October | 2023 | The Augusta Church

Sunday Lesson Notes from October 15, 2023

Discuss some Key Lessons from the passage:

Even when we spend time with Jesus, we can be doubtful like Thomas
Martha and Mary believed Jesus was the Messiah but they still did not believe he had come to raise Lazarus from the dead
Jesus was really good friends with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He wept when he saw how sad Mary and Martha were at the death of their brother. Jesus had real emotions.
Jesus was really confident in his relationship with God. He prayed for Lazarus to be raised from the dead to show them that he was the Son of God and came from God.
Jesus promised that when we believe in him we will live and never die. Live- spiritually, we will not experience a spiritual death. Physical death is not a final event, the way humans think of it. We will live forever spiritually, if we do what God says.

Thomas was doubting and focusing on going to Jerusalem to die. He also doubted when Jesus came back from the dead. This is another example of being around Jesus and not really understanding his power.
When God allows us to go through suffering, it is usually for a larger purpose; for example to help us know him better and believe in him more. Suffering can lead to growth.
The religious leaders of the time knew it was the power of God that raised Lazarus from the dead yet they knowingly rejected Jesus as the Son of God. They were more interested in keeping their position and status in society.

Lesson Notes from Sunday October 1, 2023

Read Matthew 9:27

Could these blind men see Jesus? Explain
- These blind men knew that Jesus was the son of David, which was a huge accomplishment for this time among the Jews. Many of the Jews did not see Jesus as the son of David and should have known because the Torah predicted he would come and do the things he was doing.
- These blind men, although physically blind and likely needed help to get to Jesus, were not spiritually blind. They could see that Jesus was special and could heal their blindness.

What does this verse proclaim about Jesus? Why did Matthew start out his gospel writing like this?
- This verse proclaims that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of David
- Matthew wrote his gospel especially for the Jewish readers who did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, the son of David, the Messiah, the son of God whom the prophets foretold his coming.

Why was Jesus called the son of David?
- In this passage David decided to build a house for God but God turned it around and told David he would build a house for David. As a matter of fact, he promised David he was going to build him a royal dynasty that would last forever and his bloodline would always rule. Jesus came from this line and was known as the son of David as a result.
- Although David was not perfect and fell short several times, he always repented and sought to maintain his relationship with God. Therefore, God chose him and blessed him and his future descendants with this promise.
- This covenant that God made with David was not dependent on David’s actions but it was dependent on God’s faithfulness.
- The blind men that Jesus healed must have known their old testament scriptures well enough to recognize that Jesus was the son of David and called out to him for healing.

Do you see Jesus in this passage?
- This passage talks about a future savior that will come and bring spiritual and physical healing to the earth
- The blind men heard of all the physical healings Jesus was doing (just what Isaiah prophesied): healing the blind, healing the lame; healing the mute.
- Do you recognize Jesus’s healings in your life?

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