Big idea: Jesus came as the promised son who brings God’s people back to God, and blessing to the world.

Bible passage: Matthew 1:1-17

All Ages Activity:

As a family act out a ‘Messiah’s Messy Family Cat Walk’

You might like to use this script, or write your own to act out the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.

Hello, and welcome to the Messiah’s Messy Family Parade. For centuries, the Israelites waited for their Messiah, the rescuer God had promised to send.

ABRAHAM trusted God to keep his promises and moved to a new land and made his home there.  By faith, ABRAHAM became a new father while he was very old, and his descendants became as many as the stars, but ABRAHAM was not the perfect rescuer the world needed.

Abraham’s son JACOB wasn’t perfect either.  JACOB had lots of kids, but had one son, Joseph, who was his favourite.  It’s not a good idea to play favourites with your kids.  Joseph’s brothers got so angry that he was their fathers favourite that they sold him as a slave and told JACOB that he’d been killed.  JACOB was devastated. He was not a perfect father, or the rescuer the world needed.

Generations later, RAHAB, a lady who wasn’t even part of God’s special people, helped Israel’s spies check out the land God had promised them.  RAHAB had a shady past, but because she helped God’s people, she was allowed to marry a man who was part of God’s family.  RAHAB helped God’s people, but she wasn’t the perfect rescuer people were waiting for.

Rahab’s daughter in law RUTH was also NOT an Israelite.  But RUTH trusted God through some pretty tough times, and ended up being King David’s great grandmother.  RUTH was special, but she wasn’t the promised rescuer people were waiting for.

David’s son, KING SOLOMON was rich, powerful, and respected all over the world.  But SOLOMON was also a ladies’ man.  He had over 700 wives and 300 girlfriends.  Although SOLOMON built God an amazing temple to call home, he also made some pretty awful decisions.  SOLOMON was not God’s promised rescuer.

Generations of God’s people came and went.  Some were bad, some were really bad, and some were ok.

JEHOSHAPHAT had a cool name and trusted God.  JEHOSHAPHAT led God’s people into battle against three ginormous armies even though it seemed impossible to win.  By the time JEHOSHAPHAT and his little army got to the battlefield the other three armies had completely destroyed one another.  JEHOSHAPHAT didn’t rescue God’s people that day, God did.  JEHOSHAPHAT trusted God, but he wasn’t the promised rescuer.

Yet, from this messy family of misfits and muck-ups the messiah would eventually come. Abraham’s great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson was JESUS.  The one who would ultimately rescue his people from sin and death.  JESUS is the Messiah, the rescuer so many people had waited for.

Read Matthew 1:1-17.

• What names do you recognize from this list?
• How was Jesus different from all the other people named in his family?
• What special name/title is Jesus given? – messiah
• Why is this important? – Jesus came to be the promised son who brings God’s people back to God, and blessing to the world.

This list of names follows Jesus’ ancestors from Abraham to Joseph (Mary’s husband).  It reminds us of the special plan God had in the way he sent Jesus, and some of the special people who were a part of God’s plan. The list starts with Abraham, who God chose and through whom all the world would be blessed

Two women in the list, Rahab and Ruth, were from other countries, but chose to follow God and be part of the nation of Israel.  God’s plan was for more than just the descendants of Abraham.

There are 14 kings in the list, from David to Josiah.  Some were good, some quite bad, but God worked through both good and bad people to fulfil His plan.  Also, Jesus is a descendant of King David as God had promised.

Jesus was a real person in history, descended from other real people in history, but he was also God, the Son – Fully God and fully man.  There are some great heroes in this list, but ultimately all of them were just waiting for the coming of the ultimate hero, God’s hero, Jesus.  Jesus came to be the promised son who brings God’s people back to God, and blessing to the world

Prayer: Thank God for sending Jesus to be the hero we need to save us from sin. Apologize for the times we try to be the hero of our own lives.  Ask God to help us follow the real hero, Jesus.