Questions and Answers – Matthew 11 – 13
Q. What was Jesus’ proof that He was in fact Messiah?
A. Matthew 11:5 = Miracles and the Good News were everywhere.
Q. Were people offended by Jesus’ miracles and the Good News?
A. Matthew 11:6 = Yes.
Q. What do people miss out on by being offended by miracles and the Good News?
A. Matthew 11:6 = God’s blessing!
Q. Did Jesus confirm John the Baptist as the one the prophet, Malachi (3:1) spoke of?
A. Matthew 11:10 = Yes.
Q. What was unique about Jesus’ time?
A. Matthew 11:13 = All the teachings of the Scriptures looked forward to this specific time. (While we are looking back at them).
Q.What was John the Baptist called in the Old Testament? A. Malachi 4:5 = Elijah (mentioned in the very last chapter of the Old Testament).
Q. Is it enough to know that Jesus came and why?
A. Matthew 11:15 = No. We need to listen and understand completely what His coming means for us.
👉 Salvation is forever and for the first time in history, ordinary people are empowered to love and evangelize and live under a new covenant made for every man.
Q. Did John the Baptist fast?
A. Matthew 11:18 = Yes.
Q. What did some people think of John the Baptist?
A. Matthew 11:18 = That he was demon–possessed.
Q. Did Jesus feast and drink?
A. Matthew 11:19 = Yes.
Q. What did some people say of Jesus?
A. Matthew 11:19 = That He was a drunk and a glutton—friend of the worst sort of sinners.
Q. What did Jesus think of these accusations?
A. Matthew 11:19 = To consider the results of a man’s behavior: Does he bear good fruit or bad fruit?
Q. Does good fruit prove anything?
A. Matthew 11:19 = Yes. It proves that a man has wisdom.
👉 The result of John’s actions was that many were prepared for Jesus’ coming.
The result of Jesus’ feasting with sinners was that many entered into the Kingdom. Good fruit! What you do should produce good fruit for the Kingdom of God. Your fruit should never hinder someone from entering in.
Q. What made Jesus denounce cities?
A. Matthew 11:20 = In spite of witnessing many miracles, the people refused to repent.
👉Are people that stubborn? Oh, yes! To this day, God does miracles through His people and they still refuse Him. I wonder why?
The gospel is all good news to anyone who will accept it. The epiphame of God being one’s loving Father should draw everyone who hears it. You don’t have to do a thing to inherit His mighty portion!
Q. Why is the simple truth of the gospel so hard to comprehend for some people?
A. Matthew 11:25–26 = God hides the truth from the proud—those filled with this earth’s wisdom.
Q. How can anyone understand the Bible?
A. Matthew 11:25–26 = One has to become a little child in order to approach God, setting earthly wisdom aside and accepting the hard facts that God saves and no one else can!
Q. Are believers chosen?
A. Matthew 11:27 = Yes. Jesus reveals God to whomever He wishes.
👉This is called predestination. Jesus chooses us, we also choose Jesus. We approach God humbly, like a child, trusing Him with our forever. There is no room for pride in one’s initial encounter with heaven. There is never room for pride afterwards. Pride works against God’s purposes.
Q. What is childlike faith?
A. Matthew 11:28–30 =
1). Trusting Jesus with our burdens (as a child trusts his parents with his)
2). Resting in Jesus (as a child rests in his mother’s arms)
3). Taking Jesus’ yoke upon us instead of carrying our own heavy yokes of pain and worry (a child carries light burdens)
4). Letting Jesus teach me His Word (as parents teach their child)
5) Seeing Jesus as humble and gentle, able to give rest to my soul (as a child sees his mother).
Q. This Jesus yoke is a good thing?
A. Matthew 11:30 = Yes! It fits each of us perfectly! And it is light!
Q. What was it that the Pharisees didn’t understand?
A. Matthew 12:7 = That God is interested in our sharing mercy and not in rituals.
👉You’d think that after 2000 years, we’d grasp this concept of sharing marcy. The world sees God only through our merciful behaviors. We don’t have to be perfect all the time, but if we are merciful, even the world will forget our shortcomings!
Q. Did the Pharisees hate Jesus for doing miracles?
A. Matthew 12:9–14 = Yes.
👉 They were extremely jealous of Jesus. On the other hand, the devil gets mighty mad and is good at ruffling the feathers of unbelievers whenever spiritual events are happening. Weak believers and non–believers alike get caught up in bad behaviors toward upright, action–oriented soldiers of God’s army. It isa phenomenon to behold to rejoice at good spiritual events, only to be attacked by hell the same day and just as intensely. Rejoice in any case; it is all evidence of your citizenship in heaven!
