The Real Jesus: Matthew 1:1-17
What’s in a Name?
Matthew 1:1-17
This year in House Church we will be reading and discussing the Gospel of Matthew to better understand who Jesus is and what he has done.
Matthew was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples and he left his profession as a tax collector to follow Him. The purpose of his gospel was to give evidence to his Jewish brothers that Jesus was the one they had been looking for. He wanted them (and us) to see that Jesus was the long awaited messiah and King. He would be the one to make all things right, and restore the broken relationship between God and man. Matthew’s life was radically transformed by an encounter with Jesus, and our prayer is that through this study you will encounter The Real Jesus through His word, and be transformed just like Matthew.
These questions are written to be used during our house church meetings. If you find yourself unable or attend a gathering this week we encourage you to use these questions at home to sink more deeply into this series.
Opening Questions:
Matthew 1:1-17
This year in House Church we will be reading and discussing the Gospel of Matthew to better understand who Jesus is and what he has done.
Matthew was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples and he left his profession as a tax collector to follow Him. The purpose of his gospel was to give evidence to his Jewish brothers that Jesus was the one they had been looking for. He wanted them (and us) to see that Jesus was the long awaited messiah and King. He would be the one to make all things right, and restore the broken relationship between God and man. Matthew’s life was radically transformed by an encounter with Jesus, and our prayer is that through this study you will encounter The Real Jesus through His word, and be transformed just like Matthew.
These questions are written to be used during our house church meetings. If you find yourself unable or attend a gathering this week we encourage you to use these questions at home to sink more deeply into this series.
Opening Questions:
- What’s in a name? Do you know the meaning of your own name or the name of your kids?
- What’s a name in your family that’s been passed down / a distant relative whose name has come up in stories from your family’s history?
Read and Reflect: Read Matthew 1:1-17 - What stands out to you in this passage?
- Which names stand out to you in this list?
- Why do you think Matthew is including ALL of these names?
- It was extremely uncommon in those days for women to be mentioned in writings like these. Why do you think Matthew included the 4 women here in this passage?
- Some of the people listed here did not live lives that we would want to emulate. Do you find it odd that they are included in Jesus’ genealogy? Why or why not?
- What do you think the significance is of the 14 year increments between generations?
Go Deeper: - Why is it important that we connect Jesus to Abraham, David, and other characters from the Old Testament?
Prayer:
Pray for the families in your house church and the people on your top 5 cards.
Announcements:
- September 8 is Baptism Sunday! We'll be having lunch as a church family afterward to celebrate. Check with your House Church leader about bringing a side to share with everyone.
- Gathering Kids Training: All current volunteers and anyone interested in helping serve our kids' ministry is invited to attend. Sunday, September 15th from 8:30-9:30AM in the Library at Westlake.
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