He Must Reign, Lesson 3.4

‘He Must Reign’: The Kingdom of God in Scripture

Lesson Three: The Son of David in Matthew’s Gospel

Lesson Objectives

  1. To understand the symbolism Matthew uses to convey the truth that Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of David.
  2. To see how the baptism of Jesus corresponds to the anointing of the Davidic kings.
  3. To understand how Matthew sees Jesus’ kingdom as the fulfillment of the promises in the prophets.

IV. Discussion Questions

1. In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, how many divisions does he make in the list? How many generations in each division?

2. How are these numbers significant?

3. In Matthew’s division of history, when does the Babylonian Exile end?

4. According to the prophets (Jeremiah, for example), when would the covenant with David be broken?

5. What ceremony marked the beginning of the rule of a king of the house of David?

6. What spiritual effect did this ceremony have?

7. What equivalent ceremony did Jesus undergo? How was it equivalent?

8. According to Christ’s teaching, what kinds of people will inherit His kingdom?

9. What is the most important thing we can do to prepare for the coming of Christ’s kingdom?

For personal reflection:

Are you ready for the coming of the kingdom? What would it mean to be “poor in spirit” in the everyday life of today’s world?

Begin Lesson 4

Lesson Outline

  1. Beginning with the Old Testament
    1. The Book of the Genealogy
    2. The Perfect Number
    3. Still in Exile
  2. The Lord’s Anointed
    1. The Baptism of Jesus
    2. Anointing the Christ
    3. Son of God
    4. Jesus Anointed in the Jordan
  3. The Kingdom
    1. What the Kingdom is Like
    2. Son of David
    3. Repent!
    4. The Last Instruction
  4. Study Questions

Other Lessons

  • Lesson One: A Throne Established Forever
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To begin to appreciate the significance of God’s covenant with David for understanding the content and meaning of the New Testament.
    2. To understand the biblical idea of the monarchy and the Old Testament background for the Davidic covenant.
    3. To understand the basic outlines of the promises made to David and the shape of the Davidic kingdom under both David and Solomon.

    Begin Lesson One

  • Lesson Two: Looking for the ‘New David’
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand the basic outline of Israel’s history in the centuries between the collapse of the Davidic kingdom and the beginning of the New Testament era.
    2. To appreciate how the collapse and disappearance of the Davidic Kingdom shaped Israel’s hopes and beliefs in the five centuries before Christ.
    3. To understand how God’s covenant promises were interpreted by Israel’s prophets and how those prophecies were understood in the last centuries before Christ.

    Begin Lesson Two

  • Lesson Four: The Throne of David, His Father
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To see how Luke emphasizes Jesus’ lineage as Son of David in the infancy narrative.
    2. To see how Jesus appears in public as the Son of David throughout Luke’s Gospel.
    3. To understand how, at the climax of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus takes his place as heir to the kingdom of David.

    Begin Lesson Four

  • Lesson Five: The Spread of the Kingdom in Acts
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand how Jesus’ parting words to His disciples form a map of the ideal Davidic kingdom.
    2. To see how the structure of the Acts of the Apostles follows that map.
    3. To see how Luke paints the nascent Church as the Davidic kingdom perfectly restored.

    Begin Lesson Five

  • Lesson Six: ‘The Key of David’: Church and Kingdom in the New Testament
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand the characteristics and identity of the kingdom of God as it is portrayed in the New Testament epistles and the Book of Revelation.
    2. To see how the Church is identified with the kingdom in the New Testament.
    3. To understand how the Church, as it is portrayed in the New Testament, bears the characteristics of the Davidic kingdom.

    Begin Lesson Six