1. How would you characterize the manner in which Jesus responded to those who had ill intentions toward Him in their thoughts and questions? 2. What warning does Jesus give about the origin of our words and the grave consequences that our words can bring upon us? 3. What message was Jesus trying to impress upon His hearers as He talked about…

1. By quoting from Isaiah to answer John’s inquiry, how did Jesus answer for everyone’s benefit (including ours) the clear evidence that proved He was “the Coming One”? 2. While Jesus says that there was no one greater than John, what did He then say to explain how anyone can become greater than John? 3. What is it about Jesus’ invitation at…

1. From the hundreds of disciples that Jesus had, why do you think He selected a small handful (i.e., twelve) to be His closest workers (i.e., His apostles)? 2. If you were to summarize all that Jesus told His twelve apostles, what would you say was their primary task on this limited commission? 3. What did Jesus tell His disciples (with the…

1. Among all the miracles that Jesus did, why would it be such a big deal for Him to (1) forgive a man of his sins and (2) raise someone from the dead? 2. Why was it such a big deal that Jesus selected a tax collector to be one of His apostles? How would something like that be viewed today? 3.…

1. In the variety of miracles in this chapter, what do you notice about the personal nature and the immediate efficacy of the miracles of Jesus? 2. In the middle of all of these miracles, what was Jesus’ point for us when He talked about foxes, birds and the dead? 3. What kind of reactions were people having to these early miracles…

1. While Jesus does not teach that it is wrong to judge another, what must we do first before evaluating or seeking to change someone else? 2. How is the God of heaven described by Jesus as our Father and what does He long to do for us as His children? 3. While there are many who believe that many paths and…

1. What sorts of things will we do differently if we want “to be seen of God” rather than “to be seen of man”? 2. What does Jesus tell us about prayer and our Father that ought to give us great comfort and assurance every time we pray? 3. How does Jesus tell us that we can remove worry from our lives…

1. Which of the beatitudes stands out the most to you as the one that needs the most attention in your life right now? 2. What are the different areas of daily living that Jesus addresses each time He says, “I say to you,” in this chapter? 3. Why do you think Jesus placed such a strong emphasis on the influence that…