The Gospel According to St. Matthew: Presented by the Oconee Bible Study

By Chris Ashley

This study of the Gospel of Matthew has been divided into 30 weeks of reading. Every week includes seven passages with corresponding questions in order to provide the reader with an opportunity for daily interaction with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

The divisions of the daily and weekly readings have been done through section brea

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Baptist Courier
• Release date: Jan 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781940645636

Chris Ashley

Chris Ashley is an established writer, a husband, a father and a lover of storytelling. When he is not working in healthcare in Canada, he can be found writing a chapter of his next book.

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Lesson 1

The King’s Birth

chapters 1, 2

Memorize God’s Word: Matthew 1:23

Day 1: 1:1-17

1. Matthew declares that Jesus is the Son of Abraham, Son of David. Why were these two figures so significant to Matthew’s audience?

2. Matthew lists four women (besides Mary) in his genealogy. (Compare to Luke’s genealogy – 3:23-28.) Who were they and why were they mentioned?

3. A few of the Old Testament prophecies about The Messiah are listed; what do they say?

Genesis 3:15

Genesis 22:18

Genesis 49:10

Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 11:1-5

Micah 5:2

Day 2: 1:18-25

4. Both Joseph and Mary were faced with uncertainty and must have had many unanswered questions. Who answered their questions? What was Joseph told to do among the three options he had according to the law? (See Deuteronomy 22:23-24)

5. Mary and Joseph decide to be obedient to God despite the costs to themselves in the eyes of the world. What costs have you paid to be a Christian? Write down a Bible quote from Jesus or Paul about the cost of following Him.

6. Verse 23 calls Jesus Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) How have you experienced God with us in your life?

Day 3: 2:1-2

7. Jesus was born almost unnoticed yet there were a few, far away, who saw the star and understood its significance. (see Numbers 24:17) They acted on that understanding to make a long journey. Why do you think the Magi followed the star?

Day 4: 2:3-12

8. The wise men presented themselves and their valuable gifts. What gifts are we (should we be) offering to Jesus?

Day 5: 2:13-15

9. The enemy began his attacks on Jesus from day one. How is the enemy attacking you? What does God suggest that you do about it? (See Ephesians 6:11-18 & Colossians 3:1-18 among others)

10. Joseph has a second encounter with an angel and undertakes the long, difficult journey to Egypt. How have you sacrificed for others? How has someone sacrificed for you?

Day 6: 2-16-18

11. During Herod’s reign of terror he caused great pain and suffering. How should we deal

with suffering in our lives?

Day 7: 2:19-23

12. God didn’t reveal His whole plan to Mary, Joseph, etc. He told them just enough. What does that fact mean to you?

13. Matthew records many fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies. Name one or two fulfilled prophecies during the early life of Jesus.

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Commentary

More than a List – Matthew 1:1-17

Do you still have your high school yearbook? Think back to all the people who signed that book at the end of the school year. If you were to go back and look at those names, what memories would they provoke? What feelings would come rushing back? How many faded friendships would you mourn? Now think about what someone who didn’t go to your high school or know any of those people would think if they looked at those names. They might just see them as a list of random people. They would seem like nothing special. But those names are so much more than just a list of people. They are memories from another time. They are connected to real people who invested in your life and were partially responsible for the person you were and the person you have become.

Often when we come across genealogies in scripture, we are quick to skim them, or even skip them, thinking they are simply lists of names that seem insignificant. But those names are there for a reason. Matthew is intentional with the names he includes. They mean something. And they all point to the one name at the end that means the most…Jesus.

Most genealogies are names for the person at the top, in this case Abraham, but Matthew makes a point when he begins this list by naming it for Jesus. He is pointing to the focus and reason for this list. Matthew uses his genealogy to make three major points about who Jesus is.

The first point is the most important. He wants to show the Jewish people that Jesus is the promised Messiah. He demonstrates this by pointing out the ways in which God was faithfully fulfilling His promise. That thesis is laid out in verse one when he calls Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham. That Jesus was a son of Abraham was important to establish Him as a part of God’s chosen people. That Jesus was a son of David was important to establish Him as a part of the royal lineage. In fact, both Mary and Joseph were of the tribe of David meaning that Jesus had that claim from both sides of His family.

The second point that Matthew makes is that God works His plan in His own way, separate from the ways of the world. This is demonstrated through Jesus’ ancestry coming through a genealogy of younger sons. Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David were all younger sons who played major roles both in history and in the lineage of the Savior. Although these sons were not viewed as the most important in the eyes of society, God saw their hearts and placed upon them this honor.

