CHAPTER 1
WEEK 1, DAY 1
The Savior of God'sPeople Is Born
Matthew 1:1–25
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son ofDavid, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacobbegot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez andZerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begotRam. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon,and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz byRahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 andJesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been thewife of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begotAbijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat,Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziahbegot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begotHezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begotAmon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiahand his brothers about the time they were carried awayto Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiahbegot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabelbegot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakimbegot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, andAchim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begotMatthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Josephthe husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus whois called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David arefourteen generations, from David until the captivity inBabylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivityin Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: AfterHis mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before theycame together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and notwanting to make her a public example, was minded toput her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about thesethings, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in adream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid totake to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceivedin her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth aSon, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save Hispeople from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled whichwas spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son,and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated,"God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as theangel of the Lord commanded him and took to him hiswife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth herfirstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
DEVOTIONAL
The Incarnation is here, presented for all to see our heavenlyFather's deep love for the world. He cared enoughto clothe Himself in flesh and come to us. This is the true pictureof our Immanuel, God with us. The promise of Isaiah7:14 is now a reality: "The virgin shall conceive and beara Son." Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest,said, "The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the cross.Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from theSon becoming sin. The Incarnation was for the purpose ofRedemption.... The centre of salvation is the cross of Jesus,and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because itcost God so much."
After four hundred years of silence, the Lord wastedno time in speaking through His servant Matthew,sharing the good news—that He had made a way forhumanity to be forgiven of sin by His only Son. This firstchapter of Matthew prompts a believer not only to celebrateChristmas, but also to foresee the cross and the hopefor celebration come Easter.
Think back to the garden of Eden, where the first couplesinned against a holy God. They were separated from Himand cast out of the Garden. Yet in Genesis 3:15 the Scripturespromise a deliverer. Now, after years of waiting, GodHimself had come in the flesh in the Person of His Son. Asyou consider God's divine rescue plan today, express yourgratitude to the Babe in the manger who paid the ultimateprice for you.
—Dr. Johnny HuntFirst Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
WEEK 1, DAY 2
The Wise Will Seek God
Matthew 2:1–23
Wise Men from the East
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in thedays of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the Eastcame to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has beenborn King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in theEast and have come to worship Him."
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled,and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gatheredall the chief priests and scribes of the people together, heinquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thusit is written by the prophet:
6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;For out of you shall come a RulerW ho will shepherd My people Israel.'"
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wisemen, determined from them what time the star appeared.8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and searchcarefully for the young Child, and when you have foundHim, bring back word to me, that I may come and worshipHim also."
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold,the star which they had seen in the East went beforethem, till it came and stood over where the young Childwas. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedinglygreat joy. 11 And when they had come into the house,they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and felldown and worshiped Him. And when they had openedtheir treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense,and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that theyshould not return to Herod, they departed for their owncountry another way.
The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel ofthe Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise,take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, andstay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek theyoung Child to destroy Him."
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and Hismother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was thereuntil the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled whichwas spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Outof Egypt I called My Son."
Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived bythe wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forthand put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehemand in all its districts, from two years old and under,according to the time which he had determined from thewise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiahthe prophet, saying:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,Because they are no more."
The Home in Nazareth
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of theLord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying,"Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to theland of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's lifeare dead." 21 Then he arose took the young Child and Hismother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning overJudea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside intothe region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a citycalled Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spokenby the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
DEVOTIONAL
Matthew chapter 2 introduces three different characters:King Herod, the chief priests and scribes, andthe wise men. Each of them depicts a different attitude.Herod's attitude was one of indignation, hatred, and hostility.The chief priests and scribes were indifferent. The wisemen, however, declared, "If there is a God, and we can knowHim, we will seek Him with all of our hearts," which is whatour attitude should be. If Jesus Christ is who He says He is,we must lay at His feet our lives as offerings that will reboundto His glory. Wise men still seek Him today!
—Dr. Johnny HuntFirst Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
WEEK 1, DAY 3
Jesus, Our Example
Matthew 3:1–4:11
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in thewilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdomof heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spokenof by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:'Prepare the way of the Lord;Make His paths straight.'"
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with aleather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts andwild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the regionaround the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized byhim in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduceescoming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood ofvipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do notthink to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'For I say to you that God is able to raise up children toAbraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laidto the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which doesnot bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but Hewho is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandalsI am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the HolySpirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and Hewill thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gatherHis wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff withunquenchable fire."
John Baptizes Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordanto be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him,saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You comingto me?"
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to beso now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."Then he allowed Him.
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediatelyfrom the water; and behold, the heavens wereopened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descendinglike a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly avoice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son,in whom I am well pleased."
Satan Tempts Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wildernessto be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He hadfasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If Youare the Son of God, command that these stones becomebread."
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shallnot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedsfrom the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Himon the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If Youare the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
'He shall give His angels charge over you,'and,
In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall nottempt the Lord your God.'"
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly highmountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the worldand their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things Iwill give You if You will fall down and worship me."
10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For itis written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Himonly you shall serve.'"
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels cameand ministered to Him.
DEVOTIONAL
Page after page of the New Testament shows us how Jesusis our ultimate example. In Matthew 3, we see Himsubmit to baptism to fulfill all righteousness and to identifywith all those He came to save. We're called to submit tobaptism, just like Jesus did. Here we also see Him overcomeSatan's temptations by putting faith in specific truths fromGod's Word. We can do the same! The next time you facetemptation, remember that Jesus overcame the world, Heis in you, and He gave you an example to follow of allowingGod's Word to defeat temptation. Ask Him to help you,empower you, and make you more like Him.
—Dr. Johnny HuntFirst Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
WEEK 1, DAY 4
"Come, Follow Me"
Matthew 4:12–5:12
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, Hecame and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in theregions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilledwhich was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen agreat light,And upon those who sat in the region andshadow of deathLight has dawned."
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw twobrothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make youfishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets andfollowed Him.
21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers,James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boatwith Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He calledthem, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father,and followed Him.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in theirsynagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, andhealing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease amongthe people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria;and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflictedwith various diseases and torments, and those who weredemon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healedthem. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, andfrom Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
The Beatitudes
5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain,and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst forrighteousness,For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted forrighteousness' sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your rewardin heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who werebefore you."
DEVOTIONAL
After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus took up John'smessage and began preaching repentance to the people.
He also called His first disciples. If you listen today, youmay hear His still, small voice calling you from whateveryou are doing to make Him the major focus of your life and,in particular, of your day.
Chapter 5 provides a list called the Beatitudes that helpus to do just that and be kingdom-minded as we go aboutour daily lives. As Christ followers, these are the attitudesthat ought to be prominent in our lives. One day we willrule with the Lord Jesus, but we can reign in this life if Hereigns in us and we allow Him to change our attitudes to belike His. Pray that your attitude would be one that bringsHim glory today.
—Dr. Johnny HuntFirst Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA
WEEK 1, DAY 5
Take God's Light into the World
Matthew 5:13–37
Believers Are Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses itsflavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good fornothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfootby men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on ahill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and putit under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light toall who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine beforemen, that they may see your good works and glorify yourFather in heaven.
Jesus Fulfills the Law
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or theProphets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly,I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, onejot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till allis fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least ofthese commandments, and teaches men so, shall be calledleast in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does andteaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom ofheaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousnessexceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
