New
Testament Bible Reading Challenge
4 March
2013 to 28th February 2014
Week 3
:
Bible
Reading
Plan and
Discussion Notes
Monday,
March 18, 2013
---
Matthew
11
---
Jesus
talks about John the Baptist and the
need for repentance
• Do you
think verses 20-24 suggest some unbelievers will find God’s
judgment
more bearable than others?
• It has
been said that the God of the New Testament is one of love and
peace,
while the God of the Old Testament is one of wrath and
punishment.
Would you agree? Or are these characteristics mutually
compatible?
• Is there a
marked contrast between what Jesus says in verses 20-24,
compared
to verses 25-30, or are these interlinked?
Tuesday,
March 19, 2013
---
Matthew
12
---
Jesus
helps interpret what the Sabbath is for, and refers to the prophet Jonah as a
‘sign’ of His own death and resurrection.
• (v39-40)
How accurately was this prophecy fulfilled? (3 days and 3 nights)
• Some
biblical scholars wouldconsider the story of Jonah being swallowed
by a huge
fish to be allegorical (and therefore didn't really happen) Does
Tuesday's
reading help clarify this line of thought?
Wednesday,
March 20, 2013
---
Matthew
13
---
Jesus
tells some parables, and explains why He uses them.
• Wednesday's
reading may help us to determine why Jesus spoke in
parables.
It's not as clear-cut as tradition has led us to believe!
Thursday,
March 21, 2013
---
Matthew
14
---
The
amazing miracles of feeding the 5,000 and walking on water.
• Part of
Thursday's reading includes the miracle of Jesus walking on water.
I've
heard many sceptics accuse Jesus of having performed an illusion
here. For
example, some have claimed that as it was late at night when
this
event took place, perhaps Jesus was merely ankle deep in the water
along the
shoreline and it therefore played tricks with the tired vision of
the
disciples, and they thought they saw something quite different? But
what do you
think?
Friday,
March 22, 2013
---
Matthew
15
---
Jesus
explains how our faith comes from within, not by mere rituals.
• During
Friday's reading it can be all too easy to point the finger at those
Pharisees
who were breaking the commands of God for the sake of their
tradition.
But what about us? What about you, me, our churches, and
the wider
Church? Do we have traditions, teaching, or doctrine within
the
church which are man-made and can become obstacles to our
relationship
with God?
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