1.1 Beginning the Journey

What speech or lesson do you find most memorable?

One that not only gave you new information, but also

inspired you to live differently. Matthew 5–7 records

one of Jesus’ most famous speeches. In this message

Jesus described what a life lived under His leadership

would look like. His words help to answer the question,

Why study the whole Bible?

Read Matthew 5:1–2. What was the setting of Jesus’

message? Who was His audience?

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Jesus saw “the crowds” following Him, and He took the

opportunity to teach His disciples their first lesson on

what it looks like to live with Him as the Leader.

Matthew 5:3–12 is known as “the Beatitudes.” Read the

passage and highlight the blessing that seems to be Jesus’

word for you. Put a star by the phrase that describes

your current spiritual or emotional condition.

After Jesus’ initial blessings and promises to His

followers, He gave them two pictures of how their

lives would impact others. Read Matthew 5:13–16

and circle the two word pictures Jesus used to describe

His followers.

Read Matthew 5:17–20 slowly without making any

marks in order to grow familiar with Jesus’ words.

Read the passage a second time. On this reading

underline the words or phrases that relate to the Old

Testament. For example, words like “Law,” “Prophets,”

and “commandments.” On a third reading, circle the

phrases that introduce what Jesus said He came to do. For

example, “I have come” and “I tell you.” These phrases

point to Jesus’ intentions for His ministry and His

instructions about His relationship to the Old Testament.

In the space below, write your first impression of what

Jesus taught about His relationship to the Old

Testament and its importance in following Him.

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To know the Old Testament from Jesus’ perspective is

to have the kind of journey God desires for you as you

experience Him every day on the pages of His written

Word. The journey is similar to climbing a mountain.

Climbing a mountain requires effort. The climb begins

in the ranger’s station by learning from the park ranger,

who has climbed the mountain 50 times before. His

experience, knowledge, and skill will help you to make

the trip safely and you will experience all of the beauty

God’s creation has to offer. In this journey Jesus is our

Leader and Guide. Jesus created the mountain you are

about to climb! You begin the journey here with Jesus.

1.2 Does the Old Testament Matter?

The difference between a rebel and a revolutionary is

that a rebel tears down things without an alternative way

to live. A revolutionary confronts a current reality in

order to instill a new way of life. Both create conflict,

but only the revolutionary brings new options.

1—Why Study the Whole Bible? (Jesus and the Old Testament) 1312 Yahweh—Divine Encounters in the Old Testament

When you were in the first grade you learned your

ABC’s. You learned them by singing a song or writing

them many times. After you learned the letters you

began to put them together to create words, and then

sentences, paragraphs, and ultimately stories or essays.

Those 26 letters lay the foundation for everything you

do with words as a literate person. You will never discard

them, and hopefully you will continue to use them in

more complex and meaningful ways as you mature.

The Old Testament is like the ABC’s. It lays the

rudimentary foundation for your faith in God, but it

is not complete. The story of Jesus alone reveals the

full meaning of your relationship with God. Jesus is

the most important person in the Old Testament.

While the Old Testament does not mention His name,

it gives numerous prophecies about His coming.

To live in the Old Testament alone is to miss why it was

preserved and who God wanted you to meet because of

it. On the other hand, to read only the New Testament

is to miss the work of God in His-story which His Son,

Jesus, came to redeem and fulfill. This week’s look into

the words of Jesus will answer the question, Why study

the whole Bible?

Our Memory Verse for this chapter is Matthew 5:17.

Begin your time with God each day by reading this

verse. You may want to write it once or twice.

Our question to consider this week is: Are the words

of Jesus more important than the rest of the Bible?

1—Why Study the Whole Bible?

(Jesus and the Old Testament)

1.3 The Seed of Greatness

We all know of people we would call great. We also

know of people that some would consider the “least.”

Jesus told us not to judge others as a way of making

ourselves feel superior to them (Matt. 7:1) because

He judges every area of our lives.

Read Matthew 5:19. Underline what Jesus said about

those who break the “least of these commandments.”

Go back to the beginning of the verse and underline

what He said about those who practice and teach “these

commands.” Summarize your own interpretation of

verse 19.

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Jesus said that whoever breaks, literally, destroys, the

smallest commandment would be called least in the

Kingdom of Heaven. He taught that whoever practiced

the Law would be known as great in the Kingdom of

Heaven. The word for “least” means “insignificant.”

Jesus used it in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

to describe the “least of” in society (Matt. 25:40).

Our English prefix mega comes from the Greek

word translated “great” here. Abolish the Law, and you

will be known as the least of His followers, Jesus said.

Observe and teach it, and you will be a mega-disciple

in His eyes.

Take a moment to evaluate Jesus’ words for your life.

Which of the two terms, “great” or “least,” would you

call yourself based on your respect and practice of God’s

commands in the Old Testament? Why?

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Read the second part of verse 19 again. Highlight the

two verbs that form the basis of greatness in Jesus’

Kingdom. To practice and teach, or to lead others to do

the same, equals greatness in the Kingdom of God.

Read Matthew 4:17. What was Jesus’ central message as

He began His public ministry? Jesus insisted people

change the way they live because the Kingdom of

Heaven was near. This concept carries both present and

future implications.

Jesus warned against discarding the Old Testament, and

He called those great who respected and kept its

teachings. Every follower of Jesus desires to please his or

her Leader; to be called great and to live out His wishes.

Write one thing you can do today to exhibit your

respect for “the Law and the Prophets.” For example,

you may keep the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1–17)

for a day or do something for the poor around you to

follow the command in Leviticus 19:10. Write your

action below and pray that will God open the door for

your action today.

