Introduction
We’re going
to spend the next several weeks studying the birth of Jesus. Of the
four gospels, only Matthew and Luke give us specific historical
information about his birth, so we’ll be looking at their
accounts. You might want to read ahead in Matt. 1,2 and
Luke 1,2.
Let’s begin
with Matthew’s account, which begins with Jesus’
family tree (read 1:1-17).
By the way,
Matthew is not claiming that there were only 42 generations from
Abraham to Jesus. The Old Testament records from which he is quoting
contain more generations. Rather, he is selecting 14 generations to
separate the three major sections of Jesus’ ancestry.
Why is Jesus’
genealogy so important? Was Matthew a “family history
buff” like some people today? I have interest in my own family
history—but not much in other people’s, and I don’t
expect people to be much interested in mine. Why does Matthew expect
us to be interested in Jesus’ family tree? There are two
answers to this question—one more obvious than the other.
Let’s start with the more obvious one . . .
The descendant of Abraham & David
Verse 1 is a
tip-off. Matthew wants to show specifically that Jesus is
the descendant of David and of Abraham. The point of this is far
greater than just that Jesus has a couple of celebrities in his
family tree. It is to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of
tremendous promises that God made to Abraham and David—promises
that are profoundly important for the whole world, and for you and me
personally.
Over 2100 years
before Jesus was born, God made a tremendous, multi-faceted promise
to Abraham that was the heart of God’s plan to rescue humanity.
Read Gen. 12:1-3. This is a virtual table of contents for the
rest of the Old Testament.
God would bless
Abraham by multiplying his descendants into a great nation
(Israel), and by providing this nation with its own land
(Canaan). The first part of the Old Testament narrates the
fulfillment of the “nation” and “land”
portions of this promise (Genesis – Joshua).
But God’s
blessing on Abraham and his descendents was not to be an end in
itself. He was blessing them so that they could be a blessing to
others. In fact, through Abraham’s descendants God would one
day extend a tremendous blessing to all of the “families”
(ethnic groups) in the world.
God makes clear
through Abraham’s grandson Jacob (1800 BC) that a king
will arise from the tribe of Jacob’s son Judah who will bring
the blessing of God’s good rulership to all the nations (read
Gen. 49:10).
About 1100 years
after Abraham, God fired the king that Israel wanted and gave them
the king he wanted. They wanted a king like Saul, who was tall and
good-looking—but who didn’t trust God or advance his
purposes. God chose a young man from the tribe of Judah—David—who
trusted God and lived for his priorities. When David became king, he
decided to express his devotion to God by building a temple for him.
But God sent the prophet to tell David he had a different plan—a
plan to bless David beyond his wildest dreams. Here’s what God
told David . . .
Read
2 Sam. 7:12-17. When David dies, God will establish his
son Solomon as king and allow him to build the Temple. Even though
Solomon will be subject to God’s discipline when he sins, God
will not fire him like he did Saul. In fact, God will establish the
throne of David forever. This can only mean that one of David and
Solomon’s descendants will be the everlasting King who ushers
in God’s eternal kingdom. This is the Messiah!
Read
2 Sam. 7:18,19. David understands that this promise
pertains to the distant future and that it is the fulfillment of the
promise God made to Abraham to bless all nations.
After David, the
Old Testament prophets began to elaborate on this “Son of
David” and on the blessing he would bring. The greatest of
these prophets was Isaiah (700 BC), and he gave this amazing picture
of the world-wide blessing to be brought by David’s descendant
(read Isa. 11:1-10).
They supplied many
additional details (e.g., BIRTHPLACE; UNIQUE CONCEPTION; TIME;
REJECTION BY ISRAEL; EXECUTION BY CRUCIFIXION; DEATH AS ATONEMENT FOR
ALL NATIONS), some of which we will be studying over the next few
weeks . . .
God’s
promise to David resulted in a line of kings that lasted until Judah
was carried away into exile by Babylon around 600 BC. God’s
plan seemed to go into eclipse at that point: the land was conquered,
the nation was carried away into exile, and the line of kings was
deposed. But God’s faithfulness to his promise was not
eclipsed. He brought them back from exile into the land 70 years
later, he kept track of David’s descendants over the next 500
years, and he brought forth his promised Son at the right time.
This is why the
New Testament begins with this genealogy—to demonstrate the
continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament and to
announce the fulfillment of God’s promises. God went to all
this trouble so that we could know that Jesus is God’s unique
Messiah!
