The Setting of Jesus’

Birth

Unit 2 Birth and Early Life of Christ

 Journal question
Where were you born? What cultural/ethnic
background do you have? Where are your parents
from? In what ways do you think that your birth place
and the family you were born into plays into who you
are today?
 Lesson objective
Determine the purpose of Matthew and Luke by
- Identifying the audience and main theme

Determine key components of Jesus’ birth by

- Identifying key characters through the genealogies in Matthew and Luke
- Adam
- Abraham
- Jacob
- Judah
- Levi
- David
- Mary and Joseph
- Identifying prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus
 Review “What I heard...”
Students will pair up with one other student and share their purpose statement they
wrote last class and explain why this is their purpose statement

Also, students will share their core values and why they chose those values

Students will each have 1 ½ minutes to share

Once both students have shared, a couple of volunteers will share what they heard
(What were the motivations, ideas, opinions that were heard through the purpose
statement/values?)
 Introduction
The coming of the Messiah video
 Audience

Pictures- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzNh5Jx9f_o / https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Do-the-Jews-control-the-world-539880

 Audience of Matthew

1. Since his Gospel was written in Greek, Matthew's

readers were most likely Greek-speaking Jews.
2. Many elements point to Jewish readership:
Matthew's concern with fulfillment of the OT (he has
more quotations from and allusions to the OT than
any other NT author)
3. Although Matthew's Gospel is Jewish, it has a
universal outlook.

Resource- https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/
 Purpose of Matthew
To prove to his readers that Jesus is their Messiah. 9 proof texts (1:22–23; 2:15; 2:17–18;
2:23;4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 13:35; 27:9–10) unique to his Gospel to drive home the
idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT prediction of the Messiah.
 Audience of Luke
1. The Gospel is specifically directed to Theophilus (1:3), whose name means "one
who loves God".

2. The use of "most excellent" with the name further indicates an individual, and
supports the idea that he was a Roman official or at least of high position and
wealth.

3. He was possibly Luke's patron, responsible for seeing that the writings were
copied and distributed. Such a dedication to the publisher was common at that time.

Resource- https://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/
 Purpose of Luke
Written to strengthen the faith of all believers and to answer the attacks of
unbelievers. It was presented to displace some disconnected and ill-founded reports
about Jesus. He wanted to commend the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world.
 Birth of Jesus
Read/listen to Matthew 1 and 2 as well as Matthew 3 (genealogy)
 Matthew and Luke
Some scholars argue that Matthew’s genealogy leads to Joseph, while Luke’s
genealogy traces Mary’s line.

Resource- http://explore-theword.blogspot.kr/2011/01/
 Matthew
Traces the lineage back to Abraham (emphasis on Jewish race)

- Includes women and gentiles (God redeems even those deemed unworthy).
- Abraham, David, Jesus (3 sets of 14 generations)
- Chiasm (literary style- mirror image of elements)
- “Being identified as a descendent of David He is introduced as the Messiah”
- “The connection to Abraham emphasizes God’s covenant with Israel and the extension
of that covenant to include all nations.”
- “Although Matthew states that each period has 14 generations, the 1st and 3rd only have
13. A legitimate Jewish and OT approach would count David in both the 1st and 2nd
groupings (stressing gematria- letters representing numbers). The letters in the Hebrew
word David also add up to 14. Matthew highlights Jesus’ credentials as the Messiah.”

Resource- NLT Illustrated Study Bible

 Luke
Traces the lineage back to Adam (emphasis on Jesus as Savior for all people
everywhere)

- Reverse order (Jesus to Adam)

- Jesus is connected to all of humanity as the Son of God
- Heli (Mary’s father/Joseph’s father in law)
- Adam- son of God / Jesus- Son of God (resists temptation)

Resource- NLT Illustrated Study Bible

 Messiah
The Hebrew word “Messiah” is equivalent to the
Greek word “Christ” - both mean “Anointed One.”
The term comes from the practice of anointing kings
in Israel with oil at their enthronement to confirm
their appointment to rule the nation as God’s
representative.
Hope of the Messiah to come from David’s line (2
Samuel 7:11-16).
Resource- NLT Illustrated Study Bible
 Melchizedek
His name means “king of righteousness,” was a king
of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High
God (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews
5:6–11; 6:20—7:28)

Resource- https://www.gotquestions.org/Melchizedek.html
 King and Priest
Hebrews presents Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, as a priest after the order of
Melchizedek and that the office of Jesus goes back further than David, Aaron, and
Levi and merges the priestly and king offices in one (4:14-7:28, esp. 5:5-11;
6:13-7:28)
That way it was possible for Jesus to both be considered a priest and a king.
Jesus was also from the tribe of Judah by his earthly father (Luke 2:4, Luke 3) and of
the tribe of Levi on his mother’s side (Luke 1:5-6, 36 and Matthew 1)

Resources- https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/melchizedek/ https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/5699/what-does-it-mean-that-jesus-was-a-priest-like-the-order-of-melchizedek-in-heb

 Prophecies about Jesus’ birth
Students will locate and share the verse that directly relates to Jesus’ birth and the
mention of the fulfillment of the prophecy in the account of Jesus’ birth
1. Matthew 1:2 - Genesis 12:3 / Genesis 22:18 (Abraham)
2. Luke 3:34 - Genesis 28:14 / Numbers 24:17 (Jacob)
3. Luke 3:33 - Genesis 49:10 (Judah)
4. Luke 2:8-20 / Matthew 2:11 - Psalm 86:9 (Shepherds and Magi)
5. Matthew 1:1 - 2 Samuel 7:12-13 / Jeremiah 23:5 (David)
6. Matthew 1:20 / Luke 1:35 - Isaiah 7:14 (Virgin birth)
7. Matthew 2:14-15 - Hosea 11:1 (Egypt)
8. Matthew 2:4-6 - Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem)

Resource- NLT Illustrated Study Bible

 Prophecies about Jesus’ birth
These 8 prophecies specifically connect the Old Testament prophecies to Jesus’
birth
1. Genesis 12:3 - Abraham (Matthew 1:2)
2. Genesis 28:14 - Jacob (Luke 3:34)
3. Genesis 49:10 - Judah (Luke 3:33)
4. Psalm 86:9 - Shepherds and Magi (Luke 2:8-20 / Matthew 2:11)
5. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 - David (Matthew 1:1)
6. Isaiah 7:14 - Virgin birth (Matthew 1:20 / Luke 1:35)
7. Hosea 11:1 - Egypt (Matthew 2:14-15)
8. Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem (Matthew 2:4-6)

“The Psalms and Isaiah contain the most prophecies. Matthew contains the most direct fulfillments.”
 Abrahamic Covenant
God promises to bless Abraham and his descendants, because Abraham was faithful to
God.

The genealogies break down the lineage of the Messiah

 Davidic Covenant
God promises David that his lineage would live forever and that his kingdom would
never pass.

Luke 1:32-33 specifically talk about Jesus reigning for all of time.
 What’s the purpose

Understanding these covenants helps us understand

some of the details of what Matthew and Luke
include in their accounts.
Everything about Jesus’ birth is specific to the
prophecies and lineage that were mentioned in the
Old Testament.
 Context around Jesus’ birth
1. What was city did Jesus born in?

2. Who were Jesus’ parents?

3. Where do we read in the Old Testament that Jesus would be born of a virgin? Why
was Mary chosen to be the mother of Jesus?

4. From what lineage did Joseph come from?

5. What can be concluded about Jesus’ being born from the line of Judah?
 Recap

Culturally and prophetically, Jesus’ birth is the beginning of the new covenant.

1. His parents

2. The location

3. The “global” response