Parts 2 and 3

Part 2
a. Why were genealogies so important to Jews?
They could confirm their inherited rights and responsibilies.
b. Did Jesus meet the "ancestral requirements" for being the Messiah? How?
Yes, he descended from King David.
c. Why is his family tree a bit odd?
It only matches Luke's geneology in a few names. It also includes women.
d. How does Matthew target Jewish readers more than any other Gospel? (hint: see "The Jewish Gospel")
He used common Jewish phrases. He traced Jesus' family tree to Abraham (Father of the Jews). He pointed out 57 prophesies that Jesus fulfilled.

Part 3
a. What does "Eastern lands" refer to?
He means what is now Iraq or Iran.
b. What did the wise men bring?
They brought myrrh, gold, frankincense.
c. Who predicted that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem?
Micah did.
d. What was Herod's "vicious" order?
He ordered Bethlehem boys 2 and younger to be killed.
e. When do scholars think Jesus was born? (What year)
He was born in either 6 or 7 BC.