Tuesday 16 December, 2014

1 This is a record of the family line of Jesus Christ. He is the son of David. He is also the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. Tamar was their mother. Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Rahab was Boaz’s mother. Boaz was the father of Obed. Ruth was Obed’s mother. Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 And Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon. Solomon’s mother had been Uriah’s wife. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah. 11 And Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers. At that time, the Jewish people were forced to go away to Babylon. 12 After this, the family line continued. Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary. And Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So there were 14 generations from Abraham to David. There were 14 from David until the Jewish people were forced to go away to Babylon. And there were 14 from that time to the Christ.

I want to grab your attention before reading today’s passage. Normally I skim over genealogies. I don’t expect God to speak to me through them. But he can! (Go to the scripture now and read through it).

First I see that God takes His time. God promised Abraham to bless many nations through him. It took 2000 years for the answer to be fully revealed in Jesus – the Messiah, Saviour of the World!

Second I see that God weaves the evil things of life into his story of redemption and New Life.
In Jesus’ human ancestry were a number of wicked kings, men and women who lived through the destruction of Jerusalem and years of captivity in Babylon, a man (Judah) who committed incest, Gentiles such as Rahab (a prostitute) and Ruth, adulterous affairs (David and Bathsheba) and people who were liars and cheaters (Like Jacob).

Third I see that God uses people in positions of great authority such as Kings, through to those of seeming obscurity such as peasants, the destitute, farm hands and carpenters.

“God this genealogy tells me you are at work today. Now I see you are moving not through family lines but through a spiritual family, connected by New Life found in Jesus. Connected by forgiveness from God. Connected by the Holy Spirit living in us.

Lord I see you are are making things new even when it seems evil is triumphing.

Lord, let me live today knowing that you are working redemption and New Life in and around me. Lord make me part of your Church in writing redemptive History.”

Written by Andrew Mellor