Q. I’m supposed to be Christ–like. How does a Christian act?
A. Matthew 12:15–21 =
1) He lives to please God
2) He is filled with the Holy Spirit, who enables him to proclaim the gospel
3) He doesn’t fight or shout, nor raise his voice in public
4) He doesn’t crush the weak or quench the smallest hope
5) He tells the world that Jesus’ name is the hope of all the world.
👉 This is one happy soldier of God!
Q. Do demons perform healing miracles?
A. Matthew 12:24–30 = No.
Q. Why not? A. Matthew 12:24–30 = Healing people does not serve the purposes of Hell. Only destruction does!
Q. So God gives healing power only to His people?
A. Matthew 12:24–30 = Yes. And when you witness a miracle, give God glory!
Q. What happens to people who scoff at a healing event?
A. Matthew 12:32 = They are actually scoffing the Holy Spirit’s power and will be held accountable for it.
Q. Is there forgiveness for such a sin?
A. Matthew 12:32 = No.
👉 To witness God working is a thrill. But to scoff at God’s works is the same as scoffing Him inthe face. These miracles seal God’s reality into the heart. Yet people will deny Him!
Q. If we work towards a goal that isn’t Jesus–based, can it still be a good goal?
A. Matthew 12:30 = No. If we don’t work with Jesus as our base, we are working against Him!
Q. Can godless people identify what is good and right?
A. Matthew 12:34 = No.
Q. Why not?
A. Matthew 12:34 = Good produces good and evil produces evil.
👉God’s Word in your heart produces good fruit.
Q. How can I identify an evil person?
A. Matthew 12:35 = By the quality of his words you can tell where a person has been.
Q. What does God think of idle chatter?
A. Matthew 12:36 = He doesn’t like it.
👉Fellowship is important. But don’t get together just to complain or unload on your brothers. Have a purpose. Let all your relationships bear good fruit. Build up and encourage each other. Counsel when needed. Search God’s Word for answers. Read good books together and determine to grow spiritually. Be the best friend you can be in this way.
Q. Is there a rule of thumb when speaking?
A. Matthew 12:37 = Yes. My words should reflect my fate, which is the fact that I’m heaven–bound. Remember who you are!
Q. What is a wrong way to approach God?
A. Matthew 12:38 = Asking God for a miracle to prove He is God. He has continually performed miracles on our behalf since Creation!
Q. What brings judgment?
A. Matthew 12:41–42 = Refusing the call to repent.
Q. Is it enough to stop drinking, partying and sinning?
A. Matthew 12:43–45 = No. Receiving God into one’s life is needed to live fully.
Q. Why?
A. Matthew 12:45–45 = When these vices and sins are gone, one is empty. You must fill your spirit and mind with the things of God. Get in the Word and be washed clean daily!
Q. And if I don’t?
A. Matthew 12:43–45 = You’ll slip back down into despair. The devil feasts on folks who “clean house” but leave spirit and mind empty.
Q. Did Jesus’ family understand that He was God?
A. Matthew 12:46–50 = No.
Q. Who is Jesus to me besides God?
A. Matthew 12:48–50 = My Brother, if I do God’s will.
👉Our purpose for living, for being created, is to fellowship with God forever. In fellowship with God, we revere Him, who alone created us. Contemplate on this fact a while!
Q. How did Jesus teach about God?
A. Matthew 13:3 = In telling many stories.
Q. Why?
A. Matthew 13:10 = Jesus spoke to a mixed crowd. Only those who really sought after God would perceive the eternal meaning of the stories. The rest would see the stories as just stories.
👉Such is the Bible! If you slow down and look for the lessons, like what I am doing at this website, slowly pulling out each lesson and sharing it with you, the deeper meaning of God’s words is revealed. The hardest thing for me to do is to slow down and wait on God to teach me eternal truths. Never rush through God’s Word. Let it transform you at its own pace.
Q. What types of people hear a bible lesson?
A. Matthew 13:19–23 = From the best to the worst:
1). Those who truly receive the Word in the heart and LIVE FOR GOD COMPLETELY as a result.
2). Those who receive the Word, but are caught up in worldly pursuits so they DON’T GROW.
3). Those who receive the Word with joy, but circumstances make them forget it quickly, and PERSECUTION MAKES THEM RUN FROM GOD.
4). Those who DON’T UNDERSTAND what they hear and the devil removes the Word from their hearts.
Q. So when Jesus told stories, all types of listeners were present?
A. Matthew 13:19–23 = Yes.
Q. Why doesn’t God just destroy evil people and demons too?
A. Matthew 13:24–30 = Because innocent people would be destroyed inadvertently.
Q. What is God’s solution for evil?
A. Matthew 13:30 = Let evil grow along with God’s childrens’ numbers. At the harvest, it will be easier to destroy evil, just by sheer size!
