Matthew 16:21-27 January 24, 2016 Overview What Are You Afraid

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Matthew 16:21-27 January 24, 2016 Overview What Are You Afraid LifeGroup Questions Based On: Matthew 16:21-27 January 24, 2016 Overview What are you afraid of? Some people are afraid of spiders, others are afraid of snakes. A lot of children are afraid of the dark. If you allow it, fear can play a huge role in your decision making process. Fear can keep you from doing not only the things you want to do, but also the things you need to do. In Matthew 16 Jesus predicts his death. Along with predicting His death, He is also telling His disciples that they must go to Jerusalem. This was the control center for the Jewish leaders of the day. They wanted Jesus dead and here He was purposely travel to Jerusalem, putting Himself within their grasp. This news is almost unbearable for Peter. He tells Jesus that this will never happen. It would have been unthinkable for a disciple to tell his teacher what will and will not happen. Peter is acting on his own understanding and expectations for Jesus. Peter is allowing the fear of Jerusalem and losing Jesus to control his thoughts and actions. Jesus immediately confronts Peter. Jesus was not blindly going to martyr Himself, but He was fulfilling His purpose for coming to earth. Any diversion from His purpose was from Satan and not one of His disciples. Jesus needed them to expand their thinking beyond what this world has to offer. With eternity in mind Jesus would go to Jerusalem and the cross. By only focusing on what was in front of them the disciples were getting caught up in the fear of suffering and losing their teacher. They needed an eternal perspective to conquer their fear. Bible Study: Matthew 16:21-27 1. Discuss as a group a couple things you are afraid of (insects, snakes, losing job, sharing the gospel). 2. Read Matthew 16:21-27. Was Peter wrong for not wanting Jesus to die? Discuss a time when you wanted God to act one way and He didn’t meet your expectations. 3. When you think about something you are afraid of, in what ways does it control your thoughts and actions? 4. Read Matthew 10:28 and Proverbs 1:7. What does a healthy fear of God look like? 5. Read 1 John 4:16-18. How can the love of God help dispel fear in your life? 6. Not all believers are called to endure suffering or face the same fate. Sometimes believers say they are willing to die for Christ, but don’t have the courage to share the gospel to friends or co-workers. Discuss a time when fear held you back from doing something you knew God wanted you to do. 7. In what ways can having an eternal perspective give you the courage to conquer fear? .
Recommended publications
  • Gospel of Mark Study Guide
    Gospel of Mark Study Guide Biblical scholars mostly believe that the Gospel of Mark to be the first of the four Gospels written and is the shortest of the four Gospels, however the precise date of when it was written is not definitely known, but thought to be around 60-75 CE. Scholars generally agree that it was written for a Roman (Latin) audience as evidenced by his use of Latin terms such as centurio, quadrans, flagellare, speculator, census, sextarius, and praetorium. This idea of writing to a Roman reader is based on the thinking that to the hard working and accomplishment-oriented Romans, Mark emphasizes Jesus as God’s servant as a Roman reader would relate better to the pedigree of a servant. While Mark was not one of the twelve original disciples, Church tradition has that much of the Gospel of Mark is taken from his time as a disciple and scribe of the Apostle Peter. This is based on several things: 1. His narrative is direct and simple with many vivid touches which have the feel of an eyewitness. 2. In the letters of Peter he refers to Mark as, “Mark, my son.” (1 Peter 5:13) and indicates that Mark was with him. 3. Peter spoke Aramaic and Mark uses quite a few Aramaic phrases like, Boanerges, Talitha Cumi, Korban and Ephphatha. 4. St Clement of Alexandria in his letter to Theodore (circa 175-215 CE) writes as much; As for Mark, then, during Peter's stay in Rome he wrote an account of the Lord's doings, not, however, declaring all of them, nor yet hinting at the secret ones, but selecting what he thought most useful for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed.
