An evangelist came to town and advertised his meeting like this: “Come see a preacher tear a page out of the Bible!” That, no doubt, brought a crowd. He then stood before them, opened his Bible, and—to their astonishment—tore out a page. “This page,” he said, “never belonged there. It’s the page separating the Old … Continue reading –>
If one didn’t know better they might think that Jesus could have benefited from a savvy P.R. marketing manager. We know that first impressions are lasting, and it is imperative for any public figure to get their debut right. The society in which Jesus began his ministry was very religious. At the top of the … Continue reading –>
While Jesus’ popularity was growing, John the Baptist’s friends felt a little slighted for the prophet. John the Baptist however, said about Jesus, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” (John 3:30 NLT) John knew that God had appointed him to be the messenger to announce the coming of … Continue reading –>
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17, NKJV). Just like John, Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance. He knew, as did John, the fallen state of humanity and the need for all people to repent and come to a knowledge of God. Thus, it’s not surprising that His … Continue reading –>
Matthew 4:12 tells about the imprisonment of John, thus ending his ministry. At this point, Jesus’ ministry “officially” begins. The text doesn’t say why, when Jesus heard about John, He went to Galilee, only that He did. (See also Mark 1:14-16 and Luke 4:14.)Perhaps, while John was still preaching, Jesus wanted to keep a lower … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Ministry Begins” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath School … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 4:1-12. What happened here with these temptations? Why did Jesus have to go through this? What does this story have to do with salvation? How did Jesus endure such powerful temptations under such hard conditions, and what should that tell us about enduring temptations? Matthew 4:1 starts out with what seems like a … Continue reading –>
“Come follow Me…” Our lesson begins by wondering if we all tend to think, sometimes, that we don’t really know why we’re here and what we’re doing where we are. Do you ever sense doubts that deep? Or at least wonder what your purpose in life is? “Another day, another dollar.” Why are we tempted to let ourselves … Continue reading –>
We are studying the book of Matthew this quarter. In my Bible, the Gospel of Matthew is twenty-eight pages long and I would like to issue a challenge to our readers to read the Gospel in a week. You could actually read it in a couple of hours on a wet Sabbath afternoon. We often … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Matthew presents repentance, victorious living, and discipleship as essential features of the kingdom of God. The Ministry Begins April 2-8, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 3:7-12. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.b. What message did John have for the leaders … Continue reading –>
“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1, NKJV). Imagine this scene from the perspective of Satan himself. The divine, exalted Being whom he knew as the Son of God had now lowered Himself—had taken on human flesh—in order to save the human race. This was … Continue reading –>
Matthew 3 begins with John the Baptist, whose first recorded word in the text is an imperative—“Repent!” (Matt. 3:2). In one way, that’s a summary of what God has been saying to humanity since the Fall: Repent, accept My forgiveness, put away your sins, and you will find Redemption and rest for your souls. And … Continue reading –>
