The Art of Life Bible - Flipbook - Page 30
Matthew
Herod the Great
hrds ~ son of a hero
Read Matthew 2:1-20.
Herod the Great was born around
73 BC. He became the first major
vassal-king in Israel under the
Romans. Though Herod was
considered king of the Jews, he
was not of Jewish descent. Rather,
he was Idumean; his father was an
Edomite, and his mother was the
daughter of a Nabataean nobleman. He was politically savvy, and
he understood that honoring the
Jewish laws outwardly would help
him be accepted by the people he
ruled. His close Roman connections and his loyalty earned him
far more autonomy than most
vassal-kings in the Roman Empire.
He controlled Jerusalem from
37 BC until his death at the age of
seventy in 4 BC. One of his grand
achievements was a vast expansion and beautification of the
Temple in Jerusalem. (The western
retaining wall of this structure,
now known as the Wailing Wall,
still stands today.) In spite of
his building projects, the Jews
disliked him intensely. Herod was
notoriously brutal, executing even
members of his own family—a
family which was very large as he
had ten wives. He had his oldest
surviving son executed five days
before his own death. It is not
surprising that about a year earlier
he had ordered without hesitation
the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem two years of age and younger
after learning from the wise men
that a rival king had been born.
Herod’s story is told in Matthew
2:1-20; he is also mentioned in
Luke 1:5.
5
The Ministry of Jesus Begins
12 When J esus heard that John had been arrested, he left
Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 He went first to Naza
reth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside
the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
14 This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the
Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land
where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”*
17 From then on J esus began to preach, “Repent of
your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven
is near.*”
The First Disciples
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the
Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called
Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for
they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come,
follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
20And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father,
Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to
come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving
the boat and their father behind.
Crowds Follow Jesus
23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News
about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease
and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and
people soon began bringing to him all who were sick.
And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were
demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed
them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he
went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,* Jerusalem,
from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
The Sermon on the Mount
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, J esus went
up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples
gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.
5
The Beatitudes
3 “God blesses those who are poor and
realize their need for him,*
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger
and thirst for justice,*
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted
for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things
against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy
about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you
in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were
persecuted in the same way.
Teaching about Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt
if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It
will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and
then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on
a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for
all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly
Father.
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