Study Desk

We think proud people are happy. Evil people succeed. They do evil things to test God's patience, and God does not punish them."

You people will come back to me, and you will learn the difference between good and evil. You will learn the difference between someone who follows God and someone who does not.

"The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel." (Immanuel means "God with us.")

But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.

This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah:

He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophets. God said the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.

When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea.

I know what you are thinking. You want to say, ‘but Abraham is our father!' That means nothing. I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks.

Jesus answered, "Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right." Then John agreed.

The devil came to tempt him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread."

Jesus answered him, "The Scriptures say, ‘It is not just bread that keeps people alive. Their lives depend on what God says.'"

He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, jump off, because the Scriptures say, ‘God will command his angels to help you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.'"

Jesus answered, "The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.'"

Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, Satan! The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!'"

Great blessings belong to those who are sad now. God will comfort them.

Great blessings belong to those who are humble. They will be given the land God promised.

Great blessings belong to those who want to do right more than anything else. God will fully satisfy them.

Great blessings belong to those whose thoughts are pure. They will be with God.

Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them his sons and daughters.

I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. If you are not more pleasing to God than they are, you will never enter God's kingdom.