Matthew 1– The Messiah Arrives!
Who could imagine that Matthew, a
corrupt small-time tax collector for Rome, would one day write a document that
would be read, studied, memorized, and treasured for centuries in every part of
the world? It is no surprise that God’s Spirit would use this talent and
training to produce a beautifully organized record of Jesus’ ministry,
presented in a thoroughly Jewish way.
When Jesus looked at him and called
his name, Matthew instantly turned his back on his old life and became a
lifelong disciple of the young rabbi from Nazareth. Matthew’s account demonstrates that the
carpenter from Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah- Christ, the Anointed One.
He begins the book with a seventeen verse, forty-name genealogy, tracing Jesus’
earthly lineage back some two thousand years and 42 generations. Matthew’s
record includes a variety of surprising inclusions:
Women. Tamar. Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Including women was unheard of
at the time, but it demonstrates Jesus’ desire to break down the sex barrier.
Gentiles. Three of the women weren’t even Jews. Tamar, Rahab and Ruth were from
Canaan and Moab- nations detested by Israel.
Sinners. Tamar tricked her father-in-law into having a relationship with her Rahab
was a prostitute before joining the people of Israel. And Bathsheba committed
adultery with David before he had her first husband killed.
What is the purpose of including such
people in the Lord’s genealogy? “In Jesus Christ, prostitute and king, male and
female, Jew and Gentile, one race and another race, moral and immoral, all sit
down as equals. Equally sinful and lost, equally accepted and loved.” By Tim
Keller. Even the begets of the Bible show that the grace of God is so pervasive
that even the begats are dripping with God’s mercy.
Please read
the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed
any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. J.Vernon
McGee Thru the Bible. Nelson’s Quick Reference. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.
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