Welcome to an exciting study on the Book of Matthew!
To help in our study and discussion time, I have put together some questions and divided them into days so you can keep in God’s Word each day. There are also some challenge questions included for “diggers”. You can use a book commentary or go online to find answers. I use >www.preceptaustin.org and www.biblegateway.com . If you cannot answer a question, don’t let it frustrate you because we will be discussing the questions at the next Bible study class and the answers are also in the “questions and answers” link.
Matthew 1 questions
Day 1
1. What do you know about Matthew, the author of the book of Matthew ( Matthew 9:9-13 )?
2. Why was the book of Matthew written?
3. Read Matthew 1:1-17 - Why did Matthew start off with a genealogy?
4. Were genealogies important to the Jews? If so, why? (Read Numbers 26:52-56 ; Ezra 2:62 , Luke 2:1-4 , Rom 11:1 )
5. In Luke 3:23-38 another genealogy of Jesus is recorded. What are the main differences between the two genealogies?
Day 2
6. Why is Joseph identified as the husband of Mary and not as the father of Jesus?
7. What are the meanings of the names Jesus and Christ?
8. List the people that you know something about in this genealogical list.
9. Do you see some individuals who were Gentiles or people you wouldn’t expect to be in a Messianic genealogy?
10. Compare the three historical eras mentioned in the genealogy.
Day 3
11. Read Matthew 1:18-25. What new twist do we see introduced in verse 18 concerning the
birth of Jesus Christ?
12. What do we know about Mary, the mother of Jesus?
John 19:25
Luke 1:36a
Luke 3:23
13. What do we learn about Mary’s character from Luke 1:28-48?
14. What does it mean that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph? What was the period of the pledge designed to test?
15. Why were Joseph and Mary identified as husband and wife before the marriage had been consummated?
16. What was the wedding like in those days?
Day 4
17. What do we know about Joseph? (Read also John 19:26-27)
18. Read Luke 1:26-35 – When Mary became pregnant she knew why but Joseph didn’t know. What would have been Joseph's response when he learned of Mary's pregnancy? Why? (Read also Deuteronomy 22:13-14, 20-24a)
19. What conclusions must be made if Jesus were not virgin born?
20. Why was Jesus sinless even though He was born of a sinner?
21. What course of action did Joseph choose in dealing with the seemingly unlawful pregnancy of Mary? Why?
Day 5
22. What was the unique kind of dream given to Joseph used for? (See other examples used in
Matt. 2:12, 13, 19; 27:19).
23. Why was Mary's child to be named Jesus? ( Matthew 1:21 ; Acts 4:12 )
24. Why did Matthew connect the virgin birth to the Old Testament? ( Isaiah 7:14 )
25. Why was the prophecy of a virgin bearing Immanuel originally given? (Isaiah 7 – especially vs. 14)
26. Did Mary and Joseph have other children? ( Matthew 12:47 ; 13:55-56 ; John 7:3 )
27. What is the only way that Jesus' perfect life can be accounted for?
Day 6
Application:
1. Is Jesus your Saviour? Has He saved you from your sins? When did you make that
decision?
2. Jesus is the King of Kings. Is Jesus the King of your life? How are you showing that?
3. Have you experienced God’s grace in your life? It is easy for us to take it for granted, viewing it more as a right, rather than as a blessing. Think back to the instances that God has been especially gracious to you. Even if you remembered to thank Him, did you find that you soon forgot His goodness? Spend some time after dinner with your family or a friend and have each of you enumerate as many things as possible that you can thank God for...past, present, or future.
4. Are you experiencing Jesus as Immanuel in your life?
5. Do you have the character qualities that Mary had? Are there any you want to work on?
6. Are you like Joseph, listening to God’s instructions and doing immediately what God asks you to do?
7. What has been meaningful to you from your study of Matthew 1? What could you apply to your life?
Jesus Christ was none other than God in human flesh, and Matthew tells us He came to dwell:
with the sick to heal them,
with the demon possessed to liberate them,
with the poor in spirit to bless them,
with the care-ridden to free them from care,
with the lepers to cleanse them,
with the hungry to feed them,
but most of all he says that He came to dwell with the lost, in order that He might save them.
He was Immanuel, God with us,
though He was infinitely rich, became poor, assuming our human nature.
He entered our sin-polluted atmosphere without ever being tainted by it,
took our guilt, bore our griefs, carried our sorrows,
was wounded with our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities,
went to heaven to prepare a place for us,
sent His Spirit to dwell in our hearts,
right now makes intercession for us,
will someday come to take us to be with Him.