    [Show full text]
  • GOSPELS About the Life and Teachings of Jesus Are Contained in These Works
    Background: The four books that begin our New Testaments are, without doubt, the most read and beloved books in all the Bible. Most of our information GOSPELS about the life and teachings of Jesus are contained in these works. We Greatest Story Told call them “gospels” because they contain “good news.” (“Gospel” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon godspell, meaning either “God story” or “good story.” In Greek, these books were known as euangelion which means “good message.”) Key Texts: Lk 1:1-4 Although they focus on Christ’s life, the gospels are not primarily Many have undertaken to draw up an biographical works. It is important to understand that these writers account of the things that have been were not just passing on stories about Jesus. They were writing to fulfilled among us, just as they were convince their readers that Jesus was the son of God and the savior of handed down to us by those who from the world. Thus, the gospels provide carefully selected pieces of the first were eyewitnesses and ser- Christ’s life that are intended to persuade us to either become or remain vants of the word. Therefore, since I disciples. For instance, each of the gospels devotes almost a third of its space to a very small portion of Jesus life - his death, burial and myself have carefully investigated ev- resurrection. As preachers and persuaders, these authors wanted to erything from the beginning, it seemed expose their readers to the central issue of Christ’s life. They were not good also to me to write an orderly concerned with telling us about Jesus as a child or young adult.
    [Show full text]
  • Daily Devotional- 4/17 Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah- Matthew 16:13-20
    Daily Devotional- 4/17 Peter Says that Jesus is the Messiah- Matthew 16:13-20 Do you or any of your family members have a nickname? Sometimes a nickname is just a silly way to refer to someone based on how their name sounds (growing up, my mom called me Robin-bobbin!). Other times, we get a nickname because of a sometime about us or something we enjoy. For example, my cousins were called “Stretch” and “Checkmate” at their summer camp because one had grown really tall and other one loved to play chess! In our story today, Jesus uses Peter’s name to share an important truth with his disciples. You see, Peter was known by a few names depending on who was talking to him and what language they spoke. He is sometimes called “Simon” or “Simon Peter” or just “Peter”. The word for Peter in that language sounds a lot like “Rock”- it would be like calling your friend “Rocky”! Jesus had been spending a lot of time with his disciples, and they had learned more about who he was by hearing his teachings and watching him perform miracles. Peter, James and John even got to see Jesus appear with two prophets from ancient times! But Jesus hadn’t told them that he was God’s promised Messiah. He was waiting for just the right time! In fact, he’s going to ask some questions and wait for God the Father to reveal the truth that he’s the Messiah at the perfect moment. Turn in your Bible to Matthew 16:13-20 to read about what happened, or read here: Matthew 16:13-20 (NIrV): 13 Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi.
    [Show full text]
  • Did the Transfiguration Fulfill Matthew 16:28? Copyright © 2004-2006 by Michael A
    Did the Transfiguration Fulfill Matthew 16:28? Copyright © 2004-2006 by Michael A. Fenemore – Revised: 2006 May 22 Speaking to a “crowd…along with his disciples” (Mark 8:34), Jesus said this: 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. (Matt. 16:26-28, NIV throughout) Those who believe that the Second Coming of Christ occurred in the first century simply take this prediction at face value. They believe that probably, most of those “standing” there died, but “some” were still alive in AD 70 when Jesus returned. However, for those who are still waiting for the Second Coming, there is a glaring problem: none of those standing there that day are still alive. Many believe that the Transfiguration account immediately following Matthew 16 provides an adequate solution (Matt. 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36). For this interpretation, those included in “some who are standing here” are only Peter, James and John, and “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” refers to Christ’s transfiguration. This article presents a test of the Transfiguration interpretation. Notice how the translators have contributed to the confusion surrounding this issue.
    [Show full text]
  • The Beatitudes and Woes of Jesus Christ for the Slow
    THE BEATITUDES AND WOES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE SLOW SAVOURING OF SERIOUS DISCIPLES by Father Joseph R. Jacobson To the Chinese Christians of our own time who along with survivors of the gulag and the jihad are giving the whole Church a fresh vision of what it means to be called “disciples of Jesus” INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS The Beatitudes and Woes of Jesus Christ are stark. Much of our teaching and preaching based on them is not. Jesus sets them out as ground rules for His disciples. He places them at the very beginning of His special instructions to them, whereas entire theological systems have treated them as an afterthought and relegated them to the end. The problem is that in Jesus’ instructions the Beatitudes are descriptive, not prescriptive. That is, they tell us what discipleship is, not what it ought to be. They spell out the everyday norms of discipleship, not its far off ideals, the bottom line, not the distant goal. This makes us most uncomfortable because, fitting us so poorly they call into question our very right to claim to be disciples of Jesus at all. There can be no question that they are addressed specifically to Jesus’ disciples, both the Beatitudes and the Woes. Matthew makes that plain in his way (Matthew 5:1-2) and Luke makes it plain in his way (Luke 6:20). The fact that Jesus singles them out from the crowds which are all around them, pressing in on them with their own expectations and demands, simply underscores the urgency Jesus felt to clarify what He was expecting of them by way of sheer contrast.
