New Testament in a Year – Matthew 12

By Ron

January 16, 2024

Matthew, New Testament

Lord of the Sabbath - Matthew 12:1-14

Where were Jesus and His disciples when they were eating? (12:1)
What difference did the day of the week make? (12:1)
What activity were the disciples involved in? (12:1)
How did the Pharisees react when they saw the disciples eating? (12:2)
What biblical precedent did Jesus cite to justify the actions of His followers? (12:3-4)
What, according to Jesus, did the law say about priests and the temple and the Sabbath? (12:5)
Over what honored religious symbol did Jesus claim superiority? (12:6)
What did Jesus accuse the Pharisees of failing to understand? (12:7)
What did Jesus claim about Himself? (12:8)
Where did Jesus go after clashing with the Pharisees? (12:9)
What miracle did Jesus perform in the synagogue? (12:10, 13)
How did Jesus justify His actions? (12:11-12)
What was the response of the Pharisees? (12:14)

In what specific ways can you show mercy and compassion to a hurting person today?
What legalistic rules that keep you from loving people do you need to ignore?
Without being showy, how can you demonstrate today to a non-Christian friend the freedom that you have in Christ?

How did Jesus respond to the hostility of the Pharisees? (12:15)
Who accompanied Jesus? (12:15)
What did Jesus do for the people who followed Him? (12:15)
What did Jesus instruct the people He helped to do? (12:16)
Who had foretold this event? (12:17)
In the prophetic passage quoted here, how did God identify the Messiah? (12:18)
What message did the prophecy say Christ would preach? (12:18)
How was the personality of Christ described by Isaiah? (12:19)
How did Isaiah predict people would respond to this coming servant of God? (12:19)
According to Isaiah, what type of ministry would the Messiah have? (12:20)
According to the prophet Isaiah, how would the nations ultimately respond to Christ? (12:21)

What are three practical ways you can serve God this week?
What specific areas of your life do you need to surrender to the control of the Holy Spirit today?
Over the next few days, how can you bring God’s justice and love to someone who is oppressed?

What kind of man did Jesus heal? (12:22)
How did the onlookers respond? (12:23)
What kind of reaction did the Pharisees have to the miracle Christ did? (12:24)
How did Jesus show the Pharisee’s argument to be illogical? (12:25-26)
What did Jesus say to show the significance of His ability to drive out demons? (12:28)
What rationale did Jesus give for casting out demons? (12:29)
What criteria did Jesus give for determining who supported and opposed Him? (12:30)
What did Jesus discuss with the Pharisees? (12:31-32)
What did Jesus say a tree’s "fruit" reveals? (12:33)
What harsh name did Jesus call the Pharisees? Why? (12:34)
What did Jesus claim a person’s words reveal? (12:34-35)
What will every single person do on the day of judgment? (12:36-37)

When and how can you best bring your unconfessed sins to God?
What are some specific steps you can take this week to avoid sinning in your speech?
What can you begin doing today to develop a pure heart so that your life produces good fruit?

What was Christ doing when His mother and brothers came to speak to Him? (12:46)
Who was in the crowd? (12:38-46)
Who came to find Jesus? Why? (12:46)
Why did Jesus’ family want to see Him? (12:46)
How did Jesus find out about His visitors? (12:47)
What two rhetorical questions did Jesus pose when He heard about His family’s arrival? (12:48)
How did Jesus answer His own questions? (12:49)
What makes a person a member of Jesus’ family? (12:50)
Who can become a member of Jesus’ family? (12:50)
How did Jesus refer to God? (12:50)

What could you do today to strengthen the bonds you have with another Christian brother or sister?
To what family member could you communicate your love and concern this week?
What steps can you take this week to ensure that your family ties do not hinder God’s will for you?