Tag: Matthew

Week 5: In this final study of the Gospel According to Matthew, we will consider the Passion Narrative. Chapters 26-28 take us through the most significant moments of our faith story. Through his retelling of the Passion, Matthew offers us a tremendous picture of the God who is present to Jesus in the most excruciating moments. Jesus, quoting Psalm 22, has long been misunderstood as God turning his face from his son rather than the intended reason of pointing the listener to Psalm 22. This Psalm reminds us that God will never leave us. Matthew closes his gospel account by sending his readers out to all nations… including Jews and Gentiles.

Week 4: Week 4's study of the Gospel According to Matthew dives into chapter 18. Matthew often presents the teachings of Jesus in discourse form: The Sermon on the Mount (Ch 5-7), the Mission Discourse (Ch 10), and the Parabolic Discourse (Ch 13) are all examples of ways that Matthew groups teachings for a particular purpose. This week's study focuses on the Community Discourse found in Chapter 18, intending to provide the church community with an ethic by which to shape life together. Jesus encourages us to simplify the path for believers and always be willing to forgive.

Week 2: Today, in week 2 of The Gospel According to Matthew, we turn our focus to chapters 3 and 4. Matthew introduces us to John the Baptist, presenting him as the last of the Old Testament prophets. John’s call for repentance is reminiscent of the prophets of old and preparation for the Messiah to come. Jesus is baptized, and all is done to fulfill righteousness. As we step into chapter 4, Jesus now faces his time in the wilderness. Once again, this parallels the journey of the Israelites, except in each case, Jesus was victorious. Chapter 4 ends with Jesus finding great success in proclaiming the Good News as people start arriving from everywhere to hear and see him.

As we move into week 3 in our study of the Gospel According to Matthew, we draw our attention to the Sermon on the Mount. The heart of Matthew’s Gospel is grounded in the message that Jesus delivers in chapters 5-7. After preaching this sermon, Jesus sets out around the region, healing in the surrounding cities. Word of Jesus spreads, and before long, the disciples find themselves surrounded by a diverse population representing those near and far. As Chapter 9 draws to a close and Chapter 10 opens, we find Jesus looking out over the diverse crowd, and he has compassion for them. It is in this moment that Jesus decides to activate the disciples and sends them out to continue the work that has already begun. Our study will ask ourselves what we are doing to reach these very same lost. Is the harvest still plentiful? Are the workers still few?

Week 1: Matthew begins his Gospel by anchoring Jesus into the heart of the Jewish faith. By starting with Abraham, connecting David, and then running the genealogy to the Exhile, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah that emerges from the greater story of the Jewish faith. In Week 1, we’ll study the infancy narrative and how God’s plan came to us through a Child- steeped in the rich history of the Jewish text, the Torah- their story.