Matthew lists the genealogy of Jesus in these 17 verses. You’ll find a mix of characters here, from prostitutes, such as Rahab to kings, such as David and Solomon. Most of the names are simply that — names of people whom the Bible does not talk about. However, God chose all to be a relative of Jesus. How cool is that?
Consider that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to the time of the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to the Messiah. Why the number 14? Matthew leaves out generations in order to create this numeric lineup. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet represented numbers, too. The letters in David’s name add up to 14, which is used to show that Jesus was the son of David, but also that Jesus is greater than David.
Mary became pregnant while betrothed to Joseph. Joseph, knowing that he was not the father, wanted to divorce Mary but in a quiet way. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph as he slept and reassured him that Mary is faithful. Mary’s child she carries is from the Holy Spirit and is to be named Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves.” This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.
Joseph believed the angel. He took Mary as his wife but did not lie with her until after the birth of Jesus.
BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25
14a ) Matthew emphasizes how Jesus is from the line of David as it was foretold in the Old Testament. The angel mentions how Jesus will be from a virgin birth and called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).
b ) God has a plan and he wants to make sure his people knew exactly who Jesus was.
15 ) Their families could have ostracized them and kicked them out of their faith. They could have been social outcasts. Their reputations could have been tarnished, making it hard to make a living in Old Testament times.
16 ) Anytime you lay down yourself and your wants for others costs you something. In truth, I don’t have any earth-shattering examples, but just following him and doing the right thing can be hard and difficult at times, alienating others, too.
CONCLUSIONS BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25
In chapter 1 of Matthew, we get a sense right away of what this book is all about. We will be following Jesus’s birth and life all to the end, and we will be meeting people who aren’t exactly high society. We see how Christianity is right for everyone. Fabulous!
END NOTES BSF STUDY QUESTIONS LESSON 1, DAY 5: MATTHEW 1:1-25
I’m super excited to be studying with you all again this year! Every year is like family, and I can’t wait to see what you all learn! In addition, do comment and share when led. Welcome to BSF’s Study of Matthew! Contact me with questions!
Luke records how the angel of God reassured Mary, too. We are told that the angel, Gabriel, went to Nazareth in Galilee to a virgin named Mary. Gabriel told Mary that the Lord was with her and that she is highly favored. However, Mary was afraid, but the angel said that God has favored her and chosen her to bear His son to be named Jesus. He will inherit the throne of David and will reign over God’s people for eternity.
The Holy Spirit will come upon her. Her relative, Elizabeth, will have a child (John the Baptist) in her old age for nothing is impossible with God. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, and the angel left.
BSF STUDY QUESTIONS MATTHEW LESSON 1, DAY 4: GOD’S PLAN FOR MARY: LUKE 1:26-38
11a ) Gabriel told Mary that the Lord was with her and that she is highly favored. The angel said that God has favored her and chosen her to bear His son to be named Jesus. He will inherit the throne of David and will reign over God’s people for eternity. The Holy Spirit will come upon her. Her relative, Elizabeth, will have a child (John the Baptist) in her old age for nothing is impossible with God.
b ) The Holy Spirit. Because it is God’s child, his Son, the Savior of the World.
12 ) “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be as you have said,” she told the angel Gabriel upon hearing she would bear God’s Son.
13 ) How I can see everything working in my life that He planned, not me. To impact my little corner of the world as He sees fit. Everything has come to this moment.
CONCLUSIONS BSF STUDY QUESTIONS MATTHEW LESSON 1, DAY 4: GOD’S PLAN FOR MARY: LUKE 1:26-38
I love how we can have the same stories from different points of view. So great! God is good!
END NOTES BSF STUDY QUESTIONS MATTHEW LESSON 1, DAY 4: GOD’S PLAN FOR MARY: LUKE 1:26-38
Curiously enough, no writer of the Old Testament ever mentioned the town of Nazareth. This tells you how insignificant it truly was. Until this moment when God chooses the human parents of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They live in Nazareth. Here, we get the term “Jesus of Nazarth” plus the Nazarenes, or followers of Jesus.
One could say we are all favored, blessed, and have the Lord in the form of the Holy Spirit with us.
Mary’s mind turns to the practical when asking how she will have a baby when she has never had sex. Does this show a lack of faith? No. It simply is a question that most of us would ask. How will this happen?
