Gospel of Matthew bible study chapters 1 through 8

 

            Here is the gospel of Matthew, in four parts. As with the other gospels that I have posted, this gospel relates a version of the life story of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the other versions told in the other three gospels. It also contains many powerful teachings of Jesus, namely the Sermon on the Mount, plus many parables that He tells throughout the gospel. Jesus gives a number of end times teachings, too in more than one section in the gospel. Due to the length of the book, 28 chapters, I am splitting it into 4 parts, which can be studied independently or better taken one at a time sequentially to make a study of the entire gospel. I will try to keep comments to a minimum to maximize the impact of the bible verses

Chapter 1 of Matthew relates the genealogy of Jesus then goes on to relate a dream of Joseph and the birth of Jesus

(Matthew 1:1)  The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

 

(Matthew 1:2)  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

 

(Matthew 1:3)  and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

 

(Matthew 1:4)  and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,

 

(Matthew 1:5)  and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

 

(Matthew 1:6)  and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

 

(Matthew1:7)  and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,

 

(Matthew 1:8)  and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,

 

(Matthew 1:9)  and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

 

(Matthew 1:10)  and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,

 

(Matthew 1:11)  and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

 

(Matthew 1:12)  And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

 

(Matthew 1:13)  and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,

 

(Matthew 1:14)  and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,

 

(Matthew 1:15)  and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,

 

(Matthew 1:16)  and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

 

(Matthew 1:17)  So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

 

(Matthew 1:18)  Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

 

(Matthew 1:19)  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

 

(Matthew 1:20)  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

 

(Matthew 1:21)  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

 

(Matthew 1:22)  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

 

(Matthew 1:23)  "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

 

(Matthew 1:24)  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,

 

Chapter 2 relates of the wise men’s visit to Jesus, bringing gifts with them then Jesus’ family’s flight to Egypt to evade Herod, who in anger had many of the youth slain and then their return to Israel after Herod’s death

(Matthew 2:1)  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

 

(Matthew 2:2)  saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

 

(Matthew 2:3)  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

 

(Matthew 2:4)  and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

 

(Matthew 2:5)  They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

 

(Matthew 2:6)  "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

 

(Matthew 2:7)  Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.

 

(Matthew 2:8)  And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."

 

(Matthew 2:9)  After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

 

(Matthew2:10)  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

 

(Matthew 2:11)  And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 

(Matthew 2:12)  And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

 

(Matthew 2:13)  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

 

(Matthew 2:14)  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

 

(Matthew 2:15)  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

 

(Matthew 2:16)  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

 

(Matthew 2:17)  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

 

(Matthew 2:18)  "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

 

(Matthew 2:19)  But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

 

(Matthew 2:20)  saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."

 

(Matthew 2:21)  And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

 

(Matthew 2:22)  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

 

(Matthew 2:23)  And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

 

Chapter 3 has John the Baptist is preaching the people and also baptizing them into repentance. He also baptizes Jesus, despite not wanting to baptize Jesus but saying that he John needed to be baptized of Jesus instead

(Matthew 3:1)  In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

 

(Matthew3:2)  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 

(Matthew 3:3)  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

 

(Matthew 3:4)  Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

 

(Matthew 3:5)  Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,

 

(Matthew 3:6)  and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

 

(Matthew 3:7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 

(Matthew 3:8)  Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

 

(Matthew 3:9)  And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

 

(Matthew 3:10)  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 

(Matthew 3:11)  "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

(Matthew 3:12)  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

 

(Matthew 3:13)  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

 

(Matthew 3:14)  John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

 

(Matthew 3:15)  But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.

 

(Matthew 3:16)  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

 

(Matthew 3:17)  and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

 

Matthew chapter 4 tells the story of Jesus’ confrontation with Satan, and then Jesus starts to preach repentance to the people and also calls some of His disciples to Himself:

(Matthew 4:1)  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

(Matthew 4:2)  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

 

(Matthew 4:3)  And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

 

(Matthew 4:4)  But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

 

(Matthew 4:5)  Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

 

(Matthew 4:6)  and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

 

(Matthew 4:7)  Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

 

(Matthew 4:8)  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

 

(Matthew 4:9)  And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

 

(Matthew 4:10)  Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

 

(Matthew 4:11)  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

 

(Matthew 4:12)  Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

 

(Matthew 4:13)  And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

 

(Matthew 4:14)  so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

 

(Matthew 4:15)  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--

 

(Matthew 4:16)  the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."

 

(Matthew 4:17)  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 

(Matthew 4:18)  While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

 

(Matthew 4:19)  And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

 

(Matthew 4:20)  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

 

(Matthew 4:21)  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.

 

(Matthew 4:22)  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

 

(Matthew 4:23)  And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

 

(Matthew 4:24)  So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.

 

(Matthew 4:25)  And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

 

In chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew, Jesus presents the very powerful Sermon on the Mount to his disciples and the crowd following, climbing a mountain in order to present the sermon. In the sermon he gives much powerful advice to everyone, even today over what is blessed, what to do, to trust in God and to follow Jesus, doing the will of the Father for that is key to getting in to Heaven. I am going to present these chapters all together without any comment in between them so as to maximize the impact of this powerful sermon:

(Matthew 5:1)  Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

 

(Matthew 5:2)  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

 

(Matthew 5:3)  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

(Matthew 5:4)  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 

(Matthew 5:5)  "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 

(Matthew 5:6)  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 

(Matthew 5:7)  "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 

(Matthew 5:8)  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 

(Matthew 5:9)  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 

(Matthew 5:10)  "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

(Matthew 5:11)  "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

 

(Matthew 5:12)  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

(Matthew 5:13)  "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

 

(Matthew 5:14)  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

 

(Matthew 5:15)  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

 

(Matthew 5:16)  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 

(Matthew 5:17)  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

 

(Matthew 5:18)  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

 

(Matthew 5:19)  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

(Matthew 5:20)  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

(Matthew 5:21)  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'

 

(Matthew 5:22)  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.

 

(Matthew 5:23)  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

 

(Matthew 5:24)  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

 

(Matthew 5:25)  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.

 

(Matthew 5:26)  Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

 

(Matthew 5:27)  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

 

(Matthew 5:28)  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

(Matthew 5:29)  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

 

(Matthew 5:30)  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

 

(Matthew 5:31)  "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

 

(Matthew 5:32)  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

 

(Matthew 5:33)  "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.'

 

(Matthew 5:34)  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

 

(Matthew 5:35)  or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

 

(Matthew 5:36)  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

 

(Matthew 5:37)  Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

 

(Matthew 5:38)  "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

 

(Matthew 5:39)  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

 

(Matthew 5:40)  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

 

(Matthew 5:41)  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

 

(Matthew 5:42)  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

 

(Matthew 5:43)  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

 

(Matthew 5:44)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

 

(Matthew 5:45)  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

(Matthew 5:46)  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

 

(Matthew 5:47)  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

 

(Matthew 5:48)  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

(Matthew 6:1)  "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

 

(Matthew 6:2)  "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

 

(Matthew 6:3)  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

 

(Matthew 6:4)  so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

(Matthew 6:5)  "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

 

(Matthew 6:6)  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

(Matthew 6:7)  "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

 

(Matthew 6:8)  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

(Matthew 6:9)  Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

 

(Matthew 6:10)  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

 

(Matthew 6:11)  Give us this day our daily bread,

 

(Matthew 6:12)  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 

(Matthew 6:13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

(Matthew 6:14)  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

 

(Matthew 6:15)  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

(Matthew 6:16)  "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

 

(Matthew 6:17)  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

 

(Matthew 6:18)  that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

(Matthew 6:19)  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

 

(Matthew 6:20)  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

 

(Matthew 6:21)  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

(Matthew 6:22)  "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,

 

(Matthew 6:23)  but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

 

(Matthew 6:24)  "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

 

(Matthew 6:25)  "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

 

(Matthew 6:26)  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

 

(Matthew 6:27)  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

 

(Matthew 6:28)  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

 

(Matthew 6:29)  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 

(Matthew 6:30)  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

 

(Matthew 6:31)  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

 

(Matthew 6:32)  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

 

(Matthew 6:33)  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

(Matthew 6:34)  "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

(Matthew 7:1)  "Judge not, that you be not judged.

