Preparing for Sunday - Matthew 14:1-12

March 27, 2014 by Bret Capranica Preparing for Sunday

Read Matthew 14:1-12. Summarize the main idea in one sentence.
What about Jesus caused Herod to assume Jesus was a resurrected John the Baptist?
What was bothering Herod's conscience?
Describe John the Baptist's relationship with Herod. What was Herod's sin?
Why was John put in prison?
What was the occasion of John's death? How would you describe Herod's character? Herodias' character?
What did John the Baptist's disciples do? Why would they tell Jesus?

What specifically about the reports of the ministry of Jesus would have been so convicting to Herod that he would be so paranoid about what he did to John?
What would cause Herod to connect Jesus and John the Baptist to each other?
What is it about John's ministry that would create such a violent and vile public murder of John?
What typically keeps us from pursing a kind of gospel ministry that confronts personal sin as Jesus and John?
What did Jesus and John emphasize in their ministry that created this sort of response from their culture? How do our lives personally, or our church collectively, reflect the kind of ministry both Jesus and John engaged in?

Pray that God will use this passage to reveal sin and your need of repentance. Pray that God will use this passage to encourage you where you need it most. Pray and ask God to reveal behavior or attitudes that need to be adjusted or encouraged from meditating on this passage.
Pray that non-Christians will be convicted of their sin and come to a place where they call out to God to be saved from their sin.
Pray that Christians will be convicted to be bold, careful, and persistent witnesses for the gospel. Pray that Christians will be equipped to serve one another, our community, and our world with God's word.
Pray that those who are leading the service Sunday will do so in the most edifying way: Dawson Bryant, music; Rob Stouffer, Elders' Prayer and Scripture Reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
Meditate on the lyrics of the songs we will sing on Sunday. Sing through them to prepare yourself to sing wtih understanding and zeal together with the church on Sunday.