Mary became pregnant while betrothed to Joseph. Joseph, knowing that he was not the father, wanted to divorce Mary but in a quiet way. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph as he slept and reassured him that Mary is faithful. Mary’s child she carries is from the Holy Spirit and is to be named Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves.” This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.
Joseph believed the angel. He took Mary as his wife but did not lie with her until after the birth of Jesus.
BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 3: Matthew 1:18-25
7a) Joseph’s immediate thought was to divorce Mary, but he cared for her, so he was willing to do it quietly so she would not be disgraced.
b) An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph as he slept and reassured him that Mary is faithful. Mary’s child is from the Holy Spirit and is to be named Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves.” This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.
8a ) Jesus and Immanuel. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, meaning “the Lord saves” or “Yahweh is Salvation.” Immanuel means “God with us.” While Joshua saved his people from marauders in the Promised Land, Jesus would save his people for all of eternity.
b) Everything. Knowing God is wtih me and the Lord saves me gets me through the tough times and days of my life.
9 ) That no matter what I do, I am saved. I will go to heaven. All I have to do is believe in Jesus and his salvation (Romans 10:9). It truly is that simple.
10 ) Joseph believed the angel. He did not divorce Mary. Instead, he took Mary as his wife but did not lie with her until after the birth of Jesus.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 3: Matthew 1:18-25
I love the obedience. Of course, it helps to have an angel deliver news. Still, what would happen if we obeyed just as readily?
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 3: Matthew 1:18-25
Luke tells us about Jesus’s actual birth. Matthew just tells us about the conception.
In the Jewish culture, couples were often engaged quite young, even as children. Betrothals followed, which was the next step towards marriage. Once you were betrothed, separation was only by a divorce. Finally, the marriage took place.
The virgin birth is a hard concept for people to grasp, which is why it’s denied. What you need to remember is all things are possible through God (Matthew 19:26). Mary’s pregnancy is a miracle by God.
Since Mary was pregnant not by Joseph, Joseph is understandable upset (wouldn’t you be). He seeks a divorce from her, which is when God (once again) steps in to preserve Jesus’s lineage. An angel visits Joseph to explain the situation and what he is to do.
Jesus was a common name at the time. It means the salvation of Yahwah. Today, it is much more significant. Jesus is to save his people (all people) from sin.
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said.” This is a theme of Matthew and the first time of many you will see this phrase used.
Meaning of Immanuel
You can debate all day long what Immanuel means. However, what matters most is what Immanuel means to you. God is with you in the pain, the sorrows, the circumstances, the hurts, the joy, the wins, the losses, in death, in death of a loved one, in birth of your child, and the list goes on. Every hour, every minute, every second of every day, of every week, of every month, of every your of your life. God is with you. When you truly grasp that, nothing on this side of heaven will shake you.
Joseph obeys after the angel appears. Jesus’s parents are now set in place.
Is Mary of David’s Line?
There is debate as to Mary’s lineage. Scholars say she is of David’s House and of the tribe of Judah because she is descended from Nathan, the third son of David and Bathsheba. Joseph, on the other hand, is from the line of David via Solomon. This point is debated with bible scholars because it is not explicity stated. BSF stays away from the debate altogether. To me, it seems logical that both are descended from David because God wants to make sure there is no doubt. Contact me today!
Matthew lists the genealogy of Jesus in these 17 verses. You’ll find a mix of characters here, from prostitutes, such as Rahab to kings, such as David and Solomon. Most of the names are simply that — names of people whom the Bible does not talk about. However, God chose all to be a relative of Jesus. How cool is that?
Consider that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to the time of the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to the Messiah. Why the number 14? Matthew leaves out generations in order to create this numeric lineup. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet represented numbers, too. The letters in David’s name add up to 14, which is used to show that Jesus was the son of David, but also that Jesus is greater than David.
BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
3) It was super important in the Jewish culture at that time to know that Jesus, the son of God, came from those whom God chosen, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, and that he was of royal birth as the King of Kings. It lent credibility to the fact that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of the world as it proved Jesus’s royal line.
4) Matthew connects Jesus to David through Joseph. Most are names of those who were ordinary people.
5a)
TAMAR — GENESIS 38
Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to lay with Judah, her father-in-law. This was because Judah would not give her his son as her husband as he was required to do by law.
RAHAB — JOSHUA 2; 6:17
Rahab hid the spies sent by Joshua from the king of Jericho and so only her and her family was spared when Jericho was conquered. She turned away from her gods to the One, True God and was rewarded for it. She then married Salmon and became a direct relative of Jesus.
