Bible Study: Matt 1-5

We are starting a series on the beatitudes from Matthew 5. This week is an overview of the first few chapters in Matthew to set the scene.

Read Matthew 1:1 and look over Jesus’ family tree.
1. Why do you think Matthew begins his gospel with this family tree? What is he trying
to tell us about Jesus? (See also Matt 1:22-23, 2:5-6, 2:13-15, 2:16-18)

2. How should this affect the way we think about the Old Testament – and the way we
read the Old Testament?

3. Look over the following passages:

• Matt 1:21-23
• Matt 3:16-17
• Matt 4:1-11

What do we learn about Jesus from these passages? Who is Jesus?

Read Matthew 4:17-25.

4. What did Jesus preach?
5. What did he call his disciples to do?
6. What do the miracles Jesus performs in vv.23-25 tell us about the character of ‘the
kingdom of heaven’ that Jesus has come to establish?

Read over the Beatitudes themselves – Matthew 5:1-12.

7. Not that we will answer them now, but take a note of:

• Things that stand out for you
• Questions you have about these verses

8. What do we learn about the people who belong to the kingdom of heaven from these
verses?

9. Pray for one another, that over the next few weeks you’d grow in your understanding
of what it means to belong to the kingdom of heaven.