    [Show full text]
  • Following Jesus
    Following Jesus: SWAMP LUTHERAN CHURCH An Online REINHOLDS, PA Lenten Pilgrimage O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Session One: Goals: To see that the events unfolding in the story of Jesus’ life will lead inevitably to The Pilgrimage the crucifixion. To see ourselves on a pilgrimage to the Begins-Plot and cross. Prediction of the Passion Pilgrimage What does the word mean to you? Is a pilgrimage different than a journey? Pilgrimage: A Definition A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, or a higher good. It can lead to personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to normal life. Pilgrimage can include: An expectation to grow in faith A desire to shed old ways and search for wholeness and healing A discovery of sacred space Involving rituals of leaving offerings of oneself Climax Crucifixion Trial Burial Resolution The Garden, Betrayal, Peter’s Empty Tomb, Denial Resurrection Last Supper Foot Washing Temple Cleansing Jerusalem Entry Plot Outline of the Story Jesus Predicts His Death Timeline The Plot to Kill Jesus Begins Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 What are some of the ways we define Passion “passion”? “Passion” from the Latin patior, passum sum; “to suffer, endure, bear,” from which other words are derived such as “patience”, and “patient”.
    [Show full text]
  • Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
    Teaching # 1: TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS CHRIST Week 50 This week’s objective: To examine the meaning of the resurrection, as well as learn to appropriate its value in my life as a disciple. The Command Introduced: Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9 “Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.’” The Command Interpreted: The best way to accurately interpret this command is to read the entire passage (Matthew 17: 1-8). Six days before Jesus took His disciples upon a “high mountain,” He told them confidently, “there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). Coming “in” (present tense) His kingdom is respectively distinguished of Jesus coming “from” (future tense) His kingdom (Matthew 16:27). Mysterious as it may be, “some” (Peter, James, John) were given front row seats to watch Christ come “into” His kingdom. How would this be? Transfiguration. That’s how. On the mountain, Jesus was “transfigured before them.” The Greek word “transfigured” (metamorphoo) means “transform; change.” This same Greek word is issued in the command “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Therefore, to be transfigured is to be changed from the inside out, like a cocooned larva into an elegant butterfly. The evidence for Christ’s transfiguration is expressed as “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (verse 2).
    [Show full text]
  • A Savior Worth Following
    LESSON 2 A SAVIOR WORTH FOLLOWING What is one important truth you think your students need TEACHER GUIDE to hear? Imagine being at your job and having a man you’d never met approach you, and tell you to quit your job and follow him. Would you do it? Would you leave your family for an unknown amount of time if someone bid you to “come”? That was the decision placed before Jesus’ disciples—twelve men from different backgrounds and vocations. Amazingly, all of them dropped what they were doing to follow Jesus. Remember that you are one of Jesus’ disciples too. Think of What they witnessed during their three years with him was a time when you had to give something up to follow Christ. extraordinary. Jesus was a rabbi who not only had the ability Consider sharing this story during “Going Deep.” to teach Scripture with authority, but also to heal the sick, forgive sins, and even raise people from the dead. Jesus challenged their assumptions of who the Messiah would be. LESSON SCHEDULE & SUPPLY LIST Instead of power-hungry, he was humble. Instead of demanding respect, he was the ultimate servant. Instead of flaunting his Note: Italicized supplies are included in the curriculum. You can deity, he was completely obedient to his Father. find the video on the DVD or DVD-Rom (for .mov version) and the printables on the Print Materials Disc in the Week 2 folder. Using parables and memorable sayings, Jesus taught his disciples and others about the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom SETTING THE STAGE (10 minutes) would right everything that was wrong with the world: sickness, disease, pain, sadness, and even death.
