Most of us have our Christmas wish lists. Santa Claus has his naughty and nice list, but the Bible has its own lists.
The Gospel of Matthew starts in what might seem, to some, a weird and/or boring place. We often skip reading it.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Matthew 1:1:17 ESV
For most people, this long, painful list of names seems irrelevant, so why would Matthew start there?
The primary reason was to show Jesus’ lineage through His earthly father, confirming prophecy about the Messiah.
There is also a sense in which Matthew wanted us to see the fullness and inclusiveness of Jesus.
There are kings and great leaders listed… David, Abraham, and more. Peasants and royalty make the cut. Saints and sinners show up. Jew and gentile are on the list.
There are women on the list, which is uncommon in the ancient world.
Some of the names are well-known, others are almost totally obscure.
One commentator observes, “Some observe what a mixture there was of good and bad in the succession of these kings;… wicked Roboam begat wicked Abia; wicked Abia begat good Asa; good Asa begat good Josaphat; good Josaphat begat wicked Joram. Grace does not run in the blood, neither does reigning sin. God’s grace is his own, and he gives or withholds it as he pleases.”
The lineage of Jesus includes a good sampling of people, which is apt as He can to redeem all people regardless of gender, nationality, cultural background, social standing, or sin.
He came for you, me, and our neighbor. He came for that person we hate (although we shouldn’t) and that family member we are desperate to see saved.
Jesus keeps a list called the Lamb’s Book of Life. Through faith in Him, we can get our names on that list.
That’s the miracle we celebrate this time of year. The child was born to love the unlovable and save the unworthy (that includes us)
Let heaven and earth rejoice.
Be blessed,
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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