“Answers for a study in the Gospel of Matthew” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

2023 Fall – A Case for the Gospels: A study in Matthew

Matthew and Chapters 14 through 16

BASIC ANSWERS

John the Baptist killed; Jesus continues His teaching

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

1.  Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing or reviewing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Answers will vary…

Read Matthew chapters 17 through 20, then answer the following questions:

2.  (Matthew 17:1-27) In this chapter we read about the Transfiguration and Jesus’ continued ministry…

17 Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. ² And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. ⁷ And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” ⁸ And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

⁹ As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” ¹⁰ And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; ¹² but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did ^[d]to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

The Demoniac

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, ^{15 “}Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” ²⁰ And He *said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. ²¹ [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]

²² And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; ²³ and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

The Tribute Money

²⁴ When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” ²⁵ He *said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶ When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. ²⁷ However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find. a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

• What happened at the Transfiguration? How did the Disciples respond and what did Jesus tell them on the way back (17:1-13)?
• • From the Life Application Study Bible (LASB): “The transfiguration was a vision, a brief glimpse of the true glory of the King. This was a special revelation of Jesus’ divinity to three of the disciples, and it was God’s divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do. Moses and Elijah were the two greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses represents the law, or old covenant. He wrote the Torah and predicted the coming a great prophet. Elijah represents the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah. Moses and Elijah’s presence with Jesus confirmed Jesus’ Messianic mission—to fulfill God’s law and the words of God’s prophets. Just as God’s voice in the cloud over Mount Sinai gave authority to his law, so God’s voice at the transfiguration gave authority to Jesus words.”
  • Peter, not seeming to know what to say, wanted to build tabernacles for them to stay there. When they heard the voice of God, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified, but Jesus comforted them by touching them and saying “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
  • Jesus, on the way back, spoke to the disciples about Elijah and confirmed that John the Baptist had been a “type” of Elijah in his forerunner’s position of announcing the coming of Messiah, Jesus, but they did not recognize it and killed him; and in the same way Jesus, the Son of Man, would suffer the same fate because of their unwillingness to believe and understand.

• Jesus heals a boy with a demon. Why couldn’t the Disciples cast it out and what did Jesus say to them about faith (17:14-23)? Discuss: Why is it important for the Disciples (and for us) to learn about faith?
  • Jesus indicates that the disciples could not drive out this demon because of unbelief, and some type of perversion in attitude that was prevalent in this generation – and then Jesus healed the boy.
  • Jesus told His disciples privately that it was because of their little faith.
  • According to the LASB: “Jesus’ purpose was not to criticize the disciples, but to encourage them to greater faith, understanding that it was not faith in their own ability, but in God’s power. There is great power in even a little faith when God is with us. Jesus was also trying to show the disciples how important their faith would be in their future ministry.”
  • Discussion answers may vary, but could include: For us, it is important to understand that God is in control, and have faith in that, especially when we are faced with a mountain that seems impossible; trusting not in our own understanding or abilities to produce results, but in God’s.
• Discuss: What was the point of Jesus’ teaching about paying, or not paying, the Temple Tax (17:24-27)?
  • Discussion answers may vary, but could include… Jesus taught the disciples that as children of God we are not to be afraid, or enslaved by the “kings of this earth” but to give all that we have to God’s Kingdom. However, God will provide, and we are to be good citizens of this world, so paying taxes is part of that. As He says in Matthew 22:21 render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

3.  (Matthew 18:1-35) In this chapter Jesus teaches about the importance of loving others and recognizing selfishness in sin…

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; ⁶ but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

⁷ “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. ⁹ If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ¹¹ [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Ninety-nine Plus One

¹² “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? ¹³ If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Discipline and Prayer

¹⁵ “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Forgiveness

²¹ Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. ²⁵ But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. ³¹ So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. ³² Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ³⁵ My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