👉All people grow. How are you growing?
Q. What is the Kingdom of Heaven like?
A. Matthew 13:31–32 =
1) The smallest of all seeds
2) the largest of all garden plants
3) a shelter and a home to lay down roots.
👉 Heaven seems insignificant to us because it is a place still invisible to the living. Grasping the concept of heaven is hard for the most intensely focused mind, yet there it is. We were born for heaven, yet it is hidden from even our hearts. We need faith to believe God for it. All things lead to this purpose: Eternal life in an eternal place; a home that Jesus began building for us upon His resurrection. Unbeliever, why would you run from this?
Q. What else is the Kingdom of Heaven like?
A. Matthew 13:33 = It affects every life, past, present and future. Everyone passes on to the spirit world!
Q. These stories Jesus told in parables revealed God’s secrets to those who believed Jesus with their everything?
A. Matthew 13:35 = Yes.
Q. What if I am studying the Bible and I can’t seem to grasp the lesson?
A. Matthew 13:36 = Several things affect our ability to comprehend God’s Word. Here are some study tips:
1) When you open your Bible, ask God to teach you the lesson at hand. In this way, you will tune into Him. Don’t move on until the lesson is revealed.
2) Remember, God doesn’t contradict Himself. Use a good Bible handbook and a concordance and cross-reference the whole passage. If you have been following this study from Genesis, you shouldn’t have a problem understanding God’s easy to grasp lessons by now.
3) Ask yourself if there has been any stresses or trials in your life recently. Refocus on God now; put on His armor and get in alignment with heaven. Be patient; you will spend your life learning at Jesus’ feet. God uses life lessons to teach you about Himself and to grow you up. As you ponder the passage you have in mind, allow the Holy Spirit to apply the Word to your daily life. God’s Word is rich. His truths permeate the universe and beyond.
Q. How will this age end?
A. Matthew 13:37–43 =
1) Jesus began the world and mankind
2) Evil entered in and many people loved it
3) One day, angels will take out believers from amongst the unbelievers
4) Angels will also remove all that causes sin and all who do evil too, and throw them into the furnace to be burned. Much weeping and gnashing will follow
5) Believers will shine like the sun in their heavenly Father’s kingdom.
Q. How can I begin to grasp this truth?
A. Matthew 13:43 =
1) Be willing to hear it
2) Listen and understanding will come.
Q. What else is the kingdom of heaven like?
A. Matthew 13:44 = Hidden treasure discovered in an open field that is so precious, one will sell everything he has to own that treasure, which requires buying the field it is in first.
👉 Eternity is not in our wildest dreams, it is an actual dimension. God’s possession, acquired through our believing what Christ did (our buying the message found in His Word) gets us to heaven. Only Jesus’ blood gets us there.
👉Being a believer affects my life drastically. All my life decisions are based on God’s truth and has turned my life upside down. I would die for this truth. It is everything! What joy there is in God’s holy plan!
Q. Are there many false religions out there?
A. Matthew 13:45–46 = Yes. All are like pearls, but to those who really seek truth, they discover God’s truth and realize its value and are willing to be a part of His purpose.
Q. What else is the Kingdom of Heaven like?
A. Matthew 13:47–50 = A fishing net thrown into the sea that pulls out good and bad fish (people), in which angels will sort through and find believers for God’s kingdom.
Q. Where does God’s Word originate?
A. Matthew 13:52 = In God’s storehouse.
Q. Was the Books of Moses and the Prophets brought out to religious teachers for the sake of teaching God’s people how to draw near to God?
A. Matthew 13:52 = Yes. The teachings Jesus brought to them was new to them. Jesus taught the Word very differently than the Jewish leaders taught it. But it all came out of the passages of Scriptures they all knew.
Q. Should we learn both Old and New Testaments?
A. Matthew 13:52 = Yes. You can’t exclude the Old Testament because you are a New Testament believer. God’s Word is all one Word and is profitable for us to learn as a whole.
Q. What is a hard truth that believers must accept?
A. Matthew 13:53–58 = No matter how excited one is about God, how pure one keeps himself for God, how noted one can become for God’s glory, one’s parents, siblings and childhood friends will not grant you well–earned esteem and honor for it.
Q. How does this fact affect one’s ministry?
A. Matthew 13:58 = People don’t see God at work in you and few miracles can happen.
Q. What must come with miracles?
A. Matthew 13:58 = You can pray for a miracle to happen on someone’s behalf, but that person needs to believe God with you for the miracle. Anticipate God moving on your behalf. Never scoff. Don’t be embarrassed. Like a little child asking his father for something, anticipate God’s best for you is about to happen.
✍️🐌Mrs. Kalaiselvi Balakrishnan in Jesus Christ 🐌✍️