Bible Study: Jesus and the Gospel of Matthew

Genealogy of Jesus

• Joseph is not an ancient ancestor of Jesus, the Messiah.
• Rachel is not listed by Matthew among the ancestresses of Jesus.

Early Life of Jesus

• After the exile in Egypt, Joseph did not bring Mary and Jesus back to Bethlehem because he was afraid of Herod Archelaus.
• Jesus was lost and found in the temple during the Passover Jewish Feast.
• Jesus was born during the time when the emperor of Rome was Augustus Caesar.

Ministry of Jesus

• According to Matthew, Jesus commands: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents” in Matthew 10:16.
• In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus declares: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine you did for me” in the Parable of the last judgment.
• The Gospel of Matthew contains Five Great Discourses of Jesus.

Arrest and Trial of Jesus

• According to Matthew, Pilate washing his hands during the passion.
• The Gospel of Mark tells us that the one who helped Jesus carry his cross was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
• The Gospel of John records that Pontius Pilate mixed the Galileans’ blood with their sacrifice in Jerusalem.

Other Characters in the Gospels

• Herod Antipas was the ruler of Galilee during Jesus' public ministry.
• Andrew was the first to follow Jesus in the Gospel of John.
• Nathanael was seen by Jesus under a fig tree.
• The mother of Jesus said: “Do whatever he tells you".

Teachings of Jesus

• In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus declares: “blessed are you who are poor” and contains three parables of the lost in the same chapter.
• Jesus had a conversation with the Samaritan woman in Sychar and made his discourse on the bread of life in Capernaum.
• To the Jews, Jesus said that their father is the devil.
• Caiaphas said: “It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people so that the whole nation may not perish”.

Crucifixion and Resurrection

• The crowd welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem with palm branches in the Gospel of John.
• Mary of Magdala is not known in the Gospels as a woman caught in the act of adultery, yet not condemned by Jesus.
• Simon Peter's call in the Gospels does not involve being called by Jesus when he confessed Jesus as the Messiah.
• The title “Christ” means Anointed.

Other Facts

• The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits.
• A young man fled naked when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane.
• Jesus saw Nathanael under a fig tree.
• The Hebrew word Hosanna means Save us.