Matthew

Laurie Polich-Short

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780310516767
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

What do small group leaders need? Good Bible studies that engage their kids. The purpose of this book in the Studies On the Go series is to provide small group leaders with creative and engaging Bible study questions they won’t have to rewrite. Students will be pushed, encouraged and challenged by these studies, but the real goal is that they would be changed.

 

Laurie Polich-Short has designed Matthew for the busy youth worker who either lacks the time or the information to lead a quality Bible study. Written for the fast paced leader that does not skimp on depth and substance, Laurie has constructed down to earth questions that get kids into the text and to hear God’s Word on a practical level. Each consecutive passage of Scripture sets the topic to help students think deeply, talk openly, and apply what they are learning to their lives.

1. CHOSEN BY GOD

Matthew 1

LEADER’S INSIGHT

Imagine being able to trace your ancestors back to the beginning of time.

That’s what Matthew 1 does for Jesus. Most of us are lucky if we know our great-grandparents. Jesus knew his great, great, great . . . (I’d better stop here; I don’t have enough space for the number of greats I need.) If you look closely, you can see that Matthew does it for a purpose. Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled through Jesus’ lineage.

In Matthew 1, we see that Joseph was handpicked to be Jesus’ earthly father. Though his seed wasn’t in Jesus, his family was the context through which Jesus came. It was Joseph who made Jesus’ lineage so special.

Sometimes we brush over genealogies because they seem boring. But don’t miss the details of this one with your students. To see Abraham at the beginning, giving Jesus his Jewish roots. To see King David in the middle, revealing the royalty from which he came. To notice that all five women in the lineup have stories of amazing grace, showing God can take the mess of our lives and do great things if we let him.

Genealogies carry important details that reveal insights about who we are. This genealogy carries important details about who God is—and how he came in the person of Jesus.

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Warm-Up Questions

• If God came to you in a dream and gave you a plan for your life that was different than yours, would you follow it?

• What do you know about your genealogy? Is there anything you know about your parents or grandparents that tells you more about who you are?

• How much of your life do you think is preplanned? How much do you think happens by choice?

Observe

Observation Questions

• Where does the genealogy begin in Matthew 1? Whose name is at the end, before Jesus? How many generations are represented? (See verse 17.)

• What did Joseph have in mind when he found out Mary was pregnant?

• How did God come to Joseph? What did God say? What Old Testament verse is referenced in verse 23?

• What did Joseph do after God spoke to him? Did he have union with his wife before Jesus was born?

Think

Interpretation Questions

• Do you think Joseph was preplanned to be Jesus’ earthly father? Why/Why not?

• What does verse 19 tell you about the kind of man Joseph was? Do you think he was cruel or kind?

• How do verses 22-23 show God’s providence in this situation? Do you think Mary and Joseph had a choice regarding how they responded to God?

• What does verse 24 say about Joseph’s faith? What does verse 25 reveal about Jesus’ birth? Based on this verse, what kind of father was Joseph to Jesus?

Apply

Application Questions

• How far back can you trace your genealogy? Is there anyone in your genealogy who is famous for something?

• If you were Joseph, do you think you would have done what the Lord told him to do? Why/Why not?

• On a scale of 1-10, how much faith do you think Joseph had? (1=no faith, 10=a lot of faith). Where would you put yourself on that scale?

• What is one dream you have for your life? Have you ever had a dream you felt God wanted you to do?

Do

Optional Activity

Have your students write out their genealogies as far as they know them. Then, over the next week, have them trace their genealogies as far back as they are able—by interviewing their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., to find out all the information they can. Have them come back to the group next week with one fact about their genealogies that surprises them, a person in their genealogies who inspires them, and a quality they have inherited from someone they admire.

QUIET TIME REFLECTIONS

Day 1: Matthew 1:1-5

• What word or verse stands out to you from this passage? Why?

• Who were the three women in this part of the genealogy? What do you know about their stories? (See Genesis 38, Joshua 2, Ruth 1.)

• Spend time today thinking about how God can make our story part of his story when we give our life to him.

Day 2: Matthew 1:6-11

• What word or verse stands out to you from this passage? Why?

• Why do you think Bathsheba is listed as Uriah’s wife rather than David’s? (See 2 Samuel 11.) What does that tell you about how God remembers us?

