new testament journal entry on matthew
New Testament journal entry on Matthew
Read and reflect on passages from Matthew
Questions to help you reflect on the New Testament
The commentary sections in Called by the Gospel will help answer questions such as:
- What did the passage mean to the early Christians? The expository footnotes in the ESV Bible or the Lutheran Study Bible will be helpful here.
- Why was it important to them?
- Why is it important to Christians today?
Personal observations
- How will I be applying it to my life?
- Write what I saw: the truth, idea, or principle that became clear
- Write what I heard:what God said to me as I meditated on the text
- Write what I thought and felt: how the text engaged my mind and emotions
- How I responded in prayer: what I said back to God
- Write what I am still trying to understand: questions about the passage
Example of good journal entries
January 24th, 2012
Matthew 1:1-17 The genealogies of Jesus. I never noticed the presence of women in Jesus’ genealogy (vv. 3, 5, 6). Each woman has a sexual scandal in her past. Why are they mixed in here?
Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.†Some may say that Matthew’s Gospel is a long, beautiful extended poem about Christ, but it reads as history.
January 29th, 2012
Matthew 3 Jesus’ baptism. Done “to fulfill all righteousness.†What does that mean? (Ask in class!)
Matthew 7:1-20 “Do not judge†in context clearly means that we should in fact judge, after we can “see clearly†(v. 5). The text has the word, “then†we can be aware of “dogs,†“pigs†and “false prophets†(vv.6, 15). The word used here is “recognize†(v. 16).
“Lord, may I always not prejudge people, discern dogs, pigs and false prophets only when I can ‘see clearly.’â€
Two pages only