Following Jesus: Focus On The Message – Matthew 1

Description

Welcome to Focus On The Message – the first component of our Following Jesus discipleship program. This web page contains the lessons for:

Matthew 1

Purpose

Follow this link for information about these key aspects of our training: Purpose, Goals, Habits, Ministries, and Assignments.

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Matthew 1

This chapter has 2 lessons. You should ideally cover one chapter (with all of its lessons) in a week, but please don’t let a week go by without completing at least one lesson.

Lesson 1: Genealogy of Jesus

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 1:1-17 NIV – The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah – Bible Gateway

Checkout the following:

• • Unmentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus:
    • The Bible’s 1st Genealogy: Adam – Noah – Genesis 5
      • Recurring refrain: “and then he died”
      • God had warned Adam & Eve about eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
      • Death has become the inevitable fate of humanity.
    • The Flood – Genesis 6
      • The Context 
        • We have become so wicked that God regrets having made us.
        • God determines to start over with a righteous man and his family.
        • God will ”reboot” humanity through Noah – a righteous man.
      • Noah
        • Noah’s Family: Shem, Ham, Japheth
        • Noah’s family drama (Canaan cursed) – Genesis 9:18-28
        • This is the first hint that the “reboot” didn’t work.
      • Tower of Babel
        • Genesis 11:3-4 – “. . . let us make a name for ourselves . . .”
        • This is the second hint that the “reboot” didn’t work.
      • Tower of Babel
      • Abraham’s Genealogy: Shem – Abraham (Abram)
  • Abraham – 14 generations – David – 14 generations – Exile – 14 generations – Messiah
    • Abraham (Abram)
      • God’s Promise – Genesis 1 12:1-3 
        • “I will make you into a great nation”
        • “I will bless you”
        • “I will make your name great”
        • “you will be a blessing”
        • “I will bless those who bless you”
        • “whoever curses you I will curse” 
        • “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” 
      • The Tower of Babel builders had wanted to make their name great.
      • God promises to make Abram’s name great.
    • David
      • God’s covenant with David – 2 Samuel 7:1-17
        • God will establish a house for David.
        • God will raise up his offspring to succeed him and establish his kingdom.
        • David’s house and kingdom will endure forever.
        • David’s throne will be established forever.
    • Exile to Babylon
      • What will become of the covenant promises to Abraham and David?
    • Messiah
      • The promises are renewed and fulfilled.
  • Watch: How to Read the Bible: Biblical Story | BibleProject™ (00:05:17)
  • Watch: Exile Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™ (00:05:11)
  • Watch: The Way of the Exile Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™ (00:05:20)
  • The Bible Project – Themes: The Messiah (00:05:48)
  • The Bible Project – Themes: Covenants (00:05:36)
  • Watch: Spiritual Beings Biblical Theme Video Series | BibleProject™

Topics to explore in discussion:

• • The backstory to the Gospel.
  • Notice that Jesus’ genealogy is anchored in Abraham.
  • The women in Jesus’ genealogy.
    • Tamar – Matthew 1:3; Genesis 38
    • Rahab – Matthew 1:5; Joshua 2; 6:22-25
    • Ruth – Matthew 1:5; Ruth 1-4
  • The New Testament presents a Jesus who dies in order to redeem Israel and rescue the rest of the world. The Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) explains why nothing less would work.

Additional resources to check out:

• • Following Jesus: The Big Picture
  • BibleSpeak | The Best Bible Name Pronunciation Tool Available
  • Matthew for Everyone, Part 1 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • N. T. Wright – The Big Picture: The New Testament and the Mission of God – Vimeo (1:07:47)
  • Yahweh Saves [Matthew] – Tim Mackie – YouTube (48:23)

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.
  • Watch the “Yahweh Saves” video from the Tim Mackie series on Matthew above.
  • Discussion Questions:
    • What does this chapter say about who Jesus is?
    • How does this chapter compare with what you’ve believed about Jesus in the past?
    • How does this chapter compare with what you believe about Jesus now?

Habits

• • Make a list of the people in your sphere of influence (i.e. people you connect with at least once a week) who aren’t followers of Jesus.
  • Begin praying for them regularly.

Lesson 2: The Birth of Jesus Christ

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 1:18-25 NIV – The Birth of Jesus Christ – Bible Gateway
  • Isaiah 7:14 NIV – The Sign of Immanuel (click on “read full chapter” in Bible Gateway to see this verse in its context)
  • Luke 2:1-21 – The Nativity

Checkout the following:

• • The Bible Project – Themes: The Messiah
  • Christmas Nativity Mistakes: Cybertrucks and Overbooked Inns – John Dyer
  • The Bible Explained: What We Get Wrong in the Nativity Scene – YouTube (00:08:39)

Topics to explore in discussion:

• • The backstory to the Gospel.
  • What were Jewish traditions for betrothal and marriage in Jesus’ day?
  • Explore our teaching on a later passage in which Jesus discusses divorce explicitly:
    • Following Jesus: Focus On The Message – Matthew 19
      • Lesson 1: Divorce
  • Joseph was considering divorcing Mary quietly.
  • Jesus (Yeshua) – “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)
    • “saved from sins” = “back in the game”.
  • Immanuel – “God with us” – (Matthew 1:23)
  • What will it mean to view all the rest of Jesus’ ministry from the perspective that, as “God with us” he is “saving his people from their sins”?
  • In the nativity narrative in Luke 2:1-21 an angel announces the birth of Messiah to shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. What does this tell us about God’s attitude towards the poor?

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 1 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • N. T. Wright – The Big Picture: The New Testament and the Mission of God – Vimeo (1:07:47)
  • Yahweh Saves [Matthew] – Tim Mackie – YouTube (48:23)
  • Walking The Text: The Characters of Christmas (5 part series)

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.
  • Watch the “Yahweh Saves” video from the Tim Mackie series on Matthew above.
  • Discussion Questions:
    • What does this chapter say about who Jesus is?
    • How does this chapter compare with what you’ve believed about Jesus in the past?
    • How does this chapter compare with what you believe about Jesus now?
    • For the Jews of Jesus’ day, being “saved from their sins” implied being “back in the game” after being benched or being restored to their divine purpose: being a people through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3; 26:1-6; 28:10-15; Galatians 3). What would being restored to this divine purpose look like in your community, your city, your state, your country, the world?
    • What might “God with us” look like in your community?
    • Did Mary remain a virgin?

Habits

• • Make a list of the people in your sphere of influence (i.e. people you connect with at least once a week) who aren’t followers of Jesus.
  • Begin praying for them regularly.

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Advance to Matthew 2