    [Show full text]
  • Matthew Preaching Notes
    Matthew SermonSermon notesnotes Background notes on five passages in Matthew’s Gospel preaching notes contents week one 3 The Parable of the Two Debtors Matthew 18:21-35 week two 6 Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16 week three 9 Parable of the Rented Vineyard Matthew 21:33-46 week four 12 The Wedding feast Matthew 22:1-14 week five 15 Render to Caeser Matthew 22:15-22 2 © Giving in Grace 2013 contents Matthew18:21-35 Matt18:21-35 Suggestedreadings (NRSV) Genesis 50:15-21 n Ps 103:(1-7)8-13 n Rom 14:1-12 Then Peter came and said to In this parable the theme of financial indebtedness, an ever-present him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, and harsh reality in Jesus’ day as in ours, is used to illustrate the how often should I forgive? As theme of forgiveness. The Greek verb aphienai literally means to many as seven times?’ Jesus said cancel a debt, and comes to mean forgiveness. By taking a back to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. bearing from the challenge to forgiving grace taught in the parable, For this reason the kingdom we can draw some conclusions about handling financial matters in of heaven may be compared the light of the kingdom life to which Jesus calls us. to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When Matthew has brought together a parable from his own source he began the reckoning, one who material and a saying of Jesus in 18:21-22 in answer to a question owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he from Peter about the limits of forgiveness.
    [Show full text]
  • Mark 9 by Yujin Han 6/16/2019
    Growing Together Sunday School Class A Study of Mark 9 by Yujin Han 6/16/2019 Mark 9 An Outline I. The Transfiguration (9:1-13) II. Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit (9:14-29) III. Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time (9:30-32) IV. Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us (9:33-41) V. Causing to Stumble (9:42-50) Issues for Discussion 1. “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7). The parallel passages are in Matthew 17 and Luke 9. The Transfiguration almost immediately (about eight days according to Luke 9:28) followed Jesus’s prediction that some of the disciples would not die before seeing “that the kingdom of God has come with power” (Mark 9:1). The Transfiguration event would be the sequential and immediate fulfillment of this prediction, as attested by Peter in His epistle (2 Peter 1:16-18). This event would be like the witness of John the Baptist, where at Jesus’s baptism the Father bore witness to Jesus as the Son of God (Mark 1:9-13). Rather than in the waters of the Jordan, these three disciples got to be eye-witnesses on the “sacred mountain.” Luke’s account tells us that Jesus went up the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28). He brought along His inner three disciples, Peter, James and John. As He prayed, Jesus’s appearance transformed into a glorious brightness, and His clothes became a dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him having a similar glorious splendor (Luke 9:30).
    [Show full text]
  • LAITY SUNDAY 2015 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
    LAITY SUNDAY 2015 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) “This, then, is how you should pray: “„Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. “GiveGive usus thisthis dayday ourour dailydaily Bread…”Bread…” SolidSolid FoodFood For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. BitesBites fromfrom thethe BibleBible When it comes to the Bible, there is so much to marvel and to learn. There are miracles of many kinds that are per- said, (and he then goes on to quote the prophecy written by formed by Jesus and some by the apostles (when they be- Isaiah hundreds of years before) “These people will listen and lieved). We have heard stories; some we know well and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but nev- others we only remember them as we were told as children. er see.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on the New Testament
    NOTES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT The Gospel According to Mark Gene Cunningham Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2020 by Gene Cunningham Material in this publication may be reproduced in part or in whole without permission from the author so long as the material reproduced is distributed without charge and the source is noted. Please include the Basic Training Bible Ministries’ address with distributed material. If you are interested in translating this book into another language, please contact us at [email protected]. 2 NOTES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT Preface While I was teaching in Myanmar/Burma in March 2019, some of my long-term, advanced students suggested that I go through the New Testament and provide basic notes, which they could then be able print as a study Bible. They specifically asked that I focus on issues that are a major area of confusion in the churches where they work. Therefore, the following commentary will focus on these five primary areas: 1. What is the nature of God’s grace and how is it received? 2. What is God’s plan of salvation and the clear message of the Gospel? 3. What is the Bible’s teaching on the security and assurance of the believer? 4. How is the believer to live the Christian life and be effective in witness/service? 5. What does prophecy say about the last days and the order of end-times events? Practical Suggestions These notes are purposely brief in nature.
    [Show full text]