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1) Matthew 3:1 - 3 NKJV
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'"
a. What does it mean to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?
b. What does "the voice crying in the wilderness" mean?
c. What does "prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight" mean?
d. How does what Jesus said in John 14: 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me", relate to what John the Baptist is saying?
2) Matthew 3:4 - 6
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
a. Why is it important for us to know how John the Baptist dressed and what he ate?
b. Why did people from the surrounding cities flock to the Baptist?
c. John's baptism is usually considered for repentance from sin. What does that mean?
3) Matthew 3:7 - 10
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
a. Why was John the Baptist so hard on the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
b. What wrath was John speaking of? Has this wrath come yet?
c. Why does John tell them not to say that Abraham is their father?
d. What are the trees that John is talking about that has an ax laid to its roots?
e. What is the only tree that can bear good fruit, that has fruits worthy of repentance?
4) Matthew 3:11 - 12
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
a. How is the baptism of water different than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire?
b. What does the analogy of the threshing floor and the wheat and the chaff mean?
5) Matthew 3:13 - 17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
a. Why did Jesus want John to baptize Him?
b. How does Jesus' baptism relate to Romans 6: 3 - 4? (3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.)
c. What does it mean that the heavens were opened?
d. What does it mean that the Spirit of God descended upon Him?
e. What does "and suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" mean?
6) Matthew 4:1 - 2
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
a. John the Baptist came from the Wilderness, then Jesus went to the wilderness. What does this mean?
7) Matthew 4:3 - 4
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
a. When we begin to focus on Jesus and surrender to His headship what happens?
b. What was the first temptation that Jesus faced?
c. Is changing stones to bread a sin?
8) Matthew 4:5 - 7
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God."
a. Did the devil try to tempt Jesus regarding who He was? How?
b. What kind of temptation is this, and how did Jesus counter it?
9) Matthew 4:8 - 11
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
a. Was the devil trying to give Jesus something that He already had? How stupid is that? Do we fall into/for the same temptation?
b. Who is the one that should be worshipped here? Do we worship the wrong things?
c. When was Jesus ministered to? What does that say about temptation?