Matthew 1:1-17.
What does your family tree look like? Are there people in it that make you proud? Would a potential employer be more likely to hire you because of someone in your family? Or are there people in your family tree to whom you are not proud to be related? In the opening chapter of his gospel, Matthew lists the family linage of Jesus Christ. He does this for the benefit of his primarily Jewish audience. In the Jewish culture, the family lineage, specifically their connection with their father Abraham, is very important. For Jesus Christ, the Apostle Matthew listing this lineage is especially important especially due to the fact that Jesus had to be of the line of David in order to be the Messiah - which indeed, He is.
But there is one more rather remarkable reason that Matthew lists this lineage. Just as in any other family tree, there are good apples and bad apples. Some people are (and have done things that are) praiseworthy, and some have not. The human ancestry of Christ is no different. Matthew lists this genealogy of imperfect people, some of whom committed many of the worst sins recorded in the Old Testament, with this purpose: to show us the incredible grace of God in His use of sinful humanity to accomplish His eternal purposes. God used imperfect humanity to bring about the Perfect Messiah, born of a virgin in the lowliest of circumstances.
Pastor Matt Thornton, Speaker.
Recorded on Wednesday night, December 23, 2020.