Some people say
they feel like God is playing hide and seek with them. But God says
it is often us who hides from him while he seeks us out in many
ways—including what we just studied. Some say that all world
religions are equally valid. But while there is much that is true
and beautiful about many of the world’s religions, none has
anything like what we just studied. Jesus doesn’t just pop up
out of nowhere (like all of the other founders); he alone is
predicted in detail and arrives in perfect fulfillment of God’s
previously announced plan—a plan that was written down and
preserved, so that even today, 3,000-4,000 years later, we can read
it and verify its fulfillment.
God doesn’t
want you to have to wonder what he is really like—he wants you
to know. God doesn’t want you to be confused about what kind
of salvation you need—he wants you to know. God doesn’t
want to be confused about how to get to him—he wants you to
know!
The descendant of outcasts & big-time sinners
But there is
something very strange about this genealogy. Not that it was
selective (normal in biblical genealogies), but who Matthew chose to
include. When assembling their family trees, Jews would normally
feature their best ancestors. But in assembling Jesus’
genealogy, Matthew deliberately includes people that would normally
be excluded—outcasts and big-time sinners!
Specifically, he
includes four women—all four of whom were Gentiles and had a
cloud of suspicion (valid or invalid) surrounding their sexual
behavior.
Tamar was the
Canaanite widow of Er, who disguised herself as a prostitute and
solicited her father-in-law Judah and bore a child by him. Rahab was
a Canaanite prostitute. Ruth was the Moabite widow of Mahlon whom
Boaz marries. Bathsheba was a Hittite who committed adultery with
David and bore Solomon—the one predicted in 2 Sam. 7
above.
Many rabbis of
Matthew’s day taught that Gentiles and sexual sinners were
ineligible for God’s kingdom. They taught Jewish men to thank
God daily that they weren’t born women or Gentiles—but
Matthew points out that these very people were the ancestors of the
Messiah!
Even the “heroes”
of this genealogy have serious moral failures. Abraham twice lied
about being married to Sarah and exposed her to violation to save his
own skin. Jacob lied and manipulated to steal his brother’s
birthright. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her
husband murdered to cover his tracks. Solomon lost his spiritual
moorings for many years because of his sexual compromise and
materialism—yet he returned to God late in life to write the
most powerful testimonial on the emptiness of life without God
(Ecclesiastes).
Why did Matthew
include these seedy people? Certainly not for popularity! What’s
the point?
He did it because
(like all the biblical authors) the Bible is utterly realistic about
human nature. Yes, humanity is great in many ways—but humanity
is also deeply fallen and broken and sinful. No one is exempt from
this—not even the greatest humans, not even those who had great
faith in the one true God. And instead of hiding this fact and
whitewashing its heroes (as other religions and nations and
“Christian” biographies do), the Bible is utterly honest
about this. God works out his rescue plan through broken people.
There is only one Character in the Bible who stands out in stark
contrast to all of this seediness . . .
The good news of
the Bible is not how good and great people are, but how
gracious and merciful God is in spite of our sin and rebellion and
depravity. Humanity needs much more than a role model—it needs
a Savior. Jesus came from such people because he came for
such people.
That’s why
when he was born, God ordained that he be named “Jesus”
(“God saves”)—because he would save his people from
their sins (1:21). Sin is a real barrier between you and God. It
doesn’t matter that the majority of Americans don’t
believe in absolute morality or divine judgment. To violate the laws
of the one true God is to commit cosmic treason that is rightfully
punished by death. A loving God does not say “Whatever—it’s
no big deal.” He says “I hate your sin so much that I
will judge it. But I love you so much that I sent my Son Jesus to
take your judgment for you by dying in your place.” And since
this was his mission, what could be more fitting than to begin his
story by pointing out that his ancestry was filled with people like
this?
The question,
then, is not: Is Jesus the unique Savior? or: Can Jesus save big-time
sinners? but: Are you willing to admit to Jesus that you are one
of these people? Jesus didn’t come to congratulate the
religious and self-righteous people; he came to forgive and transform
broken, sinful people who called out for his help. Matthew was an
outcast, big-time sinner—and admitted it—and had his life
completely transformed by Jesus! How fitting that he begin his
gospel in this way!
Jesus said to
another outcast tax-gatherer, “the Son of Man came to seek and
save that which is lost” (Luke 19:11). Are you lost? Or
do you claim that you know where you’re going?
Jesus also said to
the religious leaders, “It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but
sinners” (Mark 2:17). Are you a sick sinner? Or do you claim
that you are healthy and righteous?
If you view
yourself as a good, righteous person, Jesus will be of no benefit to
you. But if you will admit to him that you are such a
person—and cast yourself onto Jesus as your personal Savior—he
will come into your heart and enable to you to experience God’s
forgiveness and begin to gradually transform your life. What is your
decision? Would you like to tell Jesus right now?
Next week: Jesus unique conception
Copyright 2003 Gary DeLashmutt