Matthew 3 Questions

Day 1

1. How many years do you think lapsed between the end of Matthew 2 and Matthew 3:1? What is recorded in Scriptures about Jesus between his infancy and his baptism? ( Luke 2:40-52 )

2. What do you know from Scripture about John the Baptist? (Read also Matthew 3, Luke 1:13-17; 57-80; Matthew 11:11; Mark 6:17-20)

3. The angel messenger said to Zechariah that John would be great and Jesus said John was the greatest person to ever live. What made him so great? (Read also Luke 1:15, 17; John 1:29-31; 35; John 3:30)

4. Read Matthew 3:1-2; 8 - 12. What was John the Baptist's message? Why would that message have surprized the Jewish people he was talking to?

Day 2

5. What does repent mean?

6. Why should they repent?

7. What is the significance of the phrase "Kingdom of heaven"?

8. What is the significance of John the Baptist being in the wilderness?

Day 3

9. What was John the Baptist's mission?

10. How did people respond to John the Baptist?

11. Who were the Pharisees? Who were the Sadducees? What can we learn about them from Matthew 23?

12. Why do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to where John was baptizing?

How did John respond to them?

When John the Baptist talks to the Pharisees and Sadducees in front of everyone else, what is he really telling them?

Day 4

13. What are the fruits of repentance? (Read Luke 3:11, 13, 14; Isaiah 1:16-17)

14. Who is Matthew referring to in chapter 3:11 & 12? What does he mean when he says: that He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire? He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire?

15. Three baptisms are mentioned in Matthew 3:11. What are they and when did or will these baptisms happen?

16. Why did Jesus come to John to be baptized?

Day 5

17. In Matthew 3:13-17 it is like a commissioning on the beginning of Jesus' ministry. What are the three aspects to the commissioning of Jesus Christ?

18. What is the purpose of baptism now? What is it a picture of? ( Romans 6:1-4)

19. Matthew has presented Jesus as King in Chapter 1 & 2. How does Matthew present the Lord Jesus Christ as King in chapter 3?

20. Matthew likes to let his readers know when an Old Testament prophesy has been fulfilled. What prophesy was fulfilled in Matthew 3?

Day 6
Application:

1. Would you have been attracted to a man like John the Baptist? Why or why not? What kind of preacher are you attracted to?

2. Have you ever had one of your parents brag about you to others and say how much they love you and are proud of you? How does it feel to have someone do that about you? Do you do that about your children? Have you ever commissioned a child to a ministry? (eg. Teaching Sunday School, or VBS, etc)

3. Have you repented from your sins and turned to God or are you trusting in your works and self-righteousness to save you?

4. Have you been baptized? If so, why did you get baptized? If not, why not or do you think you need to do so?

5. We are told we could become greater than John. Do you believe this? Are you experiencing this? .

Considering what made John the Baptist great, do you think God considers you great?

6. We found out what John the Baptist's mission in life was. Has God given you a mission? If so, what is it? Do you ever get distracted from your mission or discouraged? Do you think John the Baptist was ever discouraged when people didn't repent or show fruits of repentance?

7. Do you ever find yourself in any way being like a Pharisee or Sadducee? If so, what does a person need to do?

8. What has been meaningful to you from your study of Matthew 3? What specifically could you apply to your life?