God with us

Matthew 1:1-25 Christmas 2005

Key Verse 1:23 Lesson 2

Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

This passage shows us that God sent Jesus to save those who live by faith in Him.

 

1. Verses 1-17 list the names of the people included in Jesus' genealogy. What does their existence in human history (as well as the fact that the Savior came from their family line) indicate about "God [being] with us"?

** Each of them lived by faith in God who promised to send the Savior of the world. So their existence is evidence of the presence of God in each generation.  

2. What difference did God's presence make to the life of: 1) Abraham; 2) David; and 3) Joseph?

** Abraham was a “sunset generation.”   He was without any hope for the future (life security), but because of God being with him, especially the promise to send the Savior of the world, he was changed from a sunset generation to a sunrise generation. He was changed from a man of no hope to a man with a living hope. 

** David was the youngest son of Jesse. But thanks to God working in his life (through David's faith in the Lord), he rose from an ordinary man to a man of God (a great general, a great musician, a great poet, a great shepherd, a great prophet, a great leader) who was after God's heart. Acts 13:22

** Joseph was a mere carpenter, an ordinary Jewish man, but thanks to his faith in the Lord, God was with him, so that he received the privilege of being the legal father of Jesus the Savior.  

3. Matthew mentions the names of five women: 1) Tamar; 2) Rahab; 3) Ruth; 4) Uriah's wife; and 5) Mary.  What impact did God's presence make in each of their lives? 

** Tamar could have ended her life as a childless widow, but thanks to God being with her (through her faith in the Lord), her name came to be included in the genealogy of Jesus, the Savior.

** Rahab was a prostitute, but thanks to her faith, she along with her family members came to be saved into God's family when the rest of the people in the city of Jericho were destroyed. 

** Ruth is a Gentile woman who did not deserve God's blessing (of having fellowship with God and God's people), but thanks to her faith in the Lord, the Lord God granted her the privilege to be with God's people and be instrumental to turning the chaotic days of the judges into the peaceful, orderly kingdom of David. 

** Uriah's wife refers to Bathsheba. She is an adulteress. Yet, thanks to her faith in the Lord, she became the mother of Solomon who came from the Lord, the wise king.

 

 ** Mary was a country girl, but thanks to her faith she came to be one of the most famous women in human history.

4. Verses 18-20 describe the way Jesus was "conceived." What does the fact that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit [without human intervention] tell us about: 1) the difference between Jesus and other human beings; and 2) the work of the Holy Spirit? 

** Jesus is God who is from God.

** The Holy Spirit gives life to men. 

5. Verse 21 says that Jesus came to save his people from their sins. Who are "his" people? (John 1:12; Romans 4:12) 

** His people refer to those who have faith in God just as Abraham had. This indicates that when one has faith in Jesus the Savior, one can set himself completely free from the power of sin and Satan.

6. Read verses 22-23 and think about the meaning of Jesus' name, "Immanuel." What did the birth of Immanuel mean to a man like Matthew? (Matthew 9:9)

** Matthew was a selfish person, locked up in his own sins, but Jesus visited him, called him, and included him into the fellowship with the righteous. 

The end

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