Month: December 2023

Why Start With A Genealogy?

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During Advent, we take time to reflect on the birth of Christ which was a historical and miraculous event that took place to fulfill God’s promise of sending a Messiah King to rescue His people and reign in their lives.  

Have you ever wondered why the Book of Matthew begins with a genealogy? Many of us may skip over these sections when we read through them in Scripture, yet the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors to include them for good reason. There a several implications as to why Matthew began the Christmas story this way under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and here are some of them to consider:

  1. It points us to God’s Great Redemption Story.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Matthew 1:1-2 ESV

“He is the Son of Abraham both because it is in him that the entire history of Israel, which had its beginning in Abraham, attains its goal (1:17) and because he is the one through whom God will extend to the nations his blessing of salvation (8:11; 28:18-20). . . .“Just as the title ‘Son of Abraham’ characterizes Jesus as the one in whom the Gentiles will find blessing, so the title ‘Son of David’ characterizes Jesus as the One in whom Israel will find blessing.” – Jack D. Kingsbury

  1. It affirms the historicity & humanity of Christ.

Matthew does not begin the story of Jesus’ birth by saying, “once upon a time.” That is the way fairy tales and legends and myths and Star Wars begin. “Once upon a time” signals that this probably didn’t happen or that we don’t know if it happened, but it is a beautiful story that teaches so much. But that is not the kind of account Matthew is giving us. He says, “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” This means he is grounding what Jesus is and does in history. Jesus is not a metaphor. He is real. This all happened.    – Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas  

  1. It validates the credentials of Jesus to be the Messianic King

“Jews kept extensive genealogies to establish a person’s heritage, inheritance, legitimacy, and rights. Matthew demonstrates Jesus’ legal claim to the throne of David, emphasizing Jesus’ legal descent from David to Abraham, while Luke’s genealogical record (Luke 3:23-38) emphasizes Jesus’ biological descent from David to Adam.” – Michael Wilkins

  1. It displays the faithfulness of God in keeping His promises.

Matthew wants us to see that Jesus fulfills the prophecies foretold about the Messiah King.

  1. It highlights the grace of God towards sinners.

“That women’s names should even be in this list is extraordinary—and then when you see the names, you’re doubly surprised. The first is Rahab, who was a harlot of Jericho. The second is Ruth, who was not even a Jew but a hated Moabitess. The third was Tamar, who committed adultery with her father-in-law. The fourth was Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, who participated in David’s great sin… Each of the four names is a person who was foreign or immoral or undesirable, yet in spite of this, was included in the messianic family tree. Redemptive history is inventive and incorporative. It doesn’t make any difference who your mother was. Anyone can get into the family. Which is good news… for us all.” Eugene Peterson

God cares about people and he wants to them to accurately know His story of redemption.

May you find your place in God’s great story by trusting Jesus as the Savior who came in this world as child and lived a life free of sin and then died for your sins and rose from the dead, so that you might be forgiven, free and live with him for eternity!

The Redemptive Reversals Of Advent

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The Advent season is often accompanied by increased stress and pain for many of us. Knowing our tendency toward hurry and to accumulate mental and emotional weights during this time of year. Let us slow down and sit quietly this week and reflect on God’s ways. Mary’s prayer helps us see the nature of God’s Kingdom and His redemptive work.

“and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭47‬-‭55‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Consider some of the elements of her prayer juxtaposed to this prayer of Jesus several chapters later in the gospel of Luke.

“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”” Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Advent Prayer

Father, thank you for the ways that you work! We rejoice with Mary and Jesus over the way you reveal yourself to the humble and child-like, yet you conceal yourself from the proud know-it-alls. You  lift the lowly and bring down the proud. You help the humble. 

During this advent season we remember that you King Jesus  have shown us the ultimate expression of humility in the incarnation and in suffering (Philippians 2:5-8). 

We thank you Father that because of Christ’s humility expressed by coming down to us and suffering on our behalf we have been raised up with Christ (Colossians 3:1). Thank you that through the coming of Christ “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low….And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed… (Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

May our hearts be humbled this advent season as we reflect on the grace that has been brought to us in the first advent and the grace will be brought to us in the second advent (1 Peter 1:13). 

May we be quieted before you as we reflect on your holiness and great redemptive work (Luke 2:19) and become aware of your presence with us, Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)

Advent Purpose & Prayer

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During Advent, we reflect on why Jesus came into this world. It is good to be refreshed in the story of our rescue, the story of Christ coming into our world to bring light amidst darkness, hope among despair, freedom amidst bondage, peace amidst fear, joy amidst sorrow, and love amidst hatred and war. Our King has come and has conquered evil and destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). For this reason he came. He came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).

What was the purpose of the first advent of Christ? 

To Save Us, Sinners 

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 ESV 

To Destroy Evil In Our Lives

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 ESV 

To Reveal God’s Love To Us

 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 ESV 

To Give Us Life Eternal and Abundant 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 ESV 

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 ESV 

To Be The Atoning Sacrifice For Our Sin

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1John 4:10 ESV 

These are some key reasons why Jesus came but you may be able to find several more purpose statements about why Jesus came. I exhort you to search out these reasons in the Scripture and see how many you can find and reflect upon them this month. 

Prayer 

Father, we pray that your Kingdom will come on earth as in heaven. We ask that your righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) would increase in the hearts and lives among us and our families, communities, cities and beyond. We pray the truth of your word would spread rapidly in this Advent season and be heard, received and honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1). 

May the word of Christ dwell in us richly this Advent (Colossians 3:16). May the influence of the word of truth increase in our lives and sanctify us (John 17:17).

The Gifts Of Advent

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One of the common traditions during this time of year is the practice of gift-giving. Though this is not enjoyed by all this practice is fitting since we are celebrating the greatest gift ever given, Jesus.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV

Each of the advent themes focused on during the four weeks of December leading up to Christmas are hope, peace, joy and love. These too are gifts from God that the coming of Jesus into the world has also brought us. We now have hope because of Christ (1 Timothy 1:1) who is our hope and through his resurrection, we are born again unto a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). We now have peace because Christ has brought about reconciliation between us and God and has made “peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20-21). And through faith, we have been made right with God and thus we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). We have joy because Christ brought with him “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) and has brought the joy of salvation into the lives of his followers through both his words and his redemptive work (John 15:11, Luke 24:52). The love of God has come down and been manifested to us through the coming of Jesus (1 John 4:10) and the Holy Spirit has poured out the Father’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Since this hope, peace, joy and love are gifts brought to us with the coming of Jesus and accompany his redemptive work in our lives we must first receive these gifts. May we not miss out on these wonderful gifts that we have in Christ during this season. Receive them, unwrap them, enjoy them, and share them with others. Don’t allow the busyness or materialism of this season diminish your exaltation of Christ and enjoyment of Him and the gifts that accompany his advent. Receive the advent gifts and resolve to cultivate these graces of hope, joy, peace, and love in your life, as the Apostles exhort us to do.

We are called to cultivate these characteristics in our lives. Abide in hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 John 3:16). Rejoice in the Lord in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and be at peace with others (Romans 12:16,18, 14:19, Hebrews 12:14).

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment… Philippians 1:9 ESV