Following Jesus: Focus On The Message – Matthew 3

Last Updated on December 6, 2024 by Rocklyn Clarke

Description

Welcome to Focus On The Message – the first component of our Following Jesus discipleship program. This web page contains the lessons for:

Matthew 3

Purpose

Follow this link for information about these key aspects of our training: Purpose, Goals, Habits, Ministries, and Assignments.

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Matthew 3

This chapter has 2 lessons. You should ideally cover one chapter (with all of its lessons) in a week, but please don’t let a week go by without completing at least one lesson.

Lesson 1: John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 3:1-12 NIV – Bible Gateway
  • Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:15-34; Isaiah 40:1-5; 2Kings 1:1-18
  • Isaiah 40:1-11 (note the quote is from Isaiah 40:3)
  • 2 Kings 1:1-18 NIV – (click on “read full chapter” in Bible Gateway to see this verse in its context)

Checkout the following:

• • Watch: Holy Spirit Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™
  • Watch: Gospel of the Kingdom Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™
  • Bible Project: Meet John the Baptizer (00:01:00)
  • Note the strong themes of justice in Luke’s account of the events leading up to John’s ministry – Luke 1 – 3.

Topics to explore:

• • John’s message is: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near”. In the next chapter, Jesus will take up this same message. What does it mean?
  • Baptism was the onramp for people converting to Judaism. By submitting to John’s baptism, repentant Jews were behaving as if they were gentile converts – starting from scratch. What would it look like for “repentant” Americans to renounce their citizenship and voluntarily go through the immigration and naturalization process?
  • The Jews who came to John to be baptized were also symbolically re-enacting the entry of Israel into the promised land via the Jordan River.
  • Explore the meaning of repentance.
    • It’s so much more than making a list of your past sins to apologize for!

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 1 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • God With Us [Matthew] – Tim Mackie – YouTube (48:23)

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.
  • Watch the “God With Us” video from the Tim Mackie series on Matthew above.

Lesson 2: The Baptism of Jesus

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-38; John 1:15-28 NIV – Bible Gateway

Checkout the following:

• • Watch: Holy Spirit Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™

Topics to explore:

• • Like the other Jews who come to John for baptism, Jesus is re-enacting Israel’s entry to the promised land via the Jordan River. Jesus’ baptism is unique however – he is doing right, what Israel ultimately failed at.
  • Jesus’ baptism is unique. The Father speaks from heaven to make clear what Jesus’ status was – he had nothing to repent for.
  • Consider the relationship between John and Jesus:
    • Jesus is a cousin of John the Baptist.
    • John clearly knew who Jesus was, but does not seem to have been expecting that Jesus was the one he would be revealing to Israel.
  • The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer – empowerment.
  • The Trinity

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 1 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • God With Us [Matthew] – Tim Mackie – YouTube (48:23)

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.
  • Watch the “God With Us” video from the Tim Mackie series on Matthew above.

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Advance to Matthew 4