• Spend time today thinking about how God honors us when we do the right thing even when we get hurt by it.

Day 3: Matthew 1:12-17

• What word or verse stands out to you from this passage? Why?

• Whose line did Jesus’ genealogy come through, Mary or Joseph? What does that tell you about the importance of Joseph in Mary’s selection as the mother of Jesus?

• Spend time thinking about how God is concerned with every detail of our lives and has a plan for each one of us!

Day 4: Matthew 1:18-19

• What word or phrase stands out to you from these verses? Why?

• What does Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy tell you about the kind of man he was?

• Spend time thinking today about how you would respond to circumstances that were not what you wanted.

Day 5: Matthew 1:20-21

• What word or phrase stands out to you from these verses? Why?

• What did the angel tell Joseph to do? How do you think he felt when he heard this?

• Spend time thinking about what you would do if God told you to do something way outside your comfort zone.

Day 6: Matthew 1:22-25

• What word or verse stands out to you from this passage? Why?

• What prophecy did Mary fulfill in this chapter? (See Isaiah 7:14.) What was Jesus going to be called?

• Spend time thinking today about what it means that Jesus was Immanuel—God with us.

Day 7: Matthew 1

Read through the whole chapter and write out the verse that spoke to you most this week. Meditate on that verse today—and for an extra challenge, memorize it!

2. THE REAL KING

Matthew 2

LEADER’S INSIGHT

What makes a king a king?

Your students are familiar with the idea of monarchy from watching the royal family in Great Britain. A king (or queen) is different from a president. You cannot “run” for king; you can only be born one. That is true for both kings in Matthew 2.

The second chapter of Matthew contrasts two kings: Herod and Jesus. Both were born into their positions; however, one had a power that far exceeded the other. As the chapter goes on, your students will see which one was the real king.

When the Magi arrived from the east, the people of Jerusalem directed them to Herod. However, the stars were directing them somewhere else. Herod’s discomfort at the birth of Jesus revealed who held the real power. We also see Jesus as the true king in the dreams threaded through this chapter. God used people’s dreams to protect and position Jesus away from harm. There was a greater power at work than Herod’s control.

In the end, Herod tried to stop Jesus by using his power in the most destructive way possible. Thousands of innocent young lives were lost, but Jesus wasn’t one of them. Even as a baby, Jesus was above Herod’s control, proving that he was the real king.

He still is.

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Warm-Up Questions

• When you think of a king, what is the first image that comes to your mind? In your opinion, who is the greatest historical king who ever lived?

• Have you ever studied the stars? What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever seen in the sky? (Shooting...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication and Acknowledgments
• Contents
• How to Use Studies On the Go
• 1. Chosen By God: Matthew 1
• 2. The Real King: Matthew 2
• 3. Preparing the Way: Matthew 3
• 4. Tested and Tried: Matthew 4
• 5. How to Treat Others: Matthew 5
• 6. How to Live By Faith: Matthew 6
• 7. True Judgment: Matthew 7
• 8. Faith and Healing: Matthew 8
• 9. A Deeper Healing: Matthew 9
• 10. A Call to Followers: Matthew 10
• 11. True to the End: Matthew 11
• 12. Fruit Shows the Truth: Matthew 12
• 13. Seeds and Weeds: Matthew 13
• 14. Miracle Man: Matthew 14
• 15. It’s the Inside That Counts: Matthew 15
• 16. Seeing Through God’s Eyes: Matthew 16
• 17. Things to Come: Matthew 17
• 18. Compassion and Forgiveness: Matthew 18
• 19. Putting God First: Matthew 19
• 20. Fairness and Grace: Matthew 20
• 21. Fan or Follower?: Matthew 21
• 22. The Invitation: Matthew 22
• 23. Seven Woes: Matthew 23
• 24. The End of the World: Matthew 24
• 25. He Will Come: Matthew 25
• 26. Preparation for Death: Matthew 26:1-30
• 27. Loyalty Tested: Matthew 26:31-75
• 28. Pilate’s Dilemma: Matthew 27:1-26
• 29. Death On Our Behalf: Matthew 27:27-66
• 30. Resurrection and New Life: Matthew 28