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1—Why Study the Whole Bible? (Jesus and the Old Testament) 1514 Yahweh—Divine Encounters in the Old Testament

Jesus lived as a revolutionary. He brought a new way of

life to those who put their trust in Him. Jesus’ disciples

and a crowd of mostly Jewish people made up the

audience at The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1).

When Jesus turned His message from the pictures of salt

and light (5:13–16), He addressed a major concern of

those who listened to Him that day.

Read Matthew 5:17. Underline the object of Jesus’

revolutionary statement.

Jesus said He did not come to abolish “the Law and the

Prophets.” These two things made up the core message

of God to the Jewish people. “The Law” referred to the

first five books of the Old Testament, known among the

Jews as the Torah. Write the names of these five books.

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Read Psalm 119:105–109. Circle the word “law” where

it occurs in the passage. This entire psalm celebrates the

importance of the Law among God’s people. The Law

was the Jewish way of life. To abolish it would mean to

destroy how God had commanded them to live.

“The Prophets” include the books of the Old Testament

that record God’s message to Israel through His chosen

messengers. Isaiah, for example, is known as a “major

prophet,” and Amos, a “minor prophet.” Both the Law

and the Prophets gave God’s message to His people.

Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law and

the Prophets. He came to _____________________

them. (Fill in the blank.) Jesus said His purpose was to

complete and embody all God revealed of His coming

and His intentions for the Law and the Prophets. Jesus

went so far as to say that neither “the smallest letter”

(the iota in the Greek alphabet, which was the smallest

letter in that language) or the “least stroke of the pen,”

(the part of a Hebrew letter that protruded from it, like

crossing a “t” in English) would not pass away “until

everything is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). Both marks

represented what may seem like an insignificant part of

the Law. But Jesus made clear none of that will

“disappear” until “everything is accomplished.”

Jesus validated the Old Testament. He affirmed its

importance and its purpose. As you go through your

day, consider the value Jesus placed on the Old

Testament and ask God to create a desire in you to

know Him more.

surpassed the religious leaders’ interpretation of how to

gain righteousness in order to stand in right relationship

with God. That way is Jesus (John 14:6; Rom.

3:21–24). He is the righteousness from God. Jesus’

message at the beginning of His ministry showed His

relationship to the old covenant. It also played an

important part in knowing Him as the Way. Through

Jesus, God declares people right before Him.

Jesus introduced a new kind of righteousness. This

righteousness would come through Him in a new

covenant. We need to read the Old Testament with this

reality in mind and seek to know the heart of God. Jesus

came to earth to fulfill every requirement for righteous-

ness so we can have an eternal relationship with Him.

1.5 Stating Your Faith

Our question to consider this week was: Are the words

of Jesus more important than the rest of the Bible?

After looking at Jesus’ teaching about the Law and the

Prophets in Matthew 5:17–20, how do you answer this

question? Explain your yes or no response.

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Regardless of how you answered this question, Jesus

affirmed the importance of the Old Testament Scripture.

We cannot ignore the Old Testament if we truly commit

to following Christ.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16. Circle the word that describes the

nature of Scripture. Then, underline the word that tells

what part of Scripture that word describes. Put a square

around each of the uses of Scripture.

The Old and New Testaments are God-breathed. God

inspired all of Scripture to reveal His righteousness in

Jesus. All of Scripture is necessary for people to know

the heart and purposes of God. An important part of

your relationship with God is your trust in Scripture as

God’s revelation of Himself and His purposes. Based on

this week’s study, write a brief personal statement of

faith about the Bible. (Share it with one person today

and get his or her response.)

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You are about to embark on a journey through the Old

Testament. As you do so, keep Jesus’ teachings in mind.

God has inspired everything you are about to read and

study so that you can know Him and His ways and so

that you can have eternal life through His Son, Jesus.

Let the journey begin.

For further study:

• Psalm 19:7–14; 119:1–176

• Hebrews 4:12–13; James 1:19–25

1—Why Study the Whole Bible? (Jesus and the Old Testament) 1716 Yahweh—Divine Encounters in the Old Testament

1.4 Getting God’s Righteousness

How do you know if you have done something well?

For example, how do you know if you have run a race

well? How do you measure your performance at work?

What are the standards for good parenting? Read the list

below. Match the measurement with the act(ivity) that

helps you know how well you have done in that area.

sports number of sick days from work

school performance Review

job grades

friendship authenticity level of conversations

health number of points scored in a game

Consider this topic: How do you measure your

relationship with God and how well you are doing?

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Some people use the number of good acts they do to

measure whether or not they are doing well with God.

Others feel that learning more information about God

or figuring out some of the mysteries about God means

they are doing OK. Others accept the grace God has

shown them in Jesus as their spiritual measurement.

The Bible teaches that the benchmark for our

relationship with God is righteousness. The concept

means being considered righteous before God.

Read Matthew 5:20. Highlight those to whom Jesus

compared righteousness. Why do you think He chose

those two groups?

Return to Matthew 5:20 and underline the word that

describes the level of righteousness Jesus said we must

have. “Surpass” in the verse means to “have more than

enough” and to “excel, or exceed” (Newman). This set a

high standard, given that the Pharisees and teachers of

the Law were considered the most righteous among the

Jewish people. What could Jesus have meant by such a

statement? Write your thoughts here:

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Taking the message at face value without hearing what

Jesus said before or after would mean one must know

and keep the rules of the Old Testament Law better

than the religious leaders of the day!

The third part of verse 20 gives the consequence of not

having a righteousness that surpassed the religious

leaders’. What is that consequence?

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Jesus said that not to surpass the righteousness of these

religious leaders meant a person would not enter the

Kingdom of Heaven. So, there had to be a way that