RUTH — RUTH 1; 4:13-17
Ruth was a Moabitess who accompanied Naomi, her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem when her husband had died. She faithfully provided for Naomi, garnering the attention of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer. They were married, and the rest is history.
“WIFE OF URIAH” — 2 SAMUEL 11; 12:15, 18, 24
The wife of Uriah was Bathsheba. David committed adultery with her, and she ended up conceiving. However, this child died as punishment for David’s adultery. The next son that was born was Solomon.
MARY — LUKE 1:26-56
God chose Mary to bear Jesus who was miraculously conceived.
5b ) None of these women are perfect. Tamar used deceit to conceive. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth was a foreigner. Bathsheba committed adultery. Mary was a virgin. They all tell of how God uses whom he chooses for his purposes.
6) I think everything I have today is by God’s grace: my family, pets, home, job, etc. He gives me everything.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
Check out this gem of a book I found about these great women of the Bible!
I love Matthew’s genealogy. They are all imperfect people — some of them just a written name — who all played a role in bringing salvation to the world. Pretty cool. They were all chosen by God for a purpose, as we all are chosen by Him for a purpose, too. Sometimes, we might not see that purpose right away.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
The first thing Matthew emphasizes is the history of Jesus. This is to show that Jesus came from Abraham, the patriarch of God’s people and of the Jewish faith and that he came from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) to establish his rightful claim to be king. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be a son of David.
You will see throughout Matthew that he makes a concerted effort to bridge the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a 400-year gap that is known as the Intertestamental Period (between Testaments). This time was full of upheaval, chaos, uncertainty, wars, and more. Rome took over Jerusalem. Rome oppressed the Israelites, so they realized their only hope was God. The world most definitely needed saving. And the time was right for Jesus to come. With the relative peace of Pax Romana, travel was possible, so Jesus’s disciples could indeed spread the Good News. Quick summary HERE
ABOUT MATTHEW
Matthew (also known as Levi) was a tax collector who was despised by the people. Yet, he gave it all up to become an apostle of Jesus. It is likely Matthew was well-versed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Furthermore, this is the only Gospel written by a disciple. It was the most highly valued Gospel and the most quoted before 180 AD. It appears first in most lists.
There are two main themes Matthew follows:
Matthew connects Jesus as the Savior and King promised in the Old Testament
Matthew records Jesus’s teachings to show us how to live a life with purpose by following God
THE GENEALOGY
The fact Matthew mentions the four women shows God’s grace and how God is for everyone. God identifies with sinners. God includes women. Note how Joseph is the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. Matthew uses the number 14 to organize his genealogy. There are 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to Babylon, from Babylon to Jesus. It is not meant to be complete.
Luke shows Jesus’s genealogy through Mary, who is through Nathan, a different son of David. (Luke 3:31)
Interesting fact:
Matthew passed over a man named Jehoakim (2 Chronicles 36:5-8) in his genealogy between Josiah and Jechoniah (Matthew 1:11). Jeremiah the prophet revealed that God decreed that no blood descendant of Jehoakim would sit on the throne of Israel (Jeremiah 36:30-31) because he was so wicked. Mary was not a part of the blood curse on the line of Jehoiakim since she is descended from Nathan and not Solomon.
Fun facts:
Matthew is known as the teaching Gospel.
Matthew is the only evangelist to use the word “church.”
Matthew is the Gospel of fulfillment.
TO THINK ABOUT
God gave us the Bible to show us how to live, to show us we are forgiven by Jesus’s sacrifice, we are his, and to give us purpose. By knowing God, we can experience everything God has for us. You are where you are at for a reason. What is that reason? Contact me today!
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
New this year: I will be doing a synopsis of the key points of the Lessons on Friday. Reading the notes, I’ve come to realize that not everyone has time to read 6 pages of notes every week. This segment will be a less than one minute read for those of you who just want a snippet of the week.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN GENESIS CHAPTER 1:
God created everything in this order: formless earth; light and dark; water and land; sun, moon, and stars; sea creatures and birds; land animals, humans
God formed the earth
God filled the earth
God saw that it was good (this is written 7 times), and as God, what He says goes!
Take away: Only God gives us purpose since He created us.
The writer is telling everyone and everything to praise Him because He created them, from the angels, sun, moon, and stars to the sea creatures, lightning, hail and more.
