CHAPTER TWO
ICEBREAKER
“Your house is on fire, and everyone is safe. You have 30 seconds to run through the house and collect three or four articles you want to save. What would you grab? Why?”
Chapter 2 starts at 5:30 on the video
QUESTIONS
1) Who was Herod?
2) Who were the wise men? What did they know about Jesus and the star?
3) Why was Herod afraid when he heard the news about Jesus?
4) We see some pretty remarkable reactions to this baby, Jesus, who has just been born. The wise men view Jesus as one worthy to be worshipped, while Herod views Jesus as a threat and it brings him great fear. How do you think your friends view Jesus?
5) It seems that Matthew keeps using the Old Testament out of context when he quotes it. Such as Matthew 2:18 or even Matthew 2:15 “I have called my son out of Egypt.” If you go to the Old Testament and read the story it is quoting, it doesn’t mention anything about a Messiah or Jesus, so why do you think Matthew is adding this?
6) One example, read Exodus 1:22 to 2:7 or if you know the story of Moses from the start go ahead and describe how he was born. What are the parallels from Moses and Jesus’ Birth?
7) What do you think it was like for Mary and Joseph to get up and move whenever God called them to? Describe a time when you were obedient to God.
8) What are some things we can learn from God from Matthew 2?
9) What is one word/phrase to describe chapter 2?
1) Who was Herod?
He was the King of Judea who ruled the territory with Roman approval. While Judea was an independent kingdom it was under heavy Roman influence and Herod came to power with Roman support.
2) Who were the wise men? What did they know about Jesus and the star?
There honestly is very little to know about them in the Bible. They seem to have enough power to have a presence with the King and they seem to know their scripture as they knew the prophecy of the King of the Jews being born.
3) King Herod once he heard that the King of the Jews was being born was deeply disturbed, why?
King Herod viewed Jesus as a threat to his power and rule. The people of the time thought Jesus would be a king, a warrior, and a political power.
4) We see some pretty remarkable reactions to this baby, Jesus, who has just been born. The wise men view Jesus as one worthy to be worshipped, while Herod views Jesus as a threat and it brings him great fear. How do you think your friends view Jesus?
5) It seems that Matthew keeps using the Old Testament out of context when he quotes it. Such as Matthew 2:18 or even Matthew 2:15 “I have called my son out of Egypt.” If you go to the Old Testament and read the story it is quoting, it doesn’t mention anything about a Messiah or Jesus, so why do you think Matthew is adding this?
While sometimes prophecies are very straightforward, the Jewish culture, the audience of this book, also saw prophecy as things that are repeating, things that coincidentally happened before and are happening again. If you look at the life of Jesus you can see the whole Old Testament being retold in his life.
6) One example, read Exodus 1:22 to 2:7 or if you know the story of Moses from the start go ahead and describe how he was born. What are the parallels from Moses and Jesus’ Birth?
Both had rulers that wanted them dead.
Both had the slaughter of kids to prevent them from being born.
Matthew is illustrating that Jesus is the New Moses.
7) What do you think it was like for Mary and Joseph to get up and move
whenever God called them to? Describe a time when you were obedient to God.
8) What are some things we can learn from God from Matthew 2?
Prophecies are being fulfilled, God is faithful to what he promises
9) What is one word/phrase to describe chapter 2?