The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The Genealogy of the Jesus Christ Matthew 1.1-17 Genealogy was a big thing in Old Testament and New Testament times. Genealogy still is a big thing in the Middle East. The whole conflict over there is between the descendants of two sons- Ishmael and Isaac, half brothers, the son of Hagar and the son of Sarah. Abraham was the father of both. One was the father of the Arab people, the other the father of the Israel, the Israelites, today what we call the Israelis (and all the Jews around the world). One son was of the Spirit, the other of the flesh. One son was the fulfillment of God’s Promise the other man’s attempt to help God out. This is what wrong thinking which leans on your own understanding will bring: conflict... inside a family. Since the beginning God had promised Jesus (Genesis 3.15). From Abraham that promise became personal and part of a family, the children of Israel, the Jews. God promised the Messiah through this line. This line had special promises and people. 1. Jesus had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David in His ancestry line. *Abraham- the father of the faithful. God fulfilled His promise to Abraham through His Son Jesus Christ Genesis 12.3 “... All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Peoples= mishpachah : clan, family, tribe, people, nation Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Galatians 3.6) God honors faith. *Isaac, the promised son Isaac submitted to death on Mount Moriah. His father was up in years and Isaac could have run away but he placed his life (and death) in the hands of his father. Jesus would come to that same place and go through similar things with His Father in heaven but the Father would not take away death from His Son. Jesus died there for the sins of the whole world. Scripture was being fulfilled. Prophecies concerning Jesus were completed that day on the cross. Even the gifts offered to Him as a young child in Bethlehem, gold, frankincense and myrrh all had to do with this day- the day on the cross. The manger and the cross were tied up in the same promises of a Redeemer, the Savior of the world and Him being that Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Good Shepherd, my Shepherd. This Christmas make your way back to the manger. *Jacob, the heel grasper who became Israel= God prevails, governed by God *David, Israel’s most beloved King was an ancestor of Jesus David wrote Messianic Psalms. The Psalm of the cross was written by David (Psalm 22) David led Israel in worship of the LORD God. David was a comforter of broken hearts. He had one. David was a man after God’s own heart. I think the two are tied together. Isaiah 53.3 He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows , and familiar with grief/ suffering Like one from Whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. One of the ways God is able to endure seeing suffering is that He knows what happens in the end. Bob Pierce‘s book let my heart be broken with the things to break the heart of God was a dose of overwhelming reality. that was his prayer. He asked for God to show him things as they really are. Every Christmas People drift off into it unreality. They spend money that they don’t have. They buy gifts for people that don’t need them. They have a nostalgic feelings, which in and of themselves are not bad, but they create something that is not true. That is what makes Christmas vacation movie so funny and yet so appealing. Clark Griswold finally faces the fact by asking his father the question, “Dad, why are the holidays such a always such a mess?” His father answers, “I know.” Clark then asks, how did you get through them. His father chuckles and says, “I had a little help from Jack Daniels.” I don’t want to live like that. No one does. Perhaps, in the first time in 65 thanksgivings this year I discovered it’s true original meaning... of our nation and in God’ Word and in prayer. I’m out to set the course for Christmas as well. I want to be able to say now, I am free to enjoy Christmas. It is a glorious event! It is the focal point of human history. It is gods story. It has been covered up by tinsel in unreality. I’m not against decorating for Christmas. I’ll do it myself. Just so blessed the decorations and the gift buying and all of the warm fuzzy feelings are not covering over reality of Christ’s Birth. I am making my way back to the manger. Reality will eventually come to you. For many comes on their deathbed. Others in this life. But the free people, the really free people are those whoever broken spirit, an open heart and a new direction in which to travel. Gordon MacDonald calls them the freest people on the earth. When we get there we are filled with joy unspeakable. We’re not fretting, worrying, angry, we are like children, children of God. And whom the sun sets free is free indeed! “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” Prayer of Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse We want to be used but we don’t want to be broken. We want the Resurrection without the crucifixion, We want to hide our scars when Jesus shows us His. Philippians 3. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. -Oswald Chambers 2. Note the women where details are given. Before you do that, prejudice against women is spoken against here. To include them in a genealogy was radical back then. It was outrageous! Jesus comes and turns over things that are wrong. He upsets things that need to be upset. He is doing that in this Pandemic. But these women were not ones we would have picked (which shows how often we pick the wrong people ) Verse three Tamar, a foreigner and of doubtful morality (Genesis 38) Verse Five Rahab, another foreigner and once a prostitute(Joshua 2.1) Ruth, a Moabitetess Verse six Uriah’s wife Bathsheba committed adultery with David (II Samuel 11) 3. There were some men who fell short in this line Abraham shows us that having faith does and being justified by faith does not mean we will be perfect. David shows us we can have a heart for God and be a man after God’s own heart and fall into sin if we do not guard our hearts. Solomon shows us that we can have great wisdom but if disobey the LORD it will hurt many many people. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. This is why Jesus came. His Name shall be called Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins. 4. Jesus’ Birth was humble. His ancestry line has both prestige and at the same time things you could not be proud over. He relates to sinful situations. He is the King of Kings. But He is also the Friend of Sinners- What a Friend We Have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear We love Him because He first loved us. He accepts us with all of our imperfections Amazing Grace,. He take people whose lives are a mess and puts them back together. He came for all people. You may be listening by Livestream this morning. It just showed up in your newsfeed. You may be very rich. But deep down in your heart you are empty. You aren’t hearing this on accident. This is your time, your day. Christ is calling you to follow Him. Come now to Jesus! We have been grafted in... Romans 11.17 and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root All the promises... Galatians 3.8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you. 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith....29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Because God adopts us as His children when we believe we have the line of Abraham as our genealogy. We are descendants of his. Hebrews 2.10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Isaiah 53.8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken... vs.9-12 Who are your ancestors? If you are a believer, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David. If you are a believer Jesus is not ashamed to call you a brother or sister. You have God as your Father God’s Family is made up of all who have believed on His Son for salvation. God’s family is the family of believers. Let’s let Him tie our story into His Story. His family is still growing and will be until the final one has come in... Let’s keep sharing the good news! Sent from my iPad