Matthew 1:1-17
For those of you who have ever done a “Read the Bible in One Year” reading plan I want you to openly confess here and now that on days when the reading led you to a lengthy genealogy, you whispered “Hallelujah” and skipped right over it. C’mon, we’ve all been there.
There are two things to know about biblical genealogies. One, they’re important. How do we know? Well, because they’re in the Bible. Two, we don’t want to get too hung up on these genealogies. Why? Well, in Paul’s first letter to Timothy he tells his young protégé in the faith this. “When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and endless genealogies. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.”
Biblical genealogies are important because of their specificity. They provide details that give insights into the lives and times taking place around them. This helps us develop a deeper understanding of God’s Word. There are about 25 genealogies found throughout scripture, but none is more important than the one Matthew gives us in the first 17 verses of the first chapter of his gospel. Matthew’s Gospel was not the first one written – that was probably Mark – but the way he opens his gospel, listing out the Jesus’ ancestors from Abraham to Joseph – sets up a great starting point for the New Testament.
The genealogy clearly shows that, as prophesied, that Jesus is a direct descendant of David. And that’s clearly a big deal because fulfilled prophesies need to be noted. But there are other important elements to this bloodline that, as we enter the final days leading to Christmas can bless us. Starting with this fact: Jesus’ family tree is loaded with rotten fruit. Some highlights…
We can start with Abraham. The Father of Our Faith was also at times a liar whose faith ironically enough at times could be sort of wobbly. God used Him anyway as He promised He would.
Skip down a little bit further, around verse 5 of Matthew 1 and we find Rahab. Rahab is one of four women appearing in this genealogy which was a very rare thing. Women typically weren’t included in these lists. Of the four women Matthew includes, 3 aren’t even Jewish, one pretended to be a prostitute in order to have sex with her father-in-law and the other, Rahab, didn’t pretend to be a prostitute, she was one. And yet from her life of sin comes this amazing, abiding faith in the LORD that gets her a mention in the Book of Hebrews famed 11th chapter known as the Hall of Faith. Read all about Rahab in chapter 2 of the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament. It’s a pretty amazing story.
Rahab’s life takes us on a direct course to the birth of David. We know all about David, right? A man after God’s own heart. A slayer of giants and yet…David also gives into deception, adultery and, ultimately, murder. On top of all that, he’s not much of an earthly father, and his sins have a profound, lasting, negative impact on his children. Case in point David’s son, Solomon.
Thanks to his abiding faith in the LORD, Solomon, once he becomes king is given more wisdom and more earthly wealth that any man who ever lived. And when the LORD blessed Solomon this way it was with the caveat that Solomon needed to live in obedience to the LORD as his father had. Specifically, Solomon was told not to get involved with foreign women because they would draw him away from his faith. Well, 700 foreign wives and 300 foreign concubines later, Solomon’s disobedience brings about his downfall. The kingdom of Israel divides and a whole legion really bad rulers, extremely evil men lead Israel into a period of profound darkness and rebellion.
And yet…
All these morally weak individuals, all these prolific sinners are used by God to make a way for the arrival of a Savior. A Savior who would not enter the world with royal trappings, but a Savior who would be born in the equivalent of a cave to a mother and father of humble means but supernatural faith. And Jesus would share time and again during His life that although He was the Son of God, He came to serve mankind, not rule over it politically. He experienced firsthand the pitfalls of humanity so that in the Father’s perfect timing He could sympathize with our shortcomings and set us free from the bondage of sin.
From all the rotten fruit dangling from this genealogical family tree, we see repeatedly the power of grace and mercy. Restoration and redemption. Justification and sanctification.
Christmas didn’t begin in the manger. Christmas began in the beginning. From the moment God breathed life into Adam, the promise of a Messiah was made and because of that promise, To us a child is born, to us a Son in given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Prince of Peace. And He has come to set His people – you and me – free from the condemnation of sin. Amen!
One Step will take a short break for the next two weeks, but sermons and blogs will return January 6. Until then, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!