Summary of Job 38-40:
God points out to Job the fact that He is the Creator of the universe, and Job is but one puny man. God asks Job purely saracastically if he was there when the earth was formed, if he has given orders to the morning, or if he has an arm like God’s. Job responds to the vastness of God in Job 40 that he has no words and that he will speak no more.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 5: Psalm 148 & Job 38-40 with Genesis 1:1-25 in Mind
13) God is amazing in all that He had done, does, and will continue to do. It amazes me how anyone can deny an Almighty God when passages such as these list all that God has created.
14) Personal Question. My answer: Just to be more in awe of God, who He is, praise Him more, and give Him credit more. Every time the sun rises and sets and you are privileged to see it, you should praise God. Every time you see a shooting star, watch a butterfly fly, or see a raptor soar, you should praise God. Every time you eat, drink, and make memories. Every time you do anything, it is all Him.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 5: Psalm 148 & Job 38-40 with Genesis 1:1-25 in Mind
It’s kind of cool to read all that God has done and is done.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 5: Psalm 148 & Job 38-40 with Genesis 1:1-25 in Mind
Psalm 148
Psalm 148 calls upon creation to praise God, from the angels and the heavenly bodies to every creation and thing on earth. God should be praised because He made all these things. He alone is God that deserves our worship, honor, and praise. God also deserves our praise because He has drawn near to us.
Job 38
God answers Job after deliberately not answering him in the first 35 chapters of the book. God calls Job to account, questions Job about what he doesn’t know, asks Job if he knows the boundaries of the sea, if he understands the nature of the earth, if he comprehends the nature of light, darkness, and the sky, if he understands rain and its effects, if he knows the nature of the constellations, the clouds, weather, and the human mind, and if he can understand and master the animal kingdom.
Job 39
God continues to question Job, asking him about mountain goats, wild donkeys, and wild oxen and donkeys. He asks him if he knows the ostriches, horses, and hawks and if he can master them.
Job 40
God asks Job now will he challenge Him? Job is speechless before the Almight God and is ashamed of his mouth (or the way he spoke). God asks Job if he is fit to prove Him wrong or to save himself. God uses the example of the Behemoth to show God’s might and Job’s weakness. The precise nature of the Behemoth remains unknown. Many believe it is the hippopotamus.
On the fourth day, God made the stars, the sun, and the moon. God said this was good.
On the fifth day, God made the sea creatures and the birds according to their kind. He told them to multiply. God saw that this was good.
On the sixth day, God made the land animals according to their kind. God said this was good.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 4: Genesis 1:14-25
9) On the fourth day, God made the stars, the sun, and the moon. God said this was good.
On the fifth day, God made the sea creatures and the birds according to their kind. He told them to multiply. God saw that this was good.
On the sixth day, God made the land animals according to their kind. God said this was good.
10) The lights on the 4th day are more specific. On the first day, God created light. On the 4th day, God created more light with a specific purpose: “to separate the day from the night, serve as signs to mark seasons, days, and years, and to give light on earth.” The stars, sun, and moon were to separate light from darkness and to govern the night and the day.
11) Personal Question. My answer: God knows what is good and what is not good. Thus, in our lives, God’s rules of how to live let us know what is good and what is not. It is clear-cut. Man does not have to decide. Instead, man frequently does what is not good against God’s wishes.
12) I have no answer for this. I have always believed, and when you look around at the amazing vastness and diversity of this earth, it is evident that only a higher power could create this. I think those who don’t believe in the Creator God choose to turn a blind eye, or God blinds them. They are in denial. Let’s face it, it’s easier this way; then you don’t have to follow God’s laws, and you can live as you choose.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 4: Genesis 1:14-25
I love re-reading the formation of everything on this planet. It’s always so humbling to know how insignificant we truly are.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 4: Genesis 1:14-25
Man has used God’s provision of the sun, moon, and stars to mark and measure time and direction since the beginning on humanity, as God has intended.
God knew exactly how far to set the sun from the earth. If the earth were closer or further from the sun, life as we know it would be impossible.
We see birds and sea creatures were created at the same time, not evolving slowly over millions of years.
The fossil record totally rejects the idea of millions of tiny changes. Most creatures stay the same over time.
Only an omnipotent God can create such a variety of land animals, and God shows His sense of humor, too, in the variety of unusual creatures that only a Creator could make up.
On the first day, God made light and called it day. He called the darkness night.
On the second day, God made the sky, separating it from the waters.
