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Matthew 1:18-25

1. We began by looking at v. 18 & 19 at the exciting, exhilarating & the embarrassing.

Q: Matthew begins with, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way”. Why would it be necessary to give this statement at the beginning of Jesus’ birth account?

Q: The idea that Jesus is born not by the union of a man and a woman would have been mocked even in the time of Matthew’s writing. It can be tempting to abandon or deny the virgin birth because of this mockery. Why is it so important to believe in the virgin birth? What does the fact that Jesus was born in this manner say about God?

Q: Joseph has a choice on how to handle this embarrassing situation, and he initially chooses the subtle path. What does Joseph’s decision to not shame Mary reveal to us about Joseph?

2. We then talked about v. 20-23 & God’s intervention/explanation.

Q: In v. 21, the mission of Jesus is made clear: to save his people from their sins. Why is it important that we understand this to be the mission of Jesus? What part(s) of this mission would people in the world struggle to understand?

Q: Knowing that salvation, or rescue, is only as secure as the one offering it. How secure is our salvation in Christ? Why is that so?

Q: A major point of discussion is about “his people.” We heard on Sunday that “his people” refers to those who have repented of their sin & placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation. What happens if we believe ALL people are God’s people? Does having a knowledge of God’s people impact how we view sharing the gospel?

3. We asked some questions as we wrapped up the message.

Q: One of the questions dealt with why God’s people need to be saved. How do you understand & explain sin to others? Why is it important to understand the consequences of sin while we live in a world that makes light of sin?

Q: Another question focused on Jesus’ qualification as Savior. Pastor Nate mentioned HYPOSTATIC UNION: that Jesus is fully God & fully man. What happens if we neglect either of these aspects of Jesus?

Q: We also asked about why God would send His own Son. We were reminded of John 3:16. How do we fight the tendency of growing numb to the power of the truth seen in John 3:16?

Q: Finally, we ended with a question on how to celebrate Christmas gratefully. How can you express your gratitude to God this Christmas season?