(Starting a new 3 year cycle through the Gospels and Psalms)
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 1:1-17
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:1)
For Jews family heritage was very important, in part because of God’s family promise.
“I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,” (Genesis 26:4)
Matthew has come to believe that Jesus is the offspring that will bless all nations.
But why are five women mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary?
The women were not normally named, and especially not THESE kind of women.
These 4 OT women were not shining stars in the family tree (google search them).
Matthew is echoing what Luke shows us about Mary, that she was a surprising choice.
“For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” (Luke 1:48)
Not only these women, but all the men in Matthew’s lineage are surprising choices too.
And that’s the point: God’s blessing is because God is great, not because we are!
God knows our brokenness and failure, yet chooses to become one with us anyway.
God becomes a part of our messed up family, so that we can be restored to his family.
Believe it or not, my name is in his family tree too… and so is yours!
PRAYER
Lord, it is just as wonderful that my name is in your family, as everyone else in Matthew’s list. Thank you for becoming my brother, so that I too can be blessed.
I once traced my Father and Mother’s ancestry and could get back to the 1700s. It was interesting to discover. I was fortunate that their were good records in the Netherlands and I had a second cousin who shared the same interest and helped me with information. Many people either cannot or do not take an interest in this. Also, most of us skip over reading Matt. 1 because of the names. Yet, when someone introduced a remote African to a ‘talking Bible’ in their own language, Matt 1 was also part of the reading. When the village chief heard all these names and how they were faithfully recorded – he exclaimed his villagers that we must listen to this man Jesus – because he must be an important man. The village chief said that he could only go back a few generations, yet this Jesus goes back right to Abraham – 52 generations back! It is important to know who Jesus is and how He is rooted in the promises of God right from the beginning. This is the Jesus who is my Messiah!
God of all time. He shows the line of people to bring His Son into the world – His faithfulness fulfilling His promise of my Redeemer King. All these family members are part of His family, children of God to be instruments of His peace. And because of of the Messiah, I too belong to that family, a child of the King to serve Him in this life. Thank You Lord of Your faithfulness and help me in mine today and always.
His banner over me is love,
His banner over me is love;
He brought me into His banqueting house,
And His banner over me is love.
Is love! Is love!
His banner over me is love;
He brought me into His banqueting house,
And His banner over me is love.