Mt Session 6

1.) What is Jesus’ core message and how does it relate to John’s message? Why would they be so similar?

2.) What disciples does Jesus collect in this section? What were their professions? Why would Jesus choose these kinds of men?

3.) Notice how the disciples here immediately drop what they are doing and some even just leave their father standing there as they go to follow Jesus. Considering this what kind of response does Jesus expect of us?

4.) Considering Jesus’ words to his first disciples here, what is His ultimate intentions with them? How should we operate in light of that?

5.) Notice where Jesus is conducting his ministry? Why would he choose a city like Capernaum? Why be out in Galilee and not Judea? Why not start up in Jerusalem itself?

6.) How does Jesus’ ministry look? What should we expect our ministries to look like?

7.) What lessons can we pull from this section of scripture?

This week we will be covering  the start of Jesus ministry, preparing for one of the very quintessential teachings of Jesus: The sermon on the mount.

Before you meet, don't forget to send out a reminder that looks like this: 

Hey everyone, this week we will be reading Matthew 4:12-25. Please take the time to read it before we meet again and be prepared to discuss the following questions.

1.) What is Jesus’ core message and how does it relate to John’s message? Why would they be so similar?

2.) What disciples does Jesus collect in this section? What were their professions? Why would Jesus choose these kinds of men?

3.) Notice how the disciples here immediately drop what they are doing and some even just leave their father standing there as they go to follow Jesus. Considering this what kind of response does Jesus expect of us?

4.) Considering Jesus’ words to his first disciples here, what is His ultimate intentions with them? How should we operate in light of that?

5.) Notice where Jesus is conducting his ministry? Why would he choose a city like Capernaum? Why be out in Galilee and not Judea? Why not start up in Jerusalem itself?

6.) How does Jesus’ ministry look? What should we expect our ministries to look like?

7.) What lessons can we pull from this section of scripture?

As per usual, your agenda should be to fellowship, then pray, then read Matthew 4:1-11, then get into the discussion and see where it takes you. It is okay to skip over or even add questions, these questions are just a guideline. As always I have provided you some answers for these questions if people seem a bit stumped.

1. What is Jesus’ core message and how does it relate to John’s message? Why would they be so similar?

   • Jesus’ message is painted as identical in its core, literally “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

   • John was just setting up for Jesus, He was the opening act essentially

   • John and Jesus are essentially collaborators on the same ministry, not competitors.

2. What disciples does Jesus collect in this section? What were their professions? Why would Jesus choose these kinds of men?

   • He collects two sets of brothers. Peter and Andrew, and James and John

   • Both sets of brothers were fishermen willing to lay their careers and even families at the wayside to follow Christ

   • One would expect Jesus to come by and pick up some priests or something of that nature, but instead He just picks up fishermen. A modern equivalent would be Jesus refusing to have any ministers or priests along, but instead going and picking out some dudes at a construction site.

3. Notice how the disciples here immediately drop what they are doing and some even just leave their father standing there as they go to follow Jesus. Considering this, what kind of response does Jesus expect of us?

   • Jesus expects radical obedience. Jesus, and God overall, isn't going to work in our time. We have to operate in His time.

   • It doesn't matter what we got going on, God’s authority on our lives is to the point that we have to drop everything and follow, and Jesus is God so of course He has that level of authority

   • A decent yet imperfect example is the military. When a commanding officer enters a room, everything is supposed to stop. The commanding officer has sufficient authority to demand every single person's attention the moment he walks in. It generally doesn’t matter what you were doing 2 seconds ago. We need to have that same level of respect for God. When He shows up, He is due our undivided attention and we are expected to obey whatever He asks of us.

4. Considering Jesus’ words to his first disciples here, what is His ultimate intentions with them? How should we operate in light of that?

   • Jesus doesn't just want them to come alongside and learn. He wants them to do, to be active participants in His ministry. Even Jesus’ ministry wasn't a one man show, so why do so many ministries end up as a one man show?

5. Notice where Jesus is conducting his ministry? Why would he choose a city like Capernaum? Why be out in Galilee and not Judea? Why not start up in Jerusalem itself?

   • There are a few factors here. First is that Judea will serve as a much more hostile place for Jesus. He's in an easier area to establish a base, at least an area where the officials aren't actively trying to hunt Him down. Don't forget this is just after John the Baptist got arrested. Obviously some higher ups aren't happy with the message they are pushing.

   • Another factor here relates to the nature of Jesus’ disciples. Remember He called fishermen not Rabbis. Jesus spends a lot of His ministry focused on common people, not the elites.

   • The last reason, and this is pure speculation on my part, is that Jesus may be making a point by starting in Galilee. Jerusalem and surrounding Judea are meant to be a light to the world, yet the light is nowhere to be found there, it's actually in Galilee.

6. How does Jesus’ ministry look? What should we expect our ministries to look like?

   • His ministry is one of repentance, it's one of healing, it's one of action.

7. What lessons can we pull from this section of scripture?