1.2.2 12.07.08 Matthew 1 1-17

Start:

1.   Entice: Christmas is story time. Rudolph. The Grinch. Frosty. Charlie Brown. Jesus.

2.   Engage: How do we keep His story from just blending in with the others?

3.   Expand: Matthew begins his story of Jesus in a rather "boring" fashion. He supplies the names. We have to supply the storyline and plot. The story is the OT. All of it. The OT is the context for the story of Jesus. The genealogy is a distillation of the highs and lows of the OT story. In it Matthew not only begins his story of Jesus but provides some clues about how he will proceed to tell us his tale.

4.   Excite: Matthew teaches us how and why we should follow Jesus. During this season of celebration let's hear him and embark on his adventure with him.

Explore: The Story of Jesus is the final installment of the saga of God working through His covenant people to save all people.

Explain: Several Observations from Matthew's distillation of the OT in his genealogy of Jesus.

1.   Jesus' Story is a people Story.

1.   Noteworthy & Notorious.

2.   Famous & Infamous.

3.   Secondary & nobodies.

2.   Jesus' Story is a Nonconventional story.

1.   How he begins is nonconventional.

2.   Who he mentions is nonconventional.

WOMEN

3.   What kind of people they were.

                                 i.        Gentiles!

                               ii.        Sexually suspect.

3.   Jesus' Story is a Restoration Story.

1.   Exile and Restoration. Vv 11, 12 (hinge of the passage.)

2.   Hope and Restoration.

Shut Down:

1.   Hope in darkness. The warm glow of God's love in a fallen world.  It is a real story. Odd at times. Filled with characters who are strange to us. Jesus came to save us despite the fact He knows us.

2.   Is His story yours. Maybe your life is less than conventional. We share humanity with one another, and Him. Restoration. We all need it. Again and again. Have you felt the restorative power of His love for the very first time?