LESSON 1/March 26—April 1, 2016
Son of David
Teacher’s
Guide
Materials
pens or pencils; whiteboard,
chalkboard, chart paper, or
flip chart, and appropriate
markers; index cards; Bibles
Surveying the Source
Matt. 1:1–21.
Plotting the Course
The students will:
►Understand that God uses flawed
human beings to work His perfect will.
►Recognize God’s perfect plan in the
Preparing to Lead
As the sands of time run out for us on
planet earth, and we look forward to the
Second Coming, the story of Christ’s first
coming becomes more meaningful. Apart
from the intense natural disasters, we are
seeing the demarcation between good and
evil. Christians are facing death threats,
Getting Started
A. Say: “As we study the lineage of
Jesus in Matthew 1:1–16, use the index
cards to write down familiar names that
you find in the text. Write one name per
card. You will have five minutes to find
as many names as possible. At the end of
five minutes, I will collect all the cards.”
Using a whiteboard or chart paper, ask a
volunteer to tally the names of those writ-
ten on the cards to see who has gained the
most nominations. Note whether they
were famous for good, evil, or both. Con-
clude the activity by talking about how
God uses flawed human beings to work
out His perfect will.
Delving Into the Word
A. Divide the class into thr ee gr oups.
Each group will study one of the family
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salvation of humankind.
►Apply analogies from the characters
in Matthew’s time line to modern times.
beatings, and the loss of family and
homeland, and yet they continue to be
faithful to God’s call. As you go through
today’s class, ask yourself these ques-
tions: A m I living out the “good-news”
message? Or am I constantly looking for
a better tomorrow, job, or relationship?
B. Pr ior to class, copy the r epr oduci-
ble activity (p. 31), or make a ┬ on a
piece of chart paper titled, “Should God
send His Son to Earth?” Below the title,
create two columns: “Pros” and “Cons.”
At the beginning of class, ask students to
read Matthew 1:18–21. Afterward, tell
them to imagine that they are in the
courts of heaven deciding on how to
solve the sin problem. Should God send
His Son to earth? They will use a deci-
sion tool often referred to as a Benjamin
Franklin.* They are to write the pros and
cons for sending Jesus to earth.
trees represented in the categories from
Matthew 1. Group #1: Abraham to David
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(verses 2–6). Group #2: David until the
Exile (verses 6–11). Group #3: Exile un-
til Christ (verses 12–16). Each group
should have 14 names. Using cards from
the Activity A in the Getting Started sec-
tion that pertain to your particular group,
discuss how God used that person’s wit-
ness (positive and negative) to accom-
plish His purposes in the plan of salva-
tion.
B. Read Mar k 2:16, 17. For added
understanding, read the SDA Bible Com-
mentary, volume 5. Ask students to relate
this story to a modern-day experience.

Discussing the Ideas

1. This week we’ve been studying
about the lineage of Jesus. Do you have
any stories of ancestors in your lineage
that you would like to share with the
class?
2. Why do you think Matthew began
his book with the lineage of Jesus?
3. Is it possible to focus too much on
the work’s side of the equation and forget
the grace side?
4. How do you balance being in
“good” company and still reach out to
those (alcoholics, promiscuous, and un-
desirable) who really need the gospel?
5. If you were to place your name in
God’s lineage of salvation, what would
people say about your life?

Closing the Activity

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned Close with a time of prayer. Give every
and fall short of the glory of God” (NIV). student the opportunity to pray. Explain
Think about some of the temptations you that if they don’t feel comfortable pray-
are facing. God knows what you are go- ing, they may say “pass,” and the praying
ing through, and He will be there to help will continue with the next person.
you. He will also be there to pick you up
when you fall. Use prayer and scripture
to fortify your walk this week.
Rose Gamblin, Smithsburg, Maryland, U.S.A.
____________
* Fred Nickols, “How to Make Decisions Like Benjamin Franklin,” Smartdraw.com, ac-
cessed November 5, 2015, http://www.smartdraw.com/mind-map/making-decisions-ben-
franklin.htm.

Copyright 2016
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 Should Jesus Come to Earth?

Directions: Imagine that you are in the courts of Heaven decid-

ing on how to solve the sin problem. You are to write the pros
and cons for Jesus coming to earth.

Pros Cons

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Lesson 1 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

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