In the first episode of Witnessing Christ from the New Testament, Mark and Molly Parsons introduce the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and walk through the first chapter of each evangelist's account.

This podcast episode covers the following:

• Matthew 1:1-25 
  • The Geneology of Jesus 
  • Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
• Luke 1:1-80
  • The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
  • The Birth of Jesus Foretold
  • Mary Visits Elizabeth
  • Mary's Song
  • The Birth of John the Baptist
  • Zechariah's Song

Key concepts in this episode include: 

• The Genealogy of Jesus: What is it and why does it matter?
• Why does Jesus include sinners in his family tree?
• What does it take to "stand righteous" in the sight of God?
• Why did Jesus need to be both truly God and truly man?
• What do the songs of Mary and Zechariah teach us about our Savior Jesus?

For more insights on witnessing Christ from Matthew's genealogy, check out the blog series Wrecked and Redeemed to hear the incredible stories of five out-of-place women on Jesus' family tree.

For more on righteousness, check out the blog What is Righteousness? on BeYePerfect.org and the webinar The Two Kinds of Righteousness on TILM.org.

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Click here to download a Bible Study outline to use with your Mormon friends, family, and missionaries.

An excerpt to share personally with your LDS friends:
 
What’s your family history like? Do you come from a line of honor or shame? Even more, how about your own life? Are you proud of what you’ve done or filled with embarrassment?

You should see Jesus’ family tree. Before he writes the story of Jesus’ birth, Matthew records Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17). When you look at Jesus’ family tree, do you know what you see? Sinners. Lots of sinners. Jacob deceived his father. Judah slept with his daughter-in-law. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth had been an idol worshiper. David committed adultery and murder. We could go on and on… That’s Jesus’ family tree.
 
Why on earth would God be willing to be born into such a sinful family? Here’s why: Jesus was willing to be born from sinners because he came to save sinners. After recording Jesus’ family tree, Matthew tells us exactly what Jesus came into the world to do: “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Remember, it’s not about where you come from, who you know, or how well you perform in front of your peers. Jesus came to save you simply because he loves you. In him, there is forgiveness, peace, and true hope.