Christian Education
We want to be known as a learning church because we serve a God who invites us to know Him.
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Winter 2024 A King Forever and Ever Unit 3: Life in God’s Kingdom
This quarter explores the broad sweep of Scripture’s teaching regarding God’s reign—teaching that culminates in the proclamation of Jesus as the earthly exhibition of that kingdom. Beginning with key moments in the history of Jesus’ ancestors, this quarter highlights Jesus’ birth as the Son of David. The quarter then moves to a four-week study of psalms that extol the reign of God. The conclusion of the quarter provides a look at Jesus’ teachings on life in God’s kingdom.
Life in the Kingdom
The quarter concludes with four lessons from the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus explains the nature and obligations of life in his kingdom. This manner of living consists of prayer marked with praise, petitions, and forgiveness (Matthew 6:5-15, lesson 10). Life in this kingdom will not be marked with ease. In fact, citizens of this heavenly kingdom will inevitably face resistance in this world, for “the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence” (1:12, lesson 11).
Life in the kingdom will often involve reorienting expectations. When a rich young ruler sought eternal life through his good deeds, Jesus pointed him toward a more profound understanding of kingdom living (Matthew 19:16-30, lesson 12). More than anything, citizens of this heavenly kingdom are called to faithful obedience to the King, even in unexpected contexts (25:31-46, lesson 13).
Lesson 10 Praying Properly Matthew 6:5-15
One of the things we know about Jesus is that he was a man of prayer. He would rise early in the morning so he could spend time alone in prayer (example: Mark 1:35). On at least one occasion, he spent all night in prayer (Luke 6:12). When Jesus knew his death was close at hand, he spent a significant portion of his final evening praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-43). What we call “the Lord’s Prayer” is found in Matthew 6:9-13, with a shorter version in Luke 11:2-4. That title can be misleading because there’s no record that Jesus himself prayed this prayer. Instead, these were guidelines given by Jesus to others about how they should pray. The disciples’ interest in learning about prayer was sparked by their awareness that John the Baptist had taught his own followers the correct way to pray (Luke 11:1). While we don’t have any of John the Baptist’s prayers, we do have examples of Jesus’ prayers (example: John 17:1-26, which consists of a lengthy prayer given by Jesus in the upper room during the Last Supper). The church tends to use the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew more often because it is more detailed than the wording in Luke’s Gospel. It has long been considered one of the church’s treasures, perhaps the most famous prayer in history. In some traditions, it is referred to as the “Our Father,” reflecting its opening phrase.
Lesson 11 Heeding Wholly Matthew 11:7-15, 20-24 201
The significance of John the Baptist is hinted at in the fact that his name is mentioned about 90 times across the four Gospels and the book of Acts. It’s important to clarify that he is not the same as John the Apostle, who’s mentioned about half as often in the New Testament. The New Testament mentions another man by the name of John (also known as “Mark”) in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37. “John” was a popular name! John contributed to the ministry of Jesus in three important ways. First, he was in one sense “the Elijah who was to come” (Matthew 11:14; compare Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 17:10-13; contrast John 1:21). In this regard, John was understood to assume the role of Elijah as a prophetic voice that prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:17; John 1:23).
Second, John’s baptizing of Jesus in the Jordan River was “to fulfill all righteousness”—it was the right thing to do in God’s plan, confirmed by “the Spirit of God” and “a voice from heaven” (Matthew 3:13-17). Third was John’s prophetic identification of Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Lesson 12 Living Lastly Matthew 19:16-30
The encounter recorded in today’s Scripture occurred only a few weeks before Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The location was on the eastern side of the Jordan River (Matthew 19:1). This region was also referred to as Perea by Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian. Today’s Scripture text has parallels in Mark 10:17-31 and Luke 18:18-30. This time frame featured several tense and pointed encounters with Pharisees and other individuals. These encounters continued into Matthew 19:1 and beyond as Jesus “left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.” One such encounter is the subject of today’s text.
Lesson 13 Ministering Mightily Matthew 25:31-46
The setting of our lesson is during a busy day of teaching during the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. As part of his “Olivet Discourse” of Matthew 24:3–25:46, Jesus taught the truth of today’s lesson, probably on Wednesday of what is often called Passion Week. The Olivet Discourse was set in motion when the disciples asked Jesus about the sign of his coming and of the end of the world (Matthew 24:3). Jesus began his reply by warning against deceptive signs and predictions of persecution (24:4-26). Then he shifted to specifying genuine signs (24:27-35). This was followed immediately by a lengthy challenge to be ready to expect the unexpected (24:36-51). The chapter closes with a dramatic picture of the final judgment—today’s lesson of Matthew 25:31-46. Some students think this is a parable, while others do not. Parables usually compare something earthly to “the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:24, 31-34; 25:1, 14; etc.), but Matthew 25:31-46 does not have this feature.
BIBLE STUDY
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January 8th – April 2nd, 2025
We all long for a full, rich, satisfying life. But how do we fill up the empty places in our souls? How can we quench our thirst for something deeper, more lasting, more meaningful?
This 13-week study urges you to take a fresh look at Jesus. Here is the opportunity to establish — or renew — your faith in the One who offers true meaning, true belonging, and true life.
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