Bible Study “A Light Has Dawned”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
We are still in the season of “Epiphany”. It lasts until the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. It represents the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles—the Gentile’s Christmas. The main theme of epiphany is— Jesus as the light of the world, revealed to all nations, including the Gentiles. The number of Sundays differ every year, depending on when Easter falls, but it always begins with the Baptism of Jesus and end with the Transfiguration.
Accept the light we have received and shine it forth! It is not about shining the light in other’s faces, blinding them, but holding the light in open hands.
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And what does Jesus say? The kingdom of heaven has come near. What is this kingdom of heaven and how do we get ready to receive it?
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, that we have many people to tell us the story of Jesus so we may see you from many different sides. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 4:12-23 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 4:12-23
Jesus Begins to Preach
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”[a]
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
- What did you noticed in this reading? What was interesting for you?
- What were you curious about as you read this?
- When did the moods change in the passage?
- What does this passage tell us Jesus was considering?
- What does this passage tell us is the conclusion that Jesus has come to? (Verse 17)
- What does “the kingdom of heaven” mean?
- What does Jesus do next?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
DISCOVER JESUS – Jesus Christ Begins His Ministry (Matthew 4:12-25) ESV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xVNZ4gol-U
Follow Me, I Will Make You Fishers of Men - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7xNnBHM5Wg
Overview: Matthew 1-13- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI&t=90s
Activities:
Journal: Choose a person to identify with from the stories – John the Baptist, the disciples Jesus is calling, Jesus, or a bystander who is witnessing all of this. Write down your thoughts rather from the following questions below:
- How do you think John the Baptist felt and what was he doing now that Jesus was around?
- What do you think Jesus saw in the fishermen to call them to follow?
- What made the fishermen drop their nets and follow Jesus?
- What would you give up if Jesus called you to follow?
- What qualities did Jesus see in them that he sees in us?
Poster: Create a response poster. It can be a reflection about the final question, it can be a response to who you chose to identify with, or it can be a combination. If you are stuck with what to do, you can list qualities that you see, you can draw a picture of a disciple and label the things that Jesus may have wanted in a disciple, you can do a combination, etc.
Fishing For People – Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/fishing4people_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=82
Fishing For People - Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/fishing4people_choice.htm?fromSermonId=82
Fishing 4 People fill in the Blank: https://sermons4kids.com/fishing4people_cloze.htm?fromSermonId=82
Fishing For People Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/fishing4people_wordsearch.htm?fromSermonId=82
Prayer: Thank you, God, that you call us, too, to follow. Help us to be your disciples that we may follow you faithfully. Amen.
Answers to the Questions:
- What did you noticed in this reading? What was interesting for you?
- What were you curious about as you read this?
- When did the moods change in the passage? (From Jesus considering what he was being called to do to his decision in verse 17, to his actions from verse 18 on.)
- What does this passage tell us Jesus was considering? (Verse 12, John is now in prison. Verse 13, he goes back home to think and because that is how he understands what Isaiah had said in verses 15-16).
- What does this passage tell us is the conclusion that Jesus has come to? (Verse 17)
- What does “the kingdom of heaven” mean? (Jesus knows that God is not “off somewhere” but right here. It would be Jesus’ task to try to help people stop doing what was not helping them, and turn to God.)
- What does Jesus do next? (He calls some people to help him do the work.)
