OK, you tell somebody who wants to know more about Jesus to read the Bible. They ask you where to start and you say, "Matthew." Great choice except it starts with genealogy. There are names like: Ram, Salmon, Bass (just kidding, but the truth is I could use it and 90% of you would not even think twice about it). How about Obed, Boaz and (Tony) Perez (who still is not in the hall of fame). Then they get harder, Sheatiel, Amminadab and Jehoshaphat.
All of us have either skipped it or skimmed through it at least ten times. We would probably even tell people to skip it and go to verse 18. It really doesn't matter, right?
I am starting to think it matters a lot. In some circles people have spent hours giving opinions as to what the genealogy means. Preachers and teachers have pulled the women out of the genealogy creating cute Christmas messages about the redemptive story.
There is a simple answer to the genealogy. Are you ready? Jesus is a human being. He is just like us and has a deep heritage that goes back for generations. Have you ever seen a baby book with a family tree in the front of it? This is the beginning of Jesus' story and here is his family tree.
This is about God in the flesh walking with men, the incarnation. Without a perfect sacrifice, a man living the law perfectly, there is no redemption story. We have to have Jesus be a human being like you and me. That is what we got.
Spend some time reflecting on the truth that Jesus was a man, with an earthly heritage and family tree. It is a truth we sometimes skip over, just like the genealogy in Matthew 1. We can't neglect the incarnation, God with us.
1 comment:
Check out the women mentioned in Matthew. All were controversial, even sexually. Sets you up for the virgin birth not being as such a surprise.
Tefft
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