December 22, 2021 Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16 The genealogy of Jesus has got to be the most overlooked passage in the Bible. How often have you heard the story of Jesus' birth, and how many times did that include the lineage? Sure, the family tree is full of people's names we are uncomfortable reading out loud, and many of these Old Testament characters and their stories are unfamiliar, but they shouldn't be. We can no longer consider the first coming of Immanuel in the New Testament apart from the Old Testament. The two Testaments are equally the word of God! Jesus' family tree is mentioned for a number of reasons, and it's important to take a closer look at one of them. The five women mentioned are a key to what Matthew is trying to share with us. Why are these five women mentioned in Matthew's record of the genealogy of Jesus? In these ancient times, It was remarkable for a woman to be worthy of mention in a Jewish genealogy. This book was written by a Jew with the Jews in mind, and this family tree purposefully included unlikely characters, considered to be moral outcasts from a variety of different cultures.
Please take a moment to read about Tamar (Genesis 38). She was dealt a rotten hand in life, and rather than letting life unfold naturally, she took matters into her own hands. What she did was unthinkable, and it's a story you might be surprised to find in the Bible. Do you think she is worthy to be included in Jesus' genealogy? Similarly, Rahab's story includes prostitution. While we don't know the circumstances of what lead her into this situation, we know she was considered an outcast by most, but she embraced the God of Israel. Take a moment to read about Rahab in Joshua 2. Would you be proud to place her in your family tree? Next, we have the story of Ruth. A woman so noteworthy, she has her own book in the Bible. An Old Testament character many people admire. A Jewish King, however, would have been ashamed to claim a Moabite as an ancestor. She was considered a pagan and a Gentile, and definitely thought of as someone unworthy of worshiping the Hebrew God. Again, Ruth is an unlikely choice for a royal lineage. Then there's Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), also known as, "The mother who had been Uriah's wife". A familiar story. Bathsheba's first child with David died, and their second child was Solomon. Even though these two characters had royal status, and were revered, they were also real humans with sinful tendencies. Mary, too, was an outcast. Especially since she conceived before marriage. People would have stoned her to death (Deuteronomy 22:21) if Joseph had condemned her. She probably was not wealthy or from a wealthy family. Regardless, Mary was not the candidate a religious person would have selected to be the mother of God's only son. The Jews had been waiting for a Messiah. They knew every character named and every connected story from the Old Testament writings. Would these names offend the Jewish nation? It probably offended many! Matthew says that Jesus is the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for, and he still is! Jesus came to level the field and to make all of us equal to one another. Patriarch, king, prophet, common person, male, female, Jew, or Gentile, he came to show us we have all sinned. We have all fallen short. Jesus came to purify the sins of every Jew, Gentile, outcast and unlikely character--including you and me. The question is, are your eyes and ears open to the truth of this message? Do you know and accept that you need saving? There is no magic prayer to pray. Just be real. Talk to him and ask him for forgiveness with the intent to not return to the sinful ways. He has indeed been pursuing you, friend! Please let me know how I can be praying and rejoicing with you today.
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