City Kids Parent Take-Home
Now we come to the second half of the Bible called the New Testament. Actually, this “half” is quite a bit shorter than the first “half,” but it begins a new covenant with God’s people and the climax of the story that began in the garden. What we saw in shadow and symbols in the Old Testament, we will see in living color in the New Testament. The word gospel means “good news.” The four Gospels in the New Testament tell the good news of Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not four different stories, but four different angles on the central events of the Biggest Story. The four books are written by different authors, but they announce the same good news. Here we meet—in flesh and blood—the long-awaited Prophet, Priest, and King.
Matthew 1
Big truth: Jesus was born to save his people from their sin.
Christ connection: Jesus invites us to enjoy new life with him if we trust him as our Saviour
Faith Response: Children who trust Jesus to save them from their sins.
Memory verse: Matthew 1:21 song
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Dinner-table questions
- The New Testament starts with a long list of names called a genealogy (which comes from the same Greek word as genesis. What does this tell us about the birth of Jesus?
The birth of Jesus gives a new beginning to the world God created. - Everyone in this big list sinned. If Jesus came at the end of this list did He sin too?
No! Jesus is fully human – but without sin. - What does the name Jesus mean?
Jesus means God saves! Jesus came to save His people from their sins.
Family Activity: Genealogy charades
Play charades, acting out different characters from the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-16.
There are a lot of characters in this passage. They were all sinful, but at the end of the line God would come Himself to deal with sin and live with His people!
Link love
The Biggest Story podcast: Spotify / Apple
This week’s Bible story video: