This is a study of "the kingdom parables" that Jesus taught. Our goal is to be the spiritual kingdom of Christ. If we are to (a) exist as his kingdom and (b) achieve his purposes in that kingdom, we must accurately understand the things Jesus taught about the kingdom. His kingdom teachings are immediately relevant to who we are, what we do, and how we function as a community of Christians.

"The kingdom" occupied a place of primary importance in Jesus' teachings. In order to better understand the kingdom parables, we need to examine Jesus' emphasis on the kingdom. This study will primarily focus on Jesus' kingdom teachings in the book of Matthew. Read the following passages and answer the questions.

1. First, consider John the baptizer's statement in Matthew 3:2.
   1. Where was John and what was he doing (verse 1)?

   2. What was he saying (verse 2)?

   3. Who was coming to hear him teach (verse 5)?

   4. What were they doing (verse 6)?

   Now turn your attention to Jesus.

2. Matthew 4
   1. What did Jesus do when he heard that John was arrested (verse 12,13)?

   2. What did Jesus begin to preach at that time (verse 17)?

   3. What do you understand the words "at hand" to mean?

   4. What three things did Jesus do throughout Galilee (verse 23)?

   5. What did people do when the news about Jesus spread (verse 24)?

   6. What did Jesus do?

   7. From where did Jesus' enormous following come (verse 25)?

3. Matthew 5
   1. What did Jesus say about the kingdom in verse 3?

   2. What did he say about the kingdom in verse 19?

   3. What did he say about the kingdom in verse 20?

4. Matthew 6
   1. What were the disciples told to pray regarding the kingdom in verse 10?

   2. What is said about the kingdom in verse 13?

   3. What command (instruction) is given regarding the kingdom in verse 33?

5. What information are we given about the kingdom in Matthew 7:21-23?
   1. Earlier, Jesus said the kingdom was "at hand," and here he talked about "on that day."

   2. What insight does this give you?

   3. In this scripture, what do you understand to be the similarity between those who were citizens in Jesus' kingdom and those who were not?

   4. What do you understand to be the difference?

6. Matthew 8:11,12
   1. Who came to Jesus shortly after he returned to Capernaum (verse 5)?

   2. What did he request (verse 6)?

   3. What reply did Jesus make (verse 7)?

   4. What reply did this man make to Jesus' offer (verse 8)?

   5. What did Jesus say about this man's faith (verse 10)?

   6. What did Jesus say about the kingdom in verse 11?

   7. What did Jesus say about the kingdom in verse 12?

   8. What is your understanding of that statement?

7. Matthew 9:35
   1. Where did Jesus go?

   2. Where did he teach?

   3. What did he proclaim? What does that mean?

   4. What did he do?

8. Matthew 10:5-15
   1. Who did Jesus send out (verse 5)?

   2. To whom were they not to go (verse 5)?

   3. To whom were they to go (verse 6)? Who was that?

   4. What were they to preach (verse 7)? What did that mean?

   5. What else were they to do (verse 8)?

   6. Explain what they were told not to do in verse 9 and 10.

   7. State the instructions they were given regarding the city they visited (verses 12,13).

   8. What did Jesus say about the cities that rejected them (verses 14,15)?

9. Matthew 11:7-12
   1. What basic question was Jesus asking the multitudes in verse 7-9?

   2. What identification did Jesus give John in verse 10?

   3. What did Jesus say about John and the kingdom (verse 11)?

   4. What do you understand verse 12 to mean?

10. Matthew 12:22-29
    1. What was Jesus doing (verse 22)?

    2. What did the amazed multitude ask (verse 23)?

    3. What did the Pharisees declare (verse 24)?

    4. Knowing their thoughts, what questions did Jesus ask them about a kingdom (verses 25,26)?

    5. What significance did Jesus attach to the casting out demons (verse 28)?

    6. Why did Jesus say that casing out demons gave evidence about the coming of the kingdom (verse 29)?

11. Matthew 13:11.
    1. Jesus explained to his disciples that he taught in parables because "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."

    2. What does that mean?

12. Matthew 16:13-19
    1. What did Peter understand regarding Jesus (verse 16)?

    2. According to Jesus, how did Peter know that (verse 17)?

    3. What did Jesus promise to do (verse 18)?

    4. What did he give Peter (verse 19)?

    5. What did that mean?

13. In Matthew 16:28, what information did Jesus give about the coming of the kingdom?

14. Matthew 18:1-4
    1. What question did the disciples ask Jesus (verse 1)?

    2. How did Jesus answer them (verses 2,3)?

    3. What did Jesus say about the kingdom of heaven (verse 3)?

15. Matthew 19:1-12
    1. Immediately prior to these verses, Jesus answered the Pharisees' question concerning the popular position on divorce in Jewish society.

    2. In your own words, state the question that the disciples asked (verse 10).

    3. What response did Jesus make to this question (verse 11)?

    4. What did Jesus say about eunuchs and the kingdom (verse 12)?

16. Matthew 19:13-15
    1. Why were children brought to Jesus (verse 13)?

    2. When the disciples rebuked those who brought them, how did Jesus respond to their actions (verse 14)?

    3. What did Jesus say about the kingdom of heaven?

17. Matthew 19:23-26
    1. What did Jesus say about a rich man and the kingdom of heaven (verse 23)?

    2. What is easier than an rich man entering the kingdom of heaven (verse 24)?

    3. What was the disciples' question (verse 25)?

    4. What did Jesus say about God (verse 26)?

18. Matthew 23:13
    1. What did the Pharisees do to the kingdom of heaven?

    2. They themselves did not do what?

    3. What did they not allow?

19. Matthew 24:14
    1. Where will the gospel of the kingdom be preached?

    2. For what purpose?

    3. When that is accomplished, what shall occur?

20. Matthew 26:26-29
    1. The evening before he died, Jesus took what we call "the Lord's supper" or communion with his disciples.

    2. What did Jesus say about the bread as he gave it to his disciples (verse 26)?

    3. What did he ask them to do after he gave thanks for the wine (verse 27)?

    4. What did Jesus say about the wine (verse 28)?

    5. What connection did Jesus make between drinking the wine and "my Father's kingdom"?

    6. What do you think Jesus meant by that statement?

David Chadwell

Jesus' Kingdom Parables Study Guide (part 1)
Wednesday evening Bible class, 10 June - 18 November 1998
West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR

Copyright © 1998
Permission is granted to freely copy and distribute with text unchanged, including author's name.

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