2001 Matthew lesson 2

THEY WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL

Matthew 1:18-25
Key Verse 1:23

I. JOSEPH, A SON OF DAVID(18-20;24-25)

1. According to verse 18, what is this story about? What is Joseph’s place in the genealogy of
Jesus? (16)

2. How is Mary identified? What was her relationship to Joseph? (18) Before the problem arose,
what might have been their hopes and dream?

3. Before they had any physical union, what happened to Mary? (18b) How was God keeping his
promises and working out his purpose through this? (Ge 3:15; Lk 1:32-35; Heb 4:14,15)

4. Read verse 19. When Joseph found his fiancee pregnant-- not by him-- what would be his
natural response? What was evidently the custom and law? (Dt 22:20,21) What was his
dilemma as a righteous man?

5. What did he decide to do? What kind of spiritual and human struggle might be involved in
reaching this decision?

6. Read verse 20. What word of God came to Joseph as he struggled spiritually about this matter?
What did Joseph do? (24,25) How did God use him?

II. JESUS SAVES HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS (21)

7. Read verse 21. What was to be the name of Mary’s baby? What does this name mean? How
does this fulfill prophecy? (Isa 53:5) What does this tell us about God’s purpose in sending the
Messiah? About mankind’s real problem?

III. JESUS, THE IMMANUEL GOD (22,23)

8. Read verse 22-23. What is Jesus’ other name? What does this mean? How does this fulfill
prophecy (Isa 7:14)? Think about the meaning to one man, Abraham. (Ge 12:2,3; Heb 11:11)
How did “God with him” give him hope?

9. Think about the meaning of “God with us” to the people of Israel? When and how was God with
them? (Mt 1:17; Isa 43:2) What did it mean personally to Matthew that Jesus was God with him?
(Mt 9:9-13)

10. What does it mean that Immanuel God came into this world as a baby? What does this truth tell
us about the meaning of Immanuel God to each of us?