𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Share about a situation where you told someone, “Finally! You’re here!” How important was the person’s arrival?

• Have you ever been in a situation where someone needed to save you? What happened?

• When waiting for something, would you rather wait a short while but receive something different, or wait longer and get exactly what you wanted? Why?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮. . . . 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟭, 𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟳

When Matthew presented the genealogy of Jesus, he established Him as the long-awaited Messiah and Lord. Jesus is not only the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham—through whom all nations would be blessed—but also the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that a descendant from his line would establish an eternal kingdom. Despite these, Matthew also referred to Jesus as Christ. This signifies that Jesus is the anointed one, the promised Savior spoken of throughout the Old Testament. By tracing Jesus’ genealogy all the way to Joseph, Matthew confirms that the Savior, who fulfilled both the Jewish expectations of the Messiah and God’s redemptive plan for the world, has finally arrived. Today, we will look at what Jesus Christ’s arrival means for us.

𝟭. 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮. 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟭

Jesus’ arrival on earth was planned long before He was born. God weaved lives and events across generations to make sure the Savior of the world would be born on earth. This gives us great confidence in His faithfulness. God does not do things on a whim. He did not carelessly think about us and what to do with us the day we were born. This assures us that God is in charge of everything, working through time, people, and events to bring about His plans and purposes in our lives. How has knowing that God has a plan and purpose for everything changed your life?

𝟮. 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮. . . . 𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟭,𝟭𝟳

The list of generations from Adam to Christ shows us that God works through a wide variety of people. He chooses those who are powerful and well-known, as well as those who are ordinary and obscure. Kings like David, Hezekiah, and Zerubbabel play a prominent role, as do figures like Zadok the High Priest. Yet, alongside these famous names are Gentiles like Ruth and Rahab, and humble individuals like Mary and Joseph. This diversity reveals that God’s plan for redemption can involve anyone, regardless of status or background. God takes notice of each of us and can use us in His plans. This gives us so much security and a great sense of purpose. According to Matthew 28:18–20, what is Jesus telling us to do? How are you taking part in this from where God has placed you?

The genealogy of Jesus shows that no one is too insignificant to be part of God’s story. Whether the world considers us well-known or unknown, God sees us and He knows every detail of our lives. God is calling us to proclaim what Jesus has done to the ends of the earth so that people would know that finally, the Savior has come and is establishing His kingdom on earth.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Do you sometimes feel that your life is insignificant? Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you.

• Ask God to reveal His plan and purpose in your life. Write it down and put it somewhere where you can see it and be reminded that God wants you to live a purposeful life.

• What are some specific things that you can do to take part in what God is doing in the world? Pray that you will have opportunities to share who Jesus is with those closest to you.

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for the assurance that your life is important, regardless of what people around you may think or say. Ask God to give you the boldness to live the way He wants you to live and the confidence to be who He wants you to be.

• Pray that God would bring clarity in specific things He is calling you to do to fulfill your part in His bigger plans. • Ask Him to give you a heart that is willing and ready to obey Him.

Pray that this Christmas season, God will use you to bring hope and encouragement to those around you. List down all the reunions and get-togethers you will attend and ask for open doors to minister to people.