Leader's page and Student's page best viewed left/right side together
Lesson 4 Leader’s page:
Matthew 5:1-20:34
Ask the ladies not to open their notes or books.
You will need paper and pencils, or a chalk board.
In twos, or small groups, get the ladies to work through Matthew 5:1 – 20:34
deciding which of four columns to put the various events into –
1. story and teaching
2. healing miracles
3. nature miracles
As you do this you may find things you think are especially important, or which summarise, or which add to the whole situation in the story - list them by references under
4. ‘special findings’.
A few events may fit into more than one column, so put them in both.
This may be a very new idea – so be patient and help each group.
Try it for yourself ahead of time. Then you may be able to explain the idea to the ladies in a better way.
You may find you need to do it with them this time, and reassure them they are not chopping the Bible up, but looking at what is there in a different way, to try to understand it better.
I estimate it will take about half of the lesson time to do:
1. story and teaching 2. healing miracles 3. nature miracles 4. special findings.
Look at my suggested answers opposite, and complete the lesson page.
There is another miracle recorded by Matthew outside of these references
in 21:18-22.
A Friendly warning
Using this lesson method may take a long time.
You can choose to break it up into two or three sessions if you have time.
It is good to encourage the ladies to handle and search their own Bibles.
Alternatively, you could show the class my and your answers for this lesson (Matthew) before getting ladies to find answers for themselves on the next two meetings –
for Mark lesson 5, and for Luke lesson 6.
Develop your best way to use this course book. Don’t be bound by it.
Student's page:
Lesson 4 Matthew continues the true story 5:1-20:34
In his profession Matthew would have needed an eye for detail and for keeping accurate financial records. Hopefully you have read or scanned 5:1 to 20:34 and allocated each event into your choice of columns.
These are my findings – yours may not be exactly the same.
1. story and teaching 2. healing miracles 3. nature miracles 4. special findings
5:1-7:27 7:28-29
8:1-17
8:18-22 8:28-34 8:23-27 8:1, 27, 34
9:9-13 9:1-7 9:3-8, 33-34
9:14-17 9:18-34
9:35-38
10:1 -11:30
12:1-8, 15-21, 22-45, 12:9-14, 22 12:2, 23-24,
12:15 12:46-50
13:1-58 13:54-58
14:1-12 14:13-21
14:35-36 14:22-34
15:1-20, 15:21-28 15:29-39 15:21-28
16:1-12, 16:13-28 16:21
17:1-13, 17:19-27 17:14-18 17:22-23
18:1-35, 19:1-30
20:1-16, 20:17-19
20:20-28 20:29-34 20:17-19
We have many healings - some mention faith, some do not. Forgiveness is mentioned in some and not others. We need to be careful not to build a formula for healing from one example - God is bigger than that.
We see Jesus’ power to still the storm - Jesus’ power to walk on water and quieten the wind - His power to feed 5000 and 4000 people from five loaves and two fish or seven small loaves and a few small fish, and still have plenty of leftovers!!!
My largest list of references is about the ‘story and teaching’. We find Jesus walking from place to place, crossing Galilee on a boat, having lots of conversations with many different people. There were requests for healing, questions about theology, political news with the execution in prison of John the Baptist by Herod. Jesus used parables – word descriptive pictures to convey truth - as well as straightforward answers, and strong moral teaching.
Page 12
Leader's page:
Work through this page (opposite) and talk about any other references the ladies have put under ‘special findings’
Get them to explain their reasoning.
Encourage them to think and apply Scripture.
Student's page:
Now to my ‘Special findings’, a heading I selected for small items that carried big significance for the overall true story.
7:28-29 Crowds listened and followed Jesus. There were no computers, no phones, no radio, but here was news in the making. And the crowds were amazed at Jesus’ teaching because He spoke as someone who knew what He was talking about!
8:1,27,34 The crowds followed Him. The disciples were amazed and said “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him? In Gadara, where Jesus healed two demon possessed men, the townspeople asked Him to go because of their loss of business and their fear of Jesus’ power.
His teaching and the following crowds brought Jesus to the attention of the religious leaders. They did not want their authority challenged and they did not want political trouble with the Roman authorities who ruled them.
9:3-8, 33-34 An early clash with teachers of the Jewish law creates awe and praise at Jesus’ authority. A local synagogue leader needed help, 9:18 – his daughter was dying – he went to ask Jesus for help. See also Mark 5:22-23 and Luke 8:40-42 who both name the synagogue leader as Jairus. The Pharisees, some of the religious leaders, had their own thoughts on Jesus’ power!
12:1-14, 23-24 The Pharisees criticise again, are rebuked and start to plot Jesus’ death. A large crowd once more. More healings. Jesus asks people to keep quiet about Him to avoid a major clash before ‘His time’. Matthew, a student of the Jewish scriptures, has a suitable text from Isaiah. Again the people think that Jesus is the promised Son of David. The Pharisees say Jesus is using the devil’s power. Jesus answers them firmly.
13:54-58 Jesus teaches people in the synagogue in His home town and they refuse to accept Him. Was this Nazareth, His longtime home, or Capernaum, His adopted home? See 2:23, 4:13. Some translations make this Nazareth which is logical because the people know His mother and brothers and His trade.
15:21-28 Pharisees from Jerusalem come to question Jesus. A Canaanite woman - not a Jew - is commended for her faith.
16:21 Jesus starts to prepare His disciples for His death at the hands of the Jewish leaders and His resurrection three days later. The disciples enjoy being with the Miracle Worker speaking with authority. But they found talk of His death and resurrection very hard to take.
17:22-23 Jesus tells the disciples the same news for a second time. Reaction - grief.
20:17-19 For a third time Jesus spells out to the disciples what is going to happen.
Matthew has presented Jesus, the promised Messiah, showing the authority of God. Page 13