Tuesday, April 1, 2025

April 13, 2025 – A Study of Matthew – Breaking the Seal

Breaking the Seal

Daniel 6:14-24 - New International Version (NIV)

14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Who “was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him” (verse 14)?

What did the “law of the Medes and Persians” say (verse 15)?

Who told Daniel, when he was thrown into the lions’ den “may your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you” (verse 16)?

How was the stone that was placed at the mouth of the den sealed (verse 17)?

What did the king do “at the first light of dawn” (verse 19)?

How did Daniel answer the king’s question, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions” (verses 20, 21, and 22)?

Why was “no wound” found on Daniel (verse 23)?

What happened to the “men who had falsely accused Daniel” (verse 24)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how humans unsuccessfully place limits on God?

Matthew 21:1-11 – New International Version (NIV)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

What were the two disciples to do (verses 1 and 2)?

How were they to respond if “anyone says anything to you” (verse 3)?

Why did this take place (verse 4)?

What did the disciples do (verses 6 and 7)?

Why did they place their cloaks “on them” (verse 7)?

Who “spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what does “Hosanna” mean (verse 9)?

What did the city ask (verse 10)?

How did the crowds answer the city’s question (verse 11)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how humans unsuccessfully place limits on God?

In your opinion, how is Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den in Daniel 6:14-24 similar to Jesus entering Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11?

Matthew 27:57-66 – New International Version (NIV)

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

What had Joseph, the rich man from Arimathea, become (verse 57)?

Who did Joseph ask for Jesus’ body (verse 58)?

What did Joseph do with the body (verses 59 and 60)?

Who was sitting “opposite the tomb” (verse 61)?

Who went to Pilate on the day after Preparation Day (verse 62)?

What did they say that the “deceiver” had said (verse 63)?

What order did they ask for (verse 64)?

How did Pilate respond to their request (verse 65)?

What did they do (verse 66)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how humans unsuccessfully place limits on God?

In your opinion, how is the sealing of the stone over the mouth of the lions’ den in Daniel 6:14-24 like the sealing of the stone in front of Jesus’s tomb in Matthew 27:57-66?

In your opinion, how are the crowd welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11 and Joseph of Arimathea in Matthew 27:57-66 similar?

1 John 5:1-11 – New International Version (NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Who is “born of God” (verse 1)?

How do we know that we “love the children of God” (verse 2)?

What is “love for God” (verse 3)?

What is “the victory that has overcome the world” (verse 4)?

“Who is it that overcomes the world” (verse 5)?

Who is the truth that testifies to Jesus Christ (verse 6)?

What three testify in agreement (verses 7 and 8)?

Whose testimony is greater than human testimony (verse 9)?

Who makes God “out to be a liar” (verse 10)?

What is the testimony (verse 11)?

Who has life (verse 12)?

Who does not have life (verse 12)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how humans unsuccessfully place limits on God?

In your opinion, how does Daniel in Daniel 6:14-24 provide an example of the statement in 1 John 5:1-11’s that “this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith”?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the way the “large crowd” in Matthew 21:1-11 perceived Jesus and the way that 1 John 5:1-11 describes Jesus?

In your opinion, how is Joseph of Arimathea in Matthew 27:57-66 an example of what 1 John 5:1-11 means when it talks about attaining a victory that “overcomes the world”?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Daniel, Matthew, Matthew, and 1 John teach us about the choice for the world or for God?

In your opinion, how can we overcome the world today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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