Glimpses Of Grace In Jesus' Geneology Series

GLIMPSES OF GRACE IN JESUS’ GENEALOGY

Matthew 1:1-17 / Luke 3:23-38

(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday Morning December 14th, 2024)

“…the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1)

We all have certain people in our family tree who would be described as less than honorable. In the past they have made foolish decisions that negatively impacted their lives and the lives of others. Many of them continuously do things that bring shame and reproach on the family name. A brief survey of the genealogy of Jesus Christ will show you that our Savior had several “rotten branches” in His family tree as well.

When reading through the Bible and encountering one of the genealogies that are recorded in Chronicles, Ruth, Matthew, or Luke, many people will quickly skim over those names or skip those passages altogether. It is true that these sections of scripture can be difficult, monotonous, and laborious. This is partly because many of the names are unfamiliar to us and difficult to pronounce. However, it is very important for us to examine these passages because in them we find several glimpses of grace.

I would like to look at the lists that are provided in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 and examine some “Glimpses Of Grace In Jesus’ Genealogy”.

As I look out over this assembly of Christians today, I see many examples of people who have experienced the amazing grace of God. It is my prayer that through this message those of us who are born again will be reminded God’s grace and the saving work of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, I pray that those who do not belong to the Savior will realize that if there was hope for people like Abraham, Tamar, Rahab, David, Solomon, and others, there is hope for you!

We are provided with many examples of God’s grace in the lives of those who are listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately time does not permit us to examine every name that is on this list. However, there are four names that seem to stand out above the others; I am referring to Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. One reason that these names jump off of the page is because they were women and most genealogies in the Bible do not include women. Furthermore, these women were Gentiles. Both Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites, Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba was considered to be a Gentile within Jewish culture because she was married to Uriah the Hittite. (Side note: seeing the names of Gentiles in the family line of Jesus is proof that God had a plan for the Gentiles from the very beginning)

One truth that stands out when considering these women (and everyone else on this list) is the fact that God can use anyone He chooses to accomplish His purposes. Many of Jesus’ earthly ancestors possessed extreme character flaws; in fact, many of them were downright wicked. However, our God is sovereign and He can use sinful and evil people to accomplish His divine purposes. Let’s begin by examining:

I. THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT GOD USES TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES

We serve an all-powerful, all knowing, sovereign God. Since the beginning of time He has proven that He can use anyone He chooses to accomplish His will. A brief survey of Jesus’ genealogy shows us that:

A. GOD USES IMPERFECT PEOPLE

Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three record many names that are familiar to us. We often point to some of these people as great examples of faith, devotion, and service to God. In fact, quite a few of these people are not only listed in the genealogy of Jesus, their names are recorded in “The Hall Of Faith” over in Hebrews 11. Everyone who is mentioned in that chapter is a shining example of faith in God. However, not a single person mentioned was perfect, in fact each of them had numerous flaws and committed a multitude of sins.

The same is true for us! You may not be the black sheep of your family, you may even have a fantastic reputation among your immediate and extended family members, but we all have issues and sins in our past (and perhaps in the present) that we are not proud of. Like those who are listed in the genealogy of Jesus, we are in desperate need of God’s grace.

- It is no secret that God uses imperfect people, but it may surprise you to learn that:

B. GOD USES REBELLIOUS PEOPLE

Throughout the genealogy of Jesus Christ we are confronted with people who were downright rebellious. The list of rebellious ancestors of Christ begins with Adam. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:12 that, “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”. When the Bible says “all” it means “all”! This means that every single individual in the Jesus’ family lineage was guilty of sin.