The Greatest Story Ever Foretold: Pt 1
Matthew 1:22-23 (NLT)
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
Matthew 1:1-17 (NLT)
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
4 Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
12 After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
14 Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.
HOW THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS REVEALS GOD’S GRACE:
1. God can work through imperfect people.
– By God’s grace, outsiders become insiders.
2. God can redeem any situation.
– By God’s grace, your past does not disqualify your future.
3. God is kind even though we don’t deserve it.
Luke 1:46-55 (NLT)
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
– By God’s grace, His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Psalm 103:8 (NIV)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
SMALL GROUP MEETING OUTLINE
Where your faith intersects with real life!
Reconnect:
Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.
Explore:
Review the message notes.
Big Idea: The genealogy of Jesus is a display of God’s grace. Every person in Jesus’ family tree was part of God’s plan to bring His Son into the world.
Consider:
Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.
▶ Read Matthew 1:1-17.
– How does the genealogy of Jesus reflect God’s grace in using imperfect people for His perfect plan? Explore together what this reveals about God’s character and His approach to redemption.
– Why do you think God chose to work through imperfect and unlikely individuals to fulfill His plan?
– In what ways do we sometimes feel like “outsiders” in our faith journey, and how does this message offer hope? Reflect on personal experiences of feeling unworthy and how God’s grace transformed those moments.
Activate:
Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share with the Group.
What past situation or imperfection in your life feels like it disqualifies you from God’s purpose, and how can you apply the truth of God’s redeeming grace to that area?
Prayer:
Thank God for the highs and lift up the lows.
Pray and ask God to help us see His plan at work, even in difficult or unexpected situations, and to trust that He can use everything for His glory.