October 8, 2010 Matthew 1-4

The New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew title, Messiah - which means anointed. Many scholars conclude that the ancestry listed in Matthew is the legal ancestry of Jesus Christ through Joseph according to Jewish tradition. Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit, before she had sex with Joseph. Joseph had planned to divorce her quietly, because he didn't want to embarass her. An angel came to him in a dream and explained things to him. This fulfilled what Isaiah said in chapter 7:14. They didn't have sex until after Jesus was born.

Some wise men, or Magi, were seeking the location of the child who had been born to be king of the Jews. They came to Jerusalem and asked where He was. They had followed the star in the east and had come to worship Him. This worried King Herod and everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together all the chief priests and teachers of the Law of Moses and read in Micah 5:2 that He would be born in Bethlehem. So Herod secretly asked the Magi to find Him and let him know where to find the babe so he could worship him too. The Magi followed the star to the house where Jesus and Mary were. They knelt down and worshiped Him and brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi were warned in a dream that they shouldn't return to Herod, so they didn't. Later, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, so he did. This fulfills the prophecy in Hosea 11:1. Herod was so mad that he had all the baby boys killed in and around Bethlehem, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy in 31:15. After Herod died an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told them to go back to Israel. They settled in Galilee in a town called Nazareth, fulfilling Isaiah 11:1.

John the Baptist preached in the Desert of Judea sharing the ancient message to turn back to God and stop sinning. This fulfills what Isaiah said in chapter 40:3. John wore camel hair clothes, with a leather belt and ate locusts and wild honey. People seemed to hear what he said because they confessed their sins and were baptized. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized, but John told them to repent of their sins. John baptized with water so people would give up their sins, but someone more powerful would come whose sandals he wasn't worthy to carry. He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Then Jesus came to be baptized, but John objected. Jesus told him that for now it was what needed to be done, because it was what God wanted. So John baptized Jesus. When He came out of the water the sky opened up and He saw the Holy Spirit settle on him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him." (CEV Matt.3:17)

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tested. He hadn't eaten for 40 days and nights - he was hungry. Then Satan appeared and told him to turn the stones to bread. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. Then Satan took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest peak and told him to jump. Jesus quoted Psalm 91:11,12, and also Deuteronomy 6:16. Then Satan took Jesus up to a very high mountain and showed him the world spread out before them and told Him He could have it all if He would bow down and worship the devil. Then Jesus told Satan to go away and quoted Deuteronomy 6:13. The devil left and angels attended Jesus. Later, when Jesus heard that John was in prison, He returned to Galilee. Then he went to live in Capernaum which fulfilled Isaiah 9:1-2. Jesus continued preaching the old message for the people to repent. Jesus called his disciples, Simon (Peter), Andrew, He told them they would be fishers of men. Then He called James and John, who were in the boat with their father. They left the boat and followed Jesus. They went all over Galilee. Jesus preached the good news about God's kingdom and healed all the people with all sorts of problems.

Tomorrow read Matthew 5-7