Friday, December 26, 2025

January 11, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Priceless Treasure

Priceless Treasure

Isaiah 55:1-7 – New International Version (NIV)

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

How were the readers to “buy wine and milk” (verse 1)?

In your opinion, “why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy” (verse 2)?

What kind of covenant is the Lord making (verse 3)?

What has God made David “to the peoples” (verses 3 and 4)?

Who will “come running” (verse 5)?

When should we “seek the Lord” (verse 6)?

What will the Lord do for the unrighteous who forsake their thoughts and “turn to the Lord” (verse 7)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about both the cost and value of salvation?

Matthew 13:44-52 - New International Version (NIV)

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

What did the man do when he found “treasure hidden in a field” (verse 44)?

What did the merchant who was “looking for fine pearls” do when he found one (verses 45 and 46)?

What was caught in the net (verse 47)?

Where did they collect the good fish (verse 48)?

How were the bad fish treated (verse 48)?

Who will separate “the wicked from the righteous” (verse 49)?

What will happen to the wicked (verse 50)?

How did the disciples answer when Jesus ask “have you understood all these things” (verse 51)?

Who is “like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (verse 52)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about both the cost and value of salvation?

In your opinion, what does Isaiah 55:1-7 help us understand about the cost of entering the kingdom of heaven that Jesus is discussing in the parables in Matthew 13:44-52?

Philippians 3:4b-14 - New International Version (NIV)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What does Paul have more of (verse 4)?

How was Paul “a Pharisee” (verse 5)?

What had Paul’s zeal caused him to do (verse 6)?

Why did Paul consider “whatever were gains” now a loss (verse 7)?

What did Paul consider garbage (verse 8)?

What is the basis of “the righteousness that comes from God” (verse 9)?

What did Paul want to participate in (verse 10)?

What resurrection did Paul want to attain (verse 11)?

Who “took hold” of Paul (verse 12)?

What does Paul strain toward (verse 13)?

How did God call Paul heavenward (verse 14)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about both the cost and value of salvation?

In your opinion, how does Philippians 3:5-14 help us understand why it is difficult for people to accept the absolutely amazing gift that is offered in Isaiah 55:1-7?

In your opinion, how do the parables in Matthew 13:44-52 demonstrate the consequences of the decision about what to consider gain and loss that Paul describes in Philippians 3:5-14?

2 Timothy 3:10-17 - New International Version (NIV)

10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

What did Timothy know that the Lord had rescued Paul from (verses 10 and 11)?

Who will be persecuted (verse 12)?

Who will “go from bad to worse” (verse 13)?

What was Timothy to “continue in” (verse 14)?

When had Timothy learned “the Holy Scriptures” (verse 15)?

What could “the Holy Scriptures” do for Timothy (verse 15)?

How much Scripture “is God-breathed” (verse 16)?

What does the Scripture do for the “servant of God” (verse 17)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about both the cost and value of salvation?

In your opinion, what does 2 Timothy 3:10-17 help us understand about what comes after accepting the free pardon in Isaiah 55:1-7?

In your opinion, how does Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 3:10-17 that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful” help us understand why Jesus said in Matthew 13:44-52 that “every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven” can get new and old treasures from their storeroom?

In your opinion, what can considering the information in Philippians 3:5-14 and 2 Timothy 3:10-17 help us learn about life before and after salvation?

In your opinion, what do these Scriptures from Isaiah, Matthew, Philippians and 2 Timothy teach us about the true treasure we can seek in our earthly life?

In your opinion, how does life change after we claim that treasure?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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