Four essentials of Christianity that we find in these verses:
1. God
2. There is always
3. The Gospel
4. Jesus is
Notes:
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Read Matthew 1:1-17 and discuss:
• What are some things you would include about yourself on a resume? What are some things you would leave out?
• How many names do you recognize in the list? What do you know about them? If a genealogy is an ancient resume and there were going to be names left out, why would Matthew leave in these names, especially the ones that have some scandal attached to them?
• What does this teach us about God, His plan, and His methods?
• Why is the gospel called “good news”?
• The number seven has biblical significance (Genesis 2:2-3; Deuteronomy 5:12; 2 Kings 5:10). In Leviticus 25, the Year of Jubilee (the 50th year) is introduced. What were some things that happened in this year?
• Discuss the significance of the three sets of fourteen generations, which makes Jesus the seventh 7? If Jesus embodies the Year of Jubilee, what are the implications?
• What impacted you most from this message?
APPLICATION
Summarize the takeaways from Matthew 1:1-17 into a sentence that describes why Jesus showed up or who He showed up for. How does this change the way you will celebrate Christmas this year?
If you have never received the gift of Christ and want more information about what it means to be born again, please let us know. We want you to encounter the gift God has given us in Christ.