SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
Matthew 1:1 through 4:11

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

BACKGROUND

Some twenty or thirty years after Jesus ascended to Heaven, one of His chosen disciples, Matthew, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a book that would introduce the New Testament. The special emphasis of Matthew was that Jesus was indeed the Messiah (“anointed one”) and King who had been foretold by the Old Testament prophets centuries before. Matthew quoted often from the Old Testament. In this Gospel, there are about sixty references to the Jewish prophecies and about forty quotations from the Old Testament, a clear indication that Matthew had a Jewish audience in mind. Christ’s mission to the Jews was especially emphasized.

Matthew (also called Levi) never spoke of himself, so we have little personal information about him. We know that he was once a despised publican [tax collector] who made a great feast for Christ and then followed Him. From that moment on, his life was changed. We know that Matthew was a companion of Jesus, so he would have seen firsthand the wonderful miracles and heard with his own ears the teachings of the Son of God. He is named as being one of the disciples in the upper room before Pentecost.

Being accustomed to keeping systematic records, Matthew gave a beautifully organized account of the Lord’s life and ministry. The book opens with a careful record of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that accompanied it. In chapter 1 of Matthew, we find the genealogy of Christ (Joseph’s line; Luke’s genealogy gives Mary’s line). Chapter 2 details three key points about Jesus as King: the homage paid to the King (the visit of the Wise Men), the hostility against the King (Herod’s anger and attempt to destroy Him), and the humility of the King (the circumstances of His humble birth).

Some thirty years pass between the events of chapter 2, and the beginning of chapter 3 of Matthew. Chapters 3 and 4 detail John the Baptist’s proclamation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. These both led to the beginning of His public ministry.

QUESTIONS

1. What was Joseph’s concern in Matthew 1:18-19? What is revealed about Joseph’s character in how he handled the situation?
   
2. According to verses 20-25, how did Joseph respond to the message from the angel in his dream? What did his action reveal about his character?
   
3. The Wise Men who went in search of the Holy Child may have been from the Parthian Empire, located in present day northern Iran. These religious leaders, called Magi, had great power over their realm, even to choosing their own king. Why would these men of influence travel over 2000 miles from their homeland to bring gifts and to worship a Child?
   
4. From verses 9-11, we can see that the Lord very carefully led the Wise Men to Christ, where they worshiped Him. What method did He use to lead them? Perhaps there have been times when you stepped out to follow the Lord, only to wonder if He was still leading you. How did He encourage you?
   
5. In our Matthew text, several Old Testament prophecies are mentioned as being fulfilled. (See Matthew 1:23, 2:6, 15, 17-18, 23.) Think of the years of waiting that took place before those prophecies were fulfilled! While we may be tempted to help God work out His plan for our lives, what can we do to stay focused and to ensure success in the Gospel?
   
6. What was John the Baptist’s main purpose in life? What can we learn from this regarding our purpose? See Matthew 3:2-3.
   
7. Matthew 4:1-11 describes Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Why is it important to us that Jesus was tempted as a man?
   
8. What can we learn about the devil’s tactics from this account? What can we learn from Christ’s example about how to withstand temptation?

CONCLUSION

Because Jesus came as a man, suffered, and triumphed over temptation, we have Someone to go to who understands us. He is a comforting Friend who feels our pain, weaknesses, and joys. Even more importantly, He is able to give us His strength and help, so that we too can rise above any circumstance with real victory.