Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Matthew 3:16-17  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  17)  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Chapter three ends with the Father announcing that He is exceptionally pleased with His Son, Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God came like a dove and sat upon Jesus after His baptism, reminding us that the Father gave His Spirit to Jesus without any restrictions (See John 3:34-36). Chapter four begins with an intense testing of Jesus by God's great enemy, Satan. Note the time when it happened. God's Spirit emphasized the timing of Christ's temptation.  It was right after the heavens were opened to him, and the Spirit descended on him, and He was declared to be the Son of God, and the Savior of the world.  At this point in time Jesus is tempted for 40 days by the Dev...

Jesus' baptism by John marks the beginning of His public ministry. Matthew 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  For centuries before Christ, the Jews used bathing in water as a ritual cleansing ceremony (See Leviticus 14:1–4; 8–9; 15:4; 6–11; 13; 16–22; 27; Numbers 19:7). John the Baptist used the ritual of baptism and applied it to those who saw their need for spiritual cleansing in preparation for the arrival of Messiah. Many believed John’s message and were baptized by him (Matthew 3:5–6).  The preaching and baptisms John performed had the specific purpose of preparing hearts for the coming of the Lord (See Matthew 3:3). John’s baptism had to do with repentance because it symbolized changing one’s mind and going a new direction. Multitudes came to John confessing their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River ( See Matthew 3:6). Being baptized by John meant acknowledging one’s sin and a desire for spiritua...

Matthew 3:1-3  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  2)  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  3)  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  After 400 silent years, God sent what many say, is the last Old Testament prophet. Matthew showed us that John's ministry is connected to prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah and others. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah in order to prepare the people for their Messiah. We noted that John's message is one of repentance and faith.  It is a call to action for a sinful people to realize that God is coming to them with judgment and righteousness. A humble prophet preaching in the spirit and power of Elijah. Matthew 3:4-6  And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and h...

Here is a note about indexes containing all Bible lessons posted on this blog since its inception in 2019.   An index for  all lessons  posted from 2019 through 2021, was published on  September 7, 2022. An index for all lessons posted in 2022, was published  J anuary 24, 2023. An index for all lessons posted in 2023 was posted on  February 28, 2024.  The index for all lessons posted in 2024 was published on January 21,2025.  Each index contains the dates and titles of lessons that we studied together.  I pray that this is a helpful resource for each of our Readers.  What is the gospel? The gospel includes everything about the life of Jesus Christ on this earth. This means that the gospel includes the records of all four evangelists. This means that sharing the gospel as Christ commanded His disciples to do, means sharing the complete gospel record of the life of Jesus Christ.  Sharing the gospel means more than telling others why J...