 

(Matthew 7:2)  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

 

(Matthew 7:3)  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

 

(Matthew 7:4)  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?

 

(Matthew 7:5)  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

 

(Matthew 7:6)  "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

 

(Matthew 7:7)  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

 

(Matthew 7:8)  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

 

(Matthew 7:9)  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

 

(Matthew 7:10)  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

 

(Matthew 7:11)  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

 

(Matthew 7:12)  "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

 

(Matthew 7:13)  "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

 

(Matthew 7:14)  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

 

(Matthew 7:15)  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

 

(Matthew 7:16)  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

 

(Matthew 7:17)  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

 

(Matthew 7:18)  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

 

(Matthew 7:19)  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 

(Matthew 7:20)  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

 

(Matthew 7:21)  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

 

(Matthew 7:22)  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

 

(Matthew 7:23)  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

 

(Matthew 7:24)  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

 

(Matthew 7:25)  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

 

(Matthew 7:26)  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

 

(Matthew 7:27)  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

 

(Matthew 7:28)  And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

 

(Matthew 7:29)  for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

 

In Matthew chapter 8, after completing the sermon, Jesus comes down and starts healing people and also doing miracles as well as answering a few questions. This chapter includes the centurion’s servant healed and the gadderene demoniac delivered amongst other things:

(Matthew 8:1)  When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

 

(Matthew 8:2)  And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

 

(Matthew 8:3)  And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

 

(Matthew 8:4)  And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."

 

(Matthew 8:5)  When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,

 

(Matthew 8:6)  "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly."

 

(Matthew 8:7)  And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."

 

(Matthew8:8)  But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

 

(Matthew 8:9)  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

 

(Matthew 8:10)  When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

 

(Matthew 8:11)  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

 

(Matthew 8:12)  while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

(Matthew 8:13)  And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.

 

(Matthew 8:14)  And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

 

(Matthew 8:15)  He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

 

(Matthew 8:16)  That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

 

(Matthew 8:17)  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."

 

(Matthew 8:18)  Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

 

(Matthew 8:19)  And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

 

(Matthew 8:20)  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

 

(Matthew 8:21)  Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."

 

(Matthew 8:22)  And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

 

(Matthew 8:23)  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

 

(Matthew 8:24)  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

 

(Matthew 8:25)  And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."

 

(Matthew 8:26)  And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

 

(Matthew 8:27)  And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

 

(Matthew 8:28)  And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.

 

(Matthew 8:29)  And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

 

(Matthew 8:30)  Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.

 

(Matthew 8:31)  And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."

 

(Matthew 8:32)  And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.

 

(Matthew 8:33)  The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

 

(Matthew 8:34)  And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

For the next seven chapters of this bible study please go here

https://www.facebook.com/notes/jay-dougherty/gospel-of-matthew-bible-study-chapters-9-through-15/10200648818236454  

This is a powerful account showing the mercy, love, grace and so on of Jesus for He loves everyone so. His love is shown by His actions during these chapters of the gospel. He longs for a relationship with You and me as much now as He did then because He never changed. He died for our sins to enable us to have this relationship and also with God the Father and now it is up to us whether to take this free gift from God of salvation. I am now including a prayer which will make it easy to do just that, taking the free gift, and also this prayer can be used to repent and return to Him in case you may have slipped away- Jesus is very forgiving. Please pray the following prayer with me:

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours