Matthew 19:13-15 - Once when Jesus was teaching a large crowd, some people were bringing their children to Jesus so that he could pray for them. However, the disciples rebuked them and tried to keep the children away. Jesus responded by telling his disciples to let the children come to him and not to hinder them, because the kingdom of God is for them too. Then he blessed them and went on his way.

Matthew 2:19-23 - After King Herod died, the angel appeared to Joseph again in a dream to tell him that it was safe to return to Israel with Mary and Jesus. However, Herod's son had become the king of Judea in his place and they were afraid to return there. Instead, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went to Nazareth in Galilee. This fulfilled the prophesy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. 

Matthew 2:13-15 - When the wise men had gone home after visiting Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him that King Herod was going to try to kill Jesus, and that they should escape to Egypt. So Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until King Herod died. This happened in fulfillment of the prophesy from Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”

Passage: Matthew 2:1-12 - After Jesus was born, the wise men, also known as Magi, came searching for “the one who has been born king of the Jews.” They had seen a star in the sky which alerted them to his birth, and wanting to find him to worship him. But when King Herod of Judea heard about it, he was disturbed by the news. He found out from the chief priests and religious teachers that the Messiah (anointed one) was to be born in Bethlehem. So Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to search for the child, and asked them to bring him news as well. When the Magi found Jesus, they were overjoyed, bowed down and worshipped him, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go by a different route.

Big Idea: A sign in the stars

Matthew 1:18-25 - In this passage, Matthew recounts the story of how Jesus’ birth came about. A woman named Mary was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, but before they got married, she was found to be pregnant. Joseph didn’t want Mary to be publicly shamed, so he decided to divorce her quietly. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him not to be afraid and that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit. The angel announced that the child would be named Jesus and that he would be the savior of all people. Jesus would also be called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”

Matthew 8:5-13 - In this story, a Roman commander came to Jesus, asking him to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offered to go to the commander’s home, but the man explained that he trusted Jesus’ word alone would heal his servant. Jesus was amazed by his faith, saying he hadn’t seen such faith in all Israel. He then told the commander to go home, and his servant was healed immediately.

Matthew 8:23-27 - In the passage, Jesus and his disciples are in a boat when a sudden, violent storm hits. The disciples are scared, but Jesus is asleep. They wake him, asking for help, and Jesus commands the storm to stop. Immediately, the wind and waves calm down. The disciples are amazed and ask, “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Matthew 13:31-33 - Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and to yeast that works through the whole batch of dough. Both show how God’s kingdom starts small but grows powerfully and transforms everything.

Matthew 7:13-14 - Jesus taught that there are two paths in life: a wide road that is easy to travel but leads to destruction, and a narrow road that is harder to follow but leads to life. The narrow path is walking in Jesus’ ways and teachings, which may be challenging but leads to true and lasting life.

Matthew 7:1-5 - Jesus taught his followers not to judge others or they would be judged by the same standard. They should focus on removing the plank in their own eyes before pointing out the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eyes, meaning that we should never judge others because we ourselves are not perfect. 

Matthew 6:25-34 - Jesus teaches his followers not to worry about daily needs like food or clothing, because life is more than these things and God knows what we need. He points to the birds, who do not plant or store food yet are fed by God, and to the flowers, which are beautifully clothed though they last only a short time. Instead of being anxious, we are to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, trusting that our needs will be provided for.

Matthew 6:19-24 - Jesus taught his followers to invest in treasures in heaven which last forever, rather than in earthly treasures which can be destroyed or lost. What we treasure shapes our heart. He also explained that healthy eyes (focused on the things of God) fill our lives with light, but eyes clouded by greed or worldly desires fill us with darkness. He concluded that we cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:1-4 - Jesus taught his followers not to do good deeds just to be noticed by others. When giving to those in need, they shouldn’t show off what they’re doing or loudly announce it for everyone to see and hear. If they do this, then the praise of others will be their only reward. Instead, Jesus taught them to give quietly and privately, because God sees what is done in secret and will reward it.

Matthew 5:38-42 - Jesus taught that while the Law of Moses called for justice through the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” his followers are called to a higher standard of non-violence and radical grace. Instead of retaliating against those who wrong them, they should turn the other cheek, give more than what is asked, and go the extra mile when compelled to do so. He also urged his followers to be generous to those who ask and a willingness to lend without refusal.

Matthew 5:33-37 - Jesus taught that while the Law told people not to break their promises and to keep their oaths, he gave an even deeper teaching: don’t make oaths at all. Don’t swear by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, or even by your own head. Instead, Jesus says we should be people of honesty. If you say “yes,” mean yes. If you say “no,” mean no. We don’t need to make big promises—we just need to speak the truth.

Matthew 5:13-16 - During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that his followers are the salt of the earth, meant to preserve and enhance the world. He also said that they are the light of the world: a lamp is not hidden under a bowl but placed on a stand to give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, we are called to let our light shine, so that others may see our good works and be drawn to God’s goodness.

Matthew 18:1-4 - When asked by his disciples who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus called a little child to him and told them that in order to enter the kingdom, they must become like a little child. Furthermore, anyone who wishes to be great in the kingdom should take on the lowly position of a child.

Matthew 16:13-20 - One day, Jesus asked his disciples to tell him who people say that he is. They answered that some say he is John the Baptist, others say that he is Elijah, and still others say that he is Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus then asks who they think he is, and Peter responds that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus blesses Peter for this answer, because he learned it from God and not from people, and then gives him the “keys” to the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 26:47-56 - After Jesus spent the night praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas arrived with a crowd armed with swords and clubs to take Jesus under arrest. Judas walked over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss. This was the signal that he used to show the people who to arrest. When the men stepped forward to arrest Jesus, Peter took our his sword and struck the servant of the high priest in the ear. Jesus instructed Peter to put his sword away and spoke to the crowd saying that he is not leading a rebellion and that there was no need for them to come at him swords and clubs. After this, Jesus is taken under arrest and the disciples run away in fear.

Matthew 26:36-46 - Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus asked them to sit nearby while he prayed. He took Peter, James, and John and asked them to stay with him because he was overwhelmed with sorrow. He prayed to God to take away the cup of suffering away from him, but only as God wills. Returning to his friends, he saw that they had fallen asleep. He asked if they could stay up with him for just one hour. He continued to pray and then a second time found his friends sleeping. After the third time, he told them to get up because the time had come for him to be betrayed.