• How does Jesus answer the question asked by His Disciples: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven”(18:1-5)? What does Jesus say about the fate of a person who causes one, or brings one temptation, to sin (18:6-9)? Discuss: How do these two teachings connect to our walk as Christians?
  • Jesus said: “whoever humbles himself as a child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus was teaching them that as disciples and followers of Jesus, we need to be like little children in many ways, for example: Humble, teachable, meek, innocent and willing to be corrected.
  • Jesus said woe to a person who causes one of these little ones (or new believers) to stumble (or sin). Back in verse six He says it would better for him to have a millstone around his neck and be drowned in the sea; then in verse nine He says that if we don’t get rid of the thing causing us to sin (cut it off) we would be cast into the fiery hell.
  • Discussions may vary, but could include… As Christians we are called to be light and leaders for young people and new believers. We should never be the source of temptation or stumbling and if we are we should fear our fate as spoken of by Jesus. True Christians will not be actively drawing people to sin, or causing one to stumble, and we should always check our motives and actions if in leadership roles.
• Discuss: What is Jesus teaching when He tells the Parable of the “Lost Sheep” and how might that apply to our Christian walk today (18:10-14)?
  • Discussion may vary, but might include… As Christians we should always be concerned about a person, or persons, who seem to be left out, or have wandered away. Lost sheep implies a believer who has backslidden or fallen away, and it would be our job, if we are modeling Jesus, to go after them and help them in any capacity we might have. Sometimes just letting them know that we care, or that we see them and their struggle as Jesus would might be enough to bring them back into the flock.
• What does Jesus say to do if a “brother” sins against you, and how does Jesus use the next parable to connect to forgiveness if a brother repents from a sin against you (18:15-35)? Discuss: Who is a “brother” (or sister) and does this apply to non-believers as well?
  • This passage applies to a believer (brother) and if a fellow believer wrongs us Jesus says to act in the following order: 1) confront them privately; 2) if they do not listen then include two or more other believers as witnesses; 3) if they do not listen then take them before the church members; 4) if they still do not listen, they are to be removed from the congregation. All of this is to show mercy in an attempt to make a correction, otherwise like leaven, sin in the church will spread.
  • The next parable has to do with repentance, because if a brother is repentant then we are to always forgive – thus Jesus saying not seven times, but seventy times seven.
  • Discussion may vary, but might include… The connection is seen in the parable where a forgiven servant mistreats and does not forgive those who had wronged him. Therefore, his master will inflict the punishment he was originally due because he had not believed in the mercy and grace he was freely given, and it was evidenced in his unrepentant heart through his evil actions. Forgiveness and repentance go together.

4.  (Matthew 19:1-30) In this chapter Jesus teaches about divorce, marriage, and the Kingdom of Heaven…

19 When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; ² and. large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” ⁴ And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” ⁷ They *said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” ⁸ He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. ⁹ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

¹⁰ The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

¹³ Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” ¹⁷ And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²² But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

²³ And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁶ And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Disciples’ Reward

²⁷ Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” ²⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

• The Pharisees were again testing Jesus when they asked Him about divorce, and Jesus used Genesis 1-2 in His answer. What does Jesus say about Creation, gender and marriage that can help us answer these topics today as well (19:1-12)?
  • These questions are timeless, and culture dependent, but the answers have not changed because God does not change, and His Word is always true, and is ultimately what is best for human flourishing.
  • Creation: When Jesus answers He uses the terms “He created” and “from the beginning” – these are terms that show us Jesus believed that God created in the beginning, and that there was a beginning of creation and not an evolutionary process. We know this to be true because Jesus is the Word and source of that creation (John 1:1-3).
  • Gender: Jesus says “God made them male and female.” This shows us that there are only two genders and that was God’s intention from the beginning and does not change over time (what we see today is a corruption of God’s good creation).
  • Marriage: Jesus says “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” He goes on to say “what God has joined together, let no man separate.”
  • Divorce was only allowed in the Law of Moses because of the sinful nature of humans. The Law shows us our sin and hardness of heart, it does not save us. Jesus finishes by saying: “but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
  • Jesus teaches that the best way for us to live as humans is to follow God’s way and not the way of the ever-changing culture, our feelings or deception from the enemy.
• Discuss: What do you think was Jesus’ deeper teaching when He said, “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (19:13-15)?
  • Discussion answers may vary, but might include… Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the attitude of little children, the childlike trust, is the attitude God wants us to have toward Him and His promise about the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • According to the Life Application Study Bible: “ The receptiveness of little children was a great contrast to the stubbornness of the religious leaders who let their education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in Jesus.”
• What did the rich young ruler ask Jesus, and why did he walk away (19:16-22)? What else does Jesus say about entering the Kingdom of Heaven (19:23-30)? Discuss: Break these examples down to get to Jesus’ ultimate point about our priorities and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • The rich young ruler wanted to know what he could do to obtain eternal life – Jesus told him to go and sell all his possessions, and he walked away because he was very wealthy.
  • Two things this guy got wrong: First, there is nothing we can do to obtain eternal life (no human works), Jesus is the one who did it for us; second, he made the mistake of trusting in his wealth instead of God (note: Jesus was not saying that everyone should sell all their possessions, but He knew the heart of the man asking and therefore placed that particular decision in front of him – we all have things that we have trouble letting go of, or giving to God and we should not walk away, but trust Him with them).
  • Jesus also pointed out how hard it would be for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, or basically anyone who held something else as more important than God – in other words, no one can be saved based upon their own works – However, Jesus said, “with people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” He also warned that many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”
  • Discussion answers may vary, but might include… The ultimate point Jesus is making is that we cannot make it into Heaven on our own merits, or by putting our own needs or selfish desires first. We must trust God, love others as ourselves and think of ourselves last in order to be first in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5.  (Matthew 20:1-34) In this chapter Jesus goes deeper into teachings on the Kingdom of Heaven…

Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; ⁴ and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ ⁷ They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ ⁹ When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. ¹⁰ When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

Death, Resurrection Foretold

¹⁷ As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, ¹⁸ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, ¹⁹ and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

Preferment Asked

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. ²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” ²² But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” ²³ He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

²⁴ And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Sight for the Blind

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ³¹ The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

• Jesus’ parable of the laborers in the vineyard gives us some insight on God’s sovereignty (20:1-16). Discuss: How did the laborers respond to their final wages? Compare and contrast the first laborers with the last, and discuss how you might have responded in either situation.
  • Discussion answer may vary, might should include… The laborers who had come during the last hour received the same wage as those who had worked all, or most of the day. The later workers were fine as they received what was promised to them by the landowner, but the earlier workers were upset, thinking that they would receive more but did not, and “they grumbled at the landowner.”
  • As this relates to the promise of God for our salvation, some of us might be upset and grumble, like the earlier workers, when a person comes to the LORD late in life, or after committing horrible crimes and receives the same salvation we have been given; we might even think we deserve more, but God, in His sovereignty, has the right to give to whoever He wants, whatever He wants, because He is our righteous and just Creator and all that exists belongs to Him!
• Even though Jesus had just foretold His death for the third time (20:17-19), people believed that He would not only be a spiritual leader, but a military leader. How did Jesus correct this thinking, when James and John’s Mom asked for them “to sit one at your right hand and one at your left” (20:20-28)? Discuss: What was the most important thing Jesus said to His Disciples when they became indignant at James and John?
  • Jesus said to them specifically that if they really wanted what their Mom had requested, they would have to “drink the cup He was to drink,” meaning that they would have to be persecuted, tortured and ultimately die for their belief in Him – and He said that they surely would. Jesus also told them that it was not for Him to decide, but His Father’s.
  • Discussions may vary, but might include… Because of this the other disciples were mad at James and John, but as Jesus had tried to teach them before: “The first will be last, and the last will be first.” Jesus emphasized this by telling them that “whoever wishes to become great among you must become your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus would later demonstrate this by washing all the disciples feet (John 13:5-9) at the Last Supper.
• Going Deeper: In Jesus’ last healing before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the blind men used the term “Son of David.” What is the significance of that title? Going even deeper: What is the significance of the title, “Son of Man”?
  • Son of David: The use of this term is a recognition of Jesus’ royalty through the line of King David. The blind men knew from what they had heard, that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Jews knew that Jesus would be a descendant of David – See Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6.
  • From gotquestions.org…

Son of Man is a title of humanity. Other titles for Christ, such as Son of God, are overt in their focus on His deity. Son of Man, in contrast, focuses on the humanity of Christ. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. In this way, God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. Son of man is simply a periphrastic term for “human.” Jesus Christ was truly a human being. He came “in the flesh” (1 John 4:2).

Son of Man is a title of humility. The Second Person of the Trinity, eternal in nature, left heaven’s glory and took on human flesh, becoming the Son of Man, born in a manger and “despised and rejected by mankind” (Isaiah 53:3). The Son of Man had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). The Son of Man ate and drank with sinners (Matthew 11:19). The Son of Man suffered at the hands of men (Matthew 17:12). This intentional lowering of His status from King of Heaven to Son of Man is the epitome of humility (see Philippians 2:6–8).

Son of Man is a title of deity. Ezekiel may have been a son of man, but Jesus is the Son of Man. As such, Jesus is the supreme example of all that God intended mankind to be, the embodiment of truth and grace (John 1:14). In Him “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). For this reason, the Son of Man was able to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6). The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). The Son of Man came to save lives (Luke 9:56; 19:10), rise from the dead (Mark 9:9), and execute judgment (John 5:27). At His trial before the high priest, Jesus said, “I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). This statement immediately ended the trial, as the court accused the Lord of blasphemy and condemned Him to death (verses 65–66).

Son of Man is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus’ claim before the high priest to be the Son of Man was a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (NKJV). Daniel saw glory, worship, and an everlasting kingdom given to the Messiah—here called the “Son of Man”—and Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Jesus also spoke of His coming kingdom on other occasions (Matthew 13:41; 16:28). The author of Hebrews used a reference to the “son of man” in the Psalms to teach that Jesus, the true Son of Man, will be the ruler of all things (Hebrews 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 8:4–6). The Son of Man, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, will be the King.

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Gospels!”

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15