Matthew 16:1-12 Bible Study Tools and Techniques Cross References: Look up other related verses using a Study Bible. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Look for first use. Resources: Use a Bible Dictionary, an ESV Study Bible, and Concordance to help you learn and study. Genres: Pay attention to the genre of the passage you are studying (history, poetry, letters, etc). Before you study, take a few minutes to reflect on God’s gracious kindness to you. Thank Him for allowing you to know Him better through His Word. Ask Him to illuminate Scripture for you. Then read Matthew 16:1-12. Comprehension (What does it say?) 1. What did the Pharisees and Sadducees ask of Jesus? What was their motivation? 2. Read Matthew 12:38-42. What is the sign of Jonah? 3. Why did the disciples think Jesus was talking about physical bread? 4. What was Jesus warning the disciples to beware of? Interpretation (What does it mean?) 1. In Matthew 15:22, a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus. Contrast her attitude and posture with that of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16:1. 2. Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees join forces against Jesus? What were they trying to do? 3. As you just read in Matthew 12:38-42, the Pharisees and Sadducees had tried to trap Jesus like this before, and got almost the same answer this time. Why do you think they tried again? 4. Read 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. Demanding signs or seeking worldly wisdom can get in the way of what is really important. What does Paul say he preaches? 5. Why should the disciples not have worried about their lack of bread? 6. To what was Jesus referring when He spoke of “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”? 7. What was the danger in the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Application (How should it change me?) 1. Do you pay more attention to your physical needs than your spiritual ones? Read Colossians 3:1-4. Where should your focus be? 2. Jesus reminded the disciples of the miracles He had just performed. It’s important to rehearse God’s faithfulness to ourselves. Read Psalm 77:11. Write out one “deed of the Lord” that you need to remember, and thank God for it. 3. The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were burdensome and heavy. They aimed for a works-based righteousness that stands in opposition to Christianity. Are there areas in your life where you trust in your good works instead of Jesus’ finished work on the cross for you? 4. Jesus is able to provide for our physical needs, as He does in the previous chapter through healings and feeding the four thousand. But His primary aim in coming was to provide for our greatest need—a spiritual one. How did He do this? (It’s helpful to preach the Gospel constantly to ourselves—writing it out will help you rehearse it concisely.) Spend some time in prayer thanking God for meeting your every need. Ask Him to help you reject a works-based religion in favor of His grace. Aim to have the heart-posture of total dependance on God, rather than reliance on your own goodness. For Further Study: Read Mark 8:11-21 Luke 11:29-32 Luke 11:53-12:1 .