August 3, 2025 – A Study of Matthew – Made Clean

Made Clean

Numbers 19:11-22 – New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. ¹² They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean. ¹³ If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile the Lord’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them.

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

¹⁷ “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. ¹⁸ Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. ¹⁹ The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. ²⁰ But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. ²¹ This is a lasting ordinance for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. ²² Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

How long is someone who touches a human corpse unclean (verse 11)?

When must they “purify themselves with water” (verse 12)?

What happens if they “fail to purify themselves” (verse 13)?

How long is a tent unclean if someone dies in it (verse 14)?

What is supposed to be sprinkled on the unclean person (verse 17)?

Who is to “sprinkle those who are unclean” (verse 19)?

What is to happen to those who do not purify themselves (verse 20)?

What happens to a clean person who touches something that an unclean person touches (verse 22)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?

Matthew 9:14-25 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, ²⁴ he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. ²⁶ News of this spread through all that region.

What did John’s disciples and the Pharisees do often that Jesus’s disciples didn’t do (verse 14)?

Why does no one sew “a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment” (verse 16)?

Why do people not “pour new wine into old wineskins” (verse 17)?

What did the synagogue leader want Jesus to do (verse 18)?

Why did the “woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years” want to touch Jesus’s cloak (verses 20 and 21)?

What did Jesus tell the woman (verse 22)?

What did Jesus tell “the noisy crowd and people playing pipes” (verses 23 and 24)?

How did the girl react to Jesus taking her by the hand (verse 25)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?

In your opinion, what does Jesus do in Matthew 9:14-25 that transcends the limitations Numbers 19:11-22 put on interactions with unclean people?

Acts 11:1-18 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Who had heard that “the Gentiles also had received the word of God” (verse 1)?

Why did the “circumcised believers” criticize Peter (verses 2 and 3)?

Where did Peter start the story (verse 4)?

What did the voice tell Peter to do (verse 7)?

Why did Peter say, “Surely not, Lord” (verse 8)?

What did the “voice from heaven” say (verse 9)?

How many times did this happen (verse 10)?

Who stopped at the house (verse 11?

What did the Spirit tell Peter (verse 12)?

What had the angel told the man that Peter would bring (verse 14)?

How did the Holy Spirit come on them (verse 15)?

What did Peter remember the Lord had said (verse 16)?

What question did Peter ask himself (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?

In your opinion, what does Numbers 19:11-22 help us understand about Peter’s reaction to the the command to “kill and eat” in Acts 11:1-18?

In your opinion, how are Jesus’s interactions with the woman who had been bleeding and the dead girl in Matthew 9:14-25 and Peter’s interaction with the Gentiles in Acts 11:1-18 similar?

Colossians 3:5-17 - New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What should Christians do with anything that “belongs to your earthly nature” (verse 5)?

What is coming (verse 6)?

Why should Christians “not lie to each other” (verse 9)?

What should Christians “put on” (verse 10)?

Why is there “no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free” (verse 11)?

How should “God’s chosen people” cloth themselves (verse 12)?

How should forgiveness be given (verse 13)?

What binds the virtues together (verse 14)?

Why should the “peace of Christ” rule in our hearts (verse 15)?

How should “you teach and admonish one another” (verse 16)?

How should we do everything, “in word or deed” (verse 17?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?

In your opinion, how are the effects of the “water of cleansing” in Numbers 19:11-22 and the transformation caused by “message of Christ” in Colossians 3:5-17 similar?

In your opinion, how are “God’s chosen people” in Colossians 3:5-17 like the “new wine in new wineskins” of Matthew 9:14-25?

In your opinion, what does Colossians 3:5-17 reveal about what happened to the circumcised and the uncircumcised believers in Acts 11:1-18?

In your opinion, what do these Scriptures from Numbers, Matthew, Acts, and Colossians reveal about why Jesus’s discussion of “new wine into new wineskins” is an appropriate way to think about the change that He brought to becoming clean?

In your opinion, how can we who are cleansed by Christ effect the unclean world we live in today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)