Be. Become. Do. - Day 01
Day 01 - Monday, September 11
Read Matthew 1 & 2
Highlight
The Book of Matthew’s primary purpose, like all of the Gospels, is to record the words and life of Jesus to show his divinity and capture his teachings for His followers. But each Gospel was written for a different audience, and therefore has been tailored for that audience. Matthew’s audience is culturally Jewish people, so he puts extra emphasis on showing how Jesus’ life matches the prophecies in the Old Testament about God’s Messiah (“Anointed One”).
Some examples from the first two chapters. First, Matthew leads with Jesus’ ancestry because there are two major covenants in the Old Testament where God promised to send a Savior King. The first is the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3 where he promises to bless the nations through Abraham’s descendants. The second is the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 where he promises David that his descendant would rule forever. The genealogy is to show that Jesus simultaneously fulfills both promises.
Matthew also repeatedly says “to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet…” Again, Matthew is tailoring his account to people who already believe that the Old Testament is God’s Word, so he is drawing connections between Jesus’ life and God’s Word to prove Jesus’ divinity. This will continue throughout the whole book in both subtle and overt ways and can help us understand what Matthew is communicating with greater depth.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read Matthew 1 & 2
Highlight
The Book of Matthew’s primary purpose, like all of the Gospels, is to record the words and life of Jesus to show his divinity and capture his teachings for His followers. But each Gospel was written for a different audience, and therefore has been tailored for that audience. Matthew’s audience is culturally Jewish people, so he puts extra emphasis on showing how Jesus’ life matches the prophecies in the Old Testament about God’s Messiah (“Anointed One”).
Some examples from the first two chapters. First, Matthew leads with Jesus’ ancestry because there are two major covenants in the Old Testament where God promised to send a Savior King. The first is the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3 where he promises to bless the nations through Abraham’s descendants. The second is the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 where he promises David that his descendant would rule forever. The genealogy is to show that Jesus simultaneously fulfills both promises.
Matthew also repeatedly says “to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet…” Again, Matthew is tailoring his account to people who already believe that the Old Testament is God’s Word, so he is drawing connections between Jesus’ life and God’s Word to prove Jesus’ divinity. This will continue throughout the whole book in both subtle and overt ways and can help us understand what Matthew is communicating with greater depth.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
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