27: Ministry in Judea (1) (Mt 19:1-30)

I.       The Basics

A.     Setting

The Lord Jesus had completed His ministry in Galilee. Now He came to Judea, knowing that suffering and death were awaiting Him. The final period of Jesus’ ministry would not last many days, but the gospel writer pays great deal of attention to this period and records the Lord’s many teachings as well as the events leading up to the crucifixion.

B.     Key Verse

            “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’” (19:21).

C.     Did You Know…?

1. Judea beyond Jordan (19:1): The east side, known later as Transjordan or Perea and today simply as Jordan. ^8/1466

2. Certificate of divorce (19:7): see Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and notes in Lesson 7.

II.    Observation

A.     Outline

(19:1,2)

(19:3-12)

(19:13-15)

(19:16-30)

(16-22)

(23-30)

B.     Key Words/Phrases

III. Segment Analysis

A.     19:3-12

1. What was the intended trap behind the Pharisees’ question?

2. How was Jesus’ answer very different from what the Pharisees expected?

3a.What did the Lord teach here about marriage?

3b.About divorce and remarriage?

4a.Record the contrast in this paragraph between what was commanded and what was permitted. Why did the Lord Jesus make this distinction?

4b.What lessons can we learn from this distinction?

5. What does it mean to not marry for the kingdom of heaven?

B.     19:13-15

6a.Why do you think the disciples forbade the children from coming to Jesus?

6b.In what ways do we sometimes make the same mistake?

7. What do these verses teach about what God values in the kingdom of heaven?

C.     19:16-22

8. What was Jesus’ point about goodness in 17? How does this expose the man’s false belief?

9. Why did the Lord mention only five of the Ten Commandments?

10.How did the young man’s reaction show that he still had not kept the commandments perfectly?

11a.Why is it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?

11b.Is it riches that prevent someone from entering God’s kingdom, or is it something deeper? What do we have to give up, whether we are rich or poor, in order to enter God’s kingdom?

11c.How should we sell what we have and give to the poor?

D.     19:23-30

12. What does 26 teach us about the nature of salvation?

13. How is Peter’s statement in 27 related to the Lord’s words about riches?

14. How have you left your houses, family, and lands for the sake of the Lord Jesus?

15. Explain verse 30 and its relationship to the context.