As we look to Thanksgiving and Christmas, many of us will be with extended family. But those times can also carry undercurrents, can’t they? Because families can have a down side. If there are those in your family who are not Jesus followers, or are deemed not “qualified” to be Jesus followers, consider those in His extended human family. Some of the most poignant examples of God’s love, mercy, and grace are stories highlighted by names of women that appear in the genealogy that begins Matthew’s Gospel—a list of names that make up His Family Tree.
I. HIS FAMILY INCLUDES THE LOVELESS Matthew 5:3
- Give the main facts of Tamar’s story from Genesis 38:11-30.
- What evidence is there that she was not loved by her family?
- If you have been unloved by your family, how do the following verses comfort and encourage you? Give phrases from Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 103:17; Lamentations 3:19-24; Isaiah 54:6-8; Isaiah 60:15; Matthew 12:48-50; Ephesians 3:17-19.
II. HIS FAMILY INCLUDES THE LOST Matthew 5:5
- Give the main facts of Rahab’s story from Joshua 2:1-24; 6:12-25.
- What evidence of the lost spiritual condition of Rahab’s family is given in Deuteronomy 20:16-18?
- Name those in your family who are spiritually lost. Give phrases from the following verses that encourage you in your prayers for them: John 3:16-17; Ezekiel 34:16; Ephesians 2:1-9; Luke 15:3-7, 8-10; John 10:14-15.
III. HIS FAMILY INCLUDES THE LAWBREAKER Matthew 5:6
- Who was Uriah the Hittite? 2 Samuel 23:8a, 39.
- Who was Uriah’s wife? 2 Samuel 11:3
- Give the main facts of her story in 2 Samuel 11:1-27.
- How did Uriah’s wife break God’s law? Exodus 20:14.
- If you, or someone in your family, has been immoral, or in some other way broken God’s law, what instructions and promises do the following verses give? Hosea 14:1-2; John 8:1-11; Psalm 32:1, 4-5; Psalm 103:11-12; 1 John 1:6-9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
- Who was ultimately revealed at the end of this Family Tree? Matthew 1:16
As you celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, remember His Family Tree. If God could transform the human family of His Son into a testimony of His amazing grace, why do you think He can’t do the same for you and your family?
This Bible study was prepared especially for the Fall 2022 Newsletter.
