Somewhere in the night air between Matthew 1 and Matthew 2, Jesus was born. It likely wasn’t on December 25. Based on the timing of the priest Zechariah’s temple service, scholars suggest that Jesus was probably born in the fall, when sheep were still out in the fields, perhaps in late September or October. It’s … Continue reading –>
In this week’s lesson on the Son of David I originally planned to focus on the character of Joseph, since he is often marginalized in our discussions of the incarnation of Christ. Mary rightly draws our attention, as it was she who actually carried to birth the long-awaited Messiah. But it was the lineage of Joseph that the … Continue reading –>
Raised in the 1960’s and 70’s in a rather typical Seventh-day Adventist home, my five siblings and I were left to picture God as old, cold, and hard. We learned about John 3:16 and that was great, but what always came through to me at the end was that I was bad, I needed to … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth tells us that God is with us, He brings salvation, and we are called to be the children of God. Son of David, March 26 – April 1, 2016 1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 1:21. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most … Continue reading –>
You can view an in-depth discussion of “Son of David” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline from the HopeTV Sabbath School … Continue reading –>
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:11 NLT When I was a youth reading my Bible all the way through for the first time and came to the begats, such as in Matthew 1, I found them … Continue reading –>
What do the following texts say about human nature? What powerful evidence do we have about the truth of these sentiments? Rom. 3:9-10; Romans 5:8; John 2:25; Jer. 17:9. As has often been stated, but is worth repeating, the Bible does not paint a rosy picture of humanity or human nature. From the Fall in Eden … Continue reading –>
The Son of David. Do you have a hard time with the expression that Jesus was “the Son of David?” What does this phrase mean? What special meaning does this title give to Jesus? Why is it important to believe that Jesus was the “son” of David? Another Genesis. If the account of Jesus’ genealogy in … Continue reading –>
Beyond David, who else do we find in Jesus’ family tree? Matt. 1:2-3. Women weren’t even typically listed in genealogies; so, why would a woman named Tamar be listed here? Who was she to begin with? Tamar was a Canaanite woman who had been married sequentially to two sons of Judah. Both of these sons … Continue reading –>
Whatever the various views of the Jews regarding the coming of the Messiah, one thing was for certain: the Messiah would be from the house of David. (Even many religious Jews today who await the Messiah believe that He must come from the house of David.) That’s why Matthew began his gospel as he did; … Continue reading –>
On that darkest of all Sabbath nights, Mary cannot sleep. Faith and despair wage a battle in her mind. The numbness of despair threatens to swallow her faith. She has gone through some bad times before, but none like this. She recalls her out-of-wedlock pregnancy and how the neighbors glanced at her and stopped talking … Continue reading –>
“This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ … the son of David” (Matt. 1:1, NIV). Right from the start, Matthew calls his work a “book” (from the Greek word, biblos, which can mean a “sacred writing”), a “book of the genealogy,” of the ancestry of Jesus. In fact, the Greek word translated “genealogy” or “generation” is … Continue reading –>
