God's Word for Me Today
Sunday, December 16, 2001
Unwrapping a Christ-Centered Christmas!
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day to worship You! Thank you in particular for the opportunity we will enjoy this morning in worship to experience the gifts of the Remnant Music Group as they lead us to see the birth of Jesus from the perspective of folks who were there first hand through music and drama. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will fill and empower them and all of us who worship together that Your glory may be evident to others through us and our worship. I pray this day especially for any who will come as guests to New Life Christian Ministries that they will experience the welcome of Jesus, Himself, through our welcomes. Bless each and all of us this day that our worship may be acceptable to You, because it is offered in Spirit and in truth. These things I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Matthew 1:1-17
1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and 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 (their mother was Tamar). 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 (his mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (his mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asaph. 8 Asaph 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 Amos. Amos was the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). 12 After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin 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, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah. 17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to King David, and fourteen from David's time to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.
Questions for Reflection
If you could meet anyone of Jesus’ ancestors listed above, who would you want to meet? Why?
If you could claim any person in history, biblical character or non-biblical character as an ancestor, who would it be? Why?
Questions for Exploration
Does Matthew tell us why he records this list of Jesus Ancestors? (1:1-17) Why do you suppose he did include it?
How many generations of ancestors does Matthew calculate from the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus? (1:1-17)
Questions for Understanding
What is the significance of the women who are included in the genealogy of Jesus?
What do you think is the significance of Matthew tracing Joseph’s ancestry when he is the “step-father” of Jesus, being that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit?
Questions for Application
What role have your ancestors had in who you are? (This can be positively or negatively.) Offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for those among your ancestry who have provided you a godly heritage.
Think of the actions you can live today that will contribute to a godly heritage for your children and grandchildren. Offer a prayer to God, asking for Him to empower you to live those traits by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Find Any Horse Thieves?
My mother used to say, “If you look far enough back in anyone’s family tree, you’ll find a horse thief hanging from one of the branches.” That’s a little negative, isn’t it? It’s also true. Since we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, our ancestry includes sinners, includes those who have turned from God. This is true even of Jesus’ ancestors. As we look at the list of names, we find that several of Jesus ancestors were kings of Israel. King David, the greatest king in Israel’s history committed adultery and then had the husband of Bathsheba murdered to hide it. Rehoboam was another king among Jesus’ ancestors. He was so foolish that it was his rule which saw the kingdom of Israel divided into a Northern and Southern kingdom.
Of course, Jesus’ ancestry traces back to God on His Heavenly Father’s side. In fact, when Matthew traced Jesus’ ancestry through Joseph back to Abraham, it seems to have been a little unnecessary, since Jesus’ father was the Holy Spirit. Many biblical scholars believe that Mary was also of the line of David, since the Messiah was to be born of that line, and Mary is Jesus only direct human ancestor from a parental standpoint. Joseph played an important role in Jesus’ early life, to be sure, but it was Mary alone whom we recognize as Jesus earthly parent. The Roman Catholic Church actually developed the doctrine of the “Immaculate Conception” of Mary, to deal with the reality that Mary would have been born with original sin. Apparently God dealt with that in Jesus’ life, since He alone of all people who ever lived was sinless. While Jesus didn’t bear the family resemblance when it came to sin, his ancestors did. Jesus even came to die for those in the family of David, because all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. What wonderful news! No matter what we were or are—Jesus’ came to change our heritage: from death to life! What a Christmas present!
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