MATTHEW LESSON 2

     We placed our foundation for the New Testament in the last lesson.

     We need to look at some of the prophecies in the Old Testament.
This, too, is foundational before we begin our chapter one in Matthew.

      The first promise of the Savior was in Genesis 3:15 "And I will
 put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
 seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

     You see, God promised a Savior for the weakness of mankind.  He
understood that man would not be able to live within himself without
sin.  There would have to be a plan of salvation.

     In Galatians 4:4, we see that the Scripture in Genesis was
fulfilled-Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

     Luke 1:34 "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be,
seeing I know not a man?" Luke 1:35 "And the angel answered and said
unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

     You see, God is the Father, Mary is the Mother.  My own personal
belief is that the Spirit of Jesus came from God and the flesh from
Mary.

     In John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth."

     Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us."

     You see from the Scriptures above, that God the Word, Jesus, took
on the form of flesh (from Mary) and lived with us here.  His name
Emmanuel is certainty that He was actually God housed in the flesh of
a man.

     Many times, throughout the Bible, we find that the Spirit of
Jesus was one with the Father, but His flesh (from Mary) got tired,
suffered, had to rest, and was even tempted in all points that we are.

     His prayer, immediately before the crucifixion, was "My Spirit is
willing, but my flesh is weak."  This tells us there was a difference
in His flesh and Spirit.

     In John 4:24 we read: "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship
him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." God the Father, God
the Word, and God the Holy Spirit are all Spirit.

     Even we must be Spirit to have eternal life.  John 3:6 "That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit."

     John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except
a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God."

     You see, if we are fleshly, then we are bound for an eternity in
hell.  Only those who are living the life of the Spirit inherit
eternal life in heaven with Jesus.

     In Genesis l8:l8, we see Jesus as the promised seed of Abraham.
I quote: Genesis 18:18 "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed in him?" 

     In Acts 3:25 we see the fulfillment.  I quote, Acts 3:25 "Ye are
the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with
our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the
kindreds of the earth be blessed."

     In Matthew chapter one verse one, we see that Jesus was the
descendent and the promised one to bless the whole world through:
Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham."

    Genesis 17:19 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son
indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed
after him."

    You see, Isaac was the son of promise (spirit); Ishmael was the
son of the flesh.

    This is fulfilled in Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

    In Matthew chapter one, we see the lineage of Jesus (the promised
seed) traced to Abraham.  Matthew chapter one verse two: "Abraham
begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his
brethren."  -------

    You see, God is not slack in the promises He makes, but carefully
fulfills every one and in detail.

     In Genesis chapter 49 verse l0, we see the prophecy that the
Messiah will descend from the tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10 "The
sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his
feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the
people [be]."

     In Luke 3:33, we can easily see the genealogy of Jesus goes right
back to Judah: Luke 3:33 "Which was [the son] of Aminadab, which was
[the son] of Aram, which was [the son] of Esrom, which was [the son]
of Phares, which was [the son] of Juda,"

     My only question in all of this is, how could the learned men of
the Bible possibly overlook all of these instances of the fulfillment
of Scripture?.  It seems so obvious to us that Jesus fulfilled every
prophecy.  I guess the Scripture in Isaiah 9:7, probably, caused them to
believe that He would be a king, or ruler of some kind, while He was
here on earth.  They really could not believe this babe in a manger
could be Him.  Isaiah 9:7 "Of the increase of [his] government and
peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his
kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with
justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts
will perform this."

     We see in Matthew 1:1 that Jesus is the heir to the throne of
David, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham."

     It is so strange that David was the ancestor of Jesus in the
flesh, but Jesus was David's God in the Spirit.  In Luke chapter 20
verses 4l-42, we read Luke 20:41 "And he said unto them, How say they
that Christ is David's son?" Luke 20:42 "And David himself saith in
the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand," You see, David called Jesus, Lord.  Jesus' Godhead is difficult
for so many to understand, because He left heaven and lowered Himself
to the body of mankind.  The body of Jesus was a natural body as you
and I have, and in the sense of the body, He was a descendent of
David; but His Spirit is Everlasting God.

     In Micah 5:2, we read of the prophecy of the place that Jesus the
Christ should be born.  Even Herod knew that this prophecy had been
made, because he called his authorities on this subject in and asked
them where it had been prophesied that He would be born.

     Micah 5:2 "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth
unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have
been] from of old, from everlasting."

      In Matthew chapter 2 verse l, we read of the fulfillment of this
 prophecy of the birth place: Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in
 Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there
 came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,"

      Jerusalem and Bethlehem are very close.  I suppose they are no
more than 5 miles apart.  "Bethlehem" means house of bread.  Jesus
called Himself the Bread of Life.  What an interesting combination.
You see, the God we serve is a perfect God, every little detail fits
together.  Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God is truth.

     In Isaiah chapter 7 verse l4, we read that the Saviour will be
born of a virgin which is an impossibility in the eyes of mankind, but
with God all things are possible.  Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." The word" Immanuel", as
we said before, means God with us.

     Matthew 1:18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

     Today there are so many denominations that are removing the
virgin birth from their doctrine, but you see, this is one of the most
important things believed in the Bible.  If Jesus was not God, then He
could not be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  And if He was not the
perfect sacrifice for our sins, then we are still guilty and are bound
for hell.

     You see, you must believe that God was the Father of Jesus, and
that Jesus was, in fact, God in the flesh for your sins to be forgiven.
A mere man, or woman, could not be a perfect sacrifice.  Jesus was the
Lamb of God.  John called Jesus just that.  A lamb without blemish, a
male, first born, never been with a female lamb.  Jesus, you see,
never married, had no broken bones, and was free from sin.  All these
things Jesus fulfilled.

     In fact, the three gifts brought to Him as gifts at His birth,
recognized Him as God in the flesh (gold), the perfect lamb sacrifice
(frankincense), and the groom of the bride of Christ (myrrh).  Gold
means God spiritually, frankincense accompanied the meat offering for
sacrifice, and myrrh was a sweet perfume for the wedding bed.  You
see, God is perfect.  It is our understanding of His Scriptures that
is imperfect.

























                          Matthew 2 Questions


1.  The first promise of a Savior was found where in the Bible?
2.  God promised a Savior for the -----------of mankind?
3.  Where in the New Testament was the Scripture fulfilled that the
    Savior would be born of the seed of a woman?
4.  In John l:l4, what do we learn?
5.  Was it Jesus' Spirit, or flesh, that got tired?
6.  In St.  John 4: 24, we read "God is a Spirit ", so how must we
    worship Him?
7.  What must we do to receive eternal life?
8.  If we are fleshly, where are we headed?
9.  Who will inherit eternal life in heaven with Jesus?
10. In Genesis l8:l8, who will be blessed through Abraham?
ll. In Galatians 3:29, who were the promises for?
l2. Isaac was the son of what?
l3. Ishmael was the son of what?
l4. David was the ancestor of Jesus in what?
l5. In the Spirit, what was Jesus to David?
16. Why is it difficult for many to believe in the Godhead of Jesus?
17. Where was Jesus to be born?
18. What does "Bethlehem" mean?
19. What was Jesus called?
20. What is an impossibility, in the sight of man, pertaining to
    Jesus' birth?
21. What does "Immanuel" mean?
22. If Jesus is not God, what does that mean to the Christians?
23. What must we believe about Jesus to have our sins forgiven?
24. What did John call Jesus?
25. What did the gold that was brought to Jesus proclaim Him as?
26. What did the frankincense proclaim Him as?
27. What did the myrrh proclaim Him as?
28. If God is perfect, why do we not understand the Bible?