The third point that Matthew makes is that the gift of Jesus is for everyone. This can be seen in the five women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy. First is Tamar, who disguised herself as a prostitute in order to get pregnant by Judah since he was trying to keep her out of the family line. Then there was Rahab, who was a prostitute who hid Israelites from capture and was spared when they took the city and incorporated into the Jewish people. Third is Ruth, who threw herself at Boaz while he was drunk in order to catch his eye. Next is Bathsheba, listed not by name but as the wife of Uriah, whom David committed adultery with and murder for. The final woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus, who became pregnant while engaged to be married. These five women were all surrounded by sexual scandal. The four, besides Mary, were foreigners. Yet, they all are listed here in Jesus’ genealogy. It was not common practice for women to be listed in these genealogies. Matthew lists them here to show that the promised Messiah is both Jew and Gentile and that anyone can be used to bring about God’s ultimate will.

Stepfather to Jesus – Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth places an emphasis on Joseph. We get details from Matthew that put us in the mindset of Joseph and lead us to a deeper understanding of the cost of being the stepfather of Jesus. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Imagine you are engaged to be married. You are young and in love, looking forward to a life together. One day, your fiancé comes to you with a wild story. She is pregnant. You know that this is not a result of your relationship so you are immediately heartbroken. But the heartbreak soon gets deeper as she tells you that she has not been unfaithful to you but that this child is from God. Now you are concerned for her mental state.

No doubt, many people in this situation would be extremely angry over the heartbreak. But Joseph’s character shines through as he decides to end his engagement quietly. He was well within his rights to have Mary publicly shamed and punished. Joseph showed great care for her in the midst of his own pain. God clearly chose the right man to be the earthly father to His Son.

It took an angel to reveal the truth to Joseph. God honored Joseph’s care for Mary by communicating with him directly. The angel of God informed and directed Joseph on what to do. But don’t think that this made everything easy. Joseph and Mary would have to be obedient to God despite the consequences the world might bring to their lives. Certainly Joseph would hear the mocking about his wife and his child. Certainly he would understand that he was putting his wealth, status and good name at risk. Following God doesn’t mean everything is easy.

Marriage and relationships are hard. They take a lot of work. Every significant relationship will hit bumpy roads over time. Joseph and Mary entered into marriage not in the midst of the blissful joy as most do. Instead, they entered into marriage in the midst of, and in spite of, tremendous hardships. They were already embattled in turmoil. But they were fighting for and beside one another.

In Search of a King – Matthew 2:1-12

Christmas is such a special time each year. Families come together to eat, share gifts, and celebrate the incarnation of the Savior. Have you ever been so excited about a gift that you were anticipating only to be let down when you got it? Maybe it didn’t do what it was supposed to or didn’t fit like you thought it would. It can be really disappointing to build something up in your mind only to be let down in reality.

When the God of this universe put on flesh and blood and came to inhabit the earth in the form of a baby, there was no fanfare. The moment went relatively unnoticed. And yet, there was a sign there for all to see if they would only slow down and look for it. But the very people that Jesus came to save were simply too consumed with other things. There were men from the east who knew nothing of Jesus, but when they saw the star they recognized the signs of His kingship. That recognition called them to action.

This recognition led to excitement. They arrived with this question, ’Where is he’? They had come to worship this king that was not their own. God had stirred their hearts and showed them the truth. When they finally found Him, what were their thoughts? What must it have felt like to realize this king was an infant child? It didn’t matter. It didn’t make Him any less a king. And so they offered Him not just their gifts, but themselves. They offered them to a baby. This king was a gift they were not disappointed in.

Born to Run – Matthew 2:13-23

Jesus was born into a world of conflict. That, in essence, is the reason He came in the first place. He was meant to be the hero to rescue the world from that conflict. Yet the conflict only escalated when He arrived. The enemy was not going to relinquish power so quickly and easily. If Jesus was going to save the world, Satan would not make it easy on Him.

The enemy’s plan was put into motion by King Herod. The elderly king was put on alert after the wise men’s visit to Him. He felt threatened. How could anyone ever reign after him? He couldn’t have it.

God’s protection of His Son happened through another direct communication to Joseph. The Lord comes to him to tell him to go to Egypt. He tells Joseph to stay until I tell you. In