On the third day, God made God made dry ground, calling it land. The waters he called seas. This He said was good.
God made vegetation on the land, seed-bearing plants and trees that bore fruit and seed. This He said was good.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 3: Genesis 1:3-13
5) On the first day, God made light and called it day. He called the darkness night.
On the second day, God made the sky, separating it from the waters.
On the thrid day, God made God made dry ground, calling it land. The waters he called seas. This He said was good.
God made vegetation on the land, seed-bearing plants and trees that bore fruit and seed. This He said was good.
6) Part Personal Question. My answer: Day is a particular period of time, and can be whatever you define it as. Our days are the time it takes the earth to complete one full rotation around its axis, encompassing both day and night. God’s days could have been shorter or longer; there truly is no way to know.
Some Bible scholars wonder if the days are geologic days and ages. Others refute this by saying that why would the writers who were inspired by God use the word “day” then? Again, there is no way to know except when we get to heaven and ask God.
7) “Let there be,” “and there was,” “God made,” “It was so,” “And God saw that it was good.”
8 ) Personal question. My answer: God is Almighty, the Creator, and what He says happens. He is in control always and forever. He can create as easy as He can destroy. God is awesome.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 3: Genesis 1:3-13
Love the repetition. So powerful for emphasis. All feature God doing and creating while in control of everything.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 3: Genesis 1:3-13
Note the first step from chaos is light. This holds true in our lives as well. God and the gospel are light (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).
God spoke. His word is enough. Remember that as you study God’s word — the Bible — throughout this year.
Genesis tells us that light, day, and night each existed before the sun and the moon were created on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). In the new heavens and the new earth, there won’t be any sun or moon. God Himself will be the light (Revelation 22:5).
Land was in existence before; it was just covered by water; God gathers the water into one place and calls them seas.
Creation of Plants
Plants were created before the sun. If the days were geologic ages, how woudl the plants have survived?
Many say the stars, sun, and moon were created on the first day but weren’t visible until the fourth. (Revelation 21:23) tells us that we won’t need the sun, moon, or stars any longer. It could have been that in the beginning, the plants didn’t need them either.
The plants were created not as seeds, but as full-grown plants each bearing seeds. The chicken really did come before the egg.
According to its kind is a phrase that appears ten times in Genesis chapter 1. It means God allows variation within a kind, but something of one kind will never develop into something of another kind.
And God saw that it was good. God knows what is good and organizes His creation to result in something good.
God does not call the earth good until it has become habitable, a place where man can live. How awesome is that?!
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 2: Genesis 1:1-2
3) God created the heavens and the earth. Creation was nothing, empty space, formless. God created everything from nothing. God is Almighty, powerful. Creation is all His.
4) Personal Question. My answer: God molded everything from nothing like Play-doh. Truly, there are no words how awesome this is.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 2: Genesis 1:1-2
It’s like the darkness of a cave, which is about as pure dark as it gets here on earth. The beginning was darkness, nothing. Now, look at our world today and the beauty. Only an Almighty Creator can have such vision and power.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 1, Day 2: Genesis 1:1-2
There is a ton in Genesis so read each sentence carefully or you may miss something. Read slowly, for what happens in a single line may echo throughout all of history and for eternity.
God is the subject of the first sentence, and He does something — He creates. If you believe this first sentence of the Bible, then you believe the rest. This is the cusp. The original form of “God” here is plural, indicating the Holy Trinity, including Jesus, was present here.
To understand the vastness of the world, you only have to look to the stars. There are a million galaxies in one patch of sky. A galaxy contains on average 200 billion stars. The average distance between galaxies is 20 million trillion miles. The closest galaxy to ours, The Andromeda Galaxy, is 12 million trillion miles away.
What existed before God?
God is the uncreated Being, eternal, the Alpha and the Omega, without a beginning or an end.
In the beginning was the Holy Trinity, was the eternal purpose of God, was His plan.
Doesn’t it seem funny to you that mere humans even try to figure out God?
Any time God begins work, it’s with the Spirit of God.
When God formed the earth, it was already aged. Adam was not a baby, the trees were big trees, and the canyons were formed.
Fun Fact: The word “God” appears 30 times in the 31 verses of the first chapter of Genesis.
Fun Fact: There are at least 165 passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly referred to in the New Testament. If you count the verses that are quoted more than once, there are at least 200 quotes total.
Fun Fact: Fossils had to come after Adam since death did not exist before him.
