasure is.
Your eyes are the light of your body. If you have good eyes, you’ll be full of light. If your eyes are bad, you’ll be full of darkness.
You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 4: Matthew 6:19-24
9a) Everything on earth can be collected and lost — material possessions, health, family, animals, etc.
b) The good they do in the world — helping others, doing God’s will, etc
10) Psalm 119:72: God’s word and laws are more important than silver or gold. Luke 12:15-21: Life is not about how many possessions you can accumulate. Jesus tells a parable about a rich man who produced a good crop and wanted to store it all up for years to come. But God said to him he will die that night so he won’t get all that he prepared for himself. Instead, be rich for God, not yourself. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: Fix your eyes on what is eternal, and all of your troubles will achieve an eternal glory that is far greater that material items. Philippians 3:8: Everything is a loss in comparison to having and knowing Jesus who is your greatest possession. 1 Peter 1:4-5: Our inheritance is in heaven and it will never perish, spoil, or fade. It is shielded by God’s power until Jesus comes again.
11) God and money
12a) Probably material things. I work to pay the bills and have the things I want in this world. I work to raise my kids so they have everything good and easy in this world, too.
b) To treasure Him more. All things are from Him, so to recognize that when I get items I want, I’m getting them from God and a piece of Him as well.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 4: Matthew 6:19-24
Knowing who you work for and your motives is the first step towards working for God. It’s all too easy to work for things that, in the end, will never satisfy us. This is a slow process for many of us, but as our faith grows, so too will our treasure in heaven.
Great reads here!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 7, Day 4: Matthew 6:19-24
Earthly treasures are temporary and fade away; heavenly ones are permanent.
It’s helpful to think that the work we do for others will be everlasting.
We need light to see by. By being generous, we bring light to others and to our lives, too. As you probably have experienced, you are more productive when you focus on one task, and not on multiple tasks.
An evil eye meant someone who was jealous and envious of his neighbor, loved money, and was not charitable.
Our body needs all of our parts to work well, so if your eyes are bad, so is the rest of your body.
You cannot worship two gods. Use your money to serve God and therefore others. Anyone can be greedy, even those who don’t have much.
In Capernaum, a Roman centurion (an elite soldier) came to Jesus to ask him to heal one of his servants who is paralyzed. Jesus agreed to come. However, the centurion did not think he was worthy to have Jesus under his roof, so he asked Jesus to heal the man from afar. Jesus admired his faith and did so.
