The Continuing Provenance and Providence of Jesus
Please stand as we read our newest memory Scripture together …
Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
And our memory refresher verses for today are …
Romans 12:4-5
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 1:1-17
As I was researching for this message I inadvertently looked up the meaning of the word Provenance instead of Providence, or was it Providence instead of Provenance?
Providence is God’s hand at work in the world or in our lives.
Provenance is being able to determine the origin of something; is it authentic?
Let me give you an example of provenance …
Over the centuries there has been this fascination with what has become known as the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is supposed to be the cup which Jesus passed among the disciples at the Last Supper.
If someone were to claim that they found such a cup they would have to prove the provenance of the cup in order for it to have any real value.
Without the provenance it would just be an old cup.
The provenance of Jesus is what Matthew is establishing in this genealogy and throughout the Gospel of Matthew;
Matthew is providing the provenance that Jesus is from the authentic lineage from which the Messiah must come and that He is indeed the Christ.
Jesus is authentic.
By the way … do you know what the Bible says about the Holy Grail?
In the Gospel according to Dilbert, Jesus says, “Make sure you get that special cup for the last supper, OK? And, then hide it somewhere real good just so people will spend their lives trying to find it!”
No, He didn’t! He said no such thing.
This is reality!
Even if provenance was provided to prove that such a cup still exists the fact remains that the cup is nothing. Jesus is everything.
By the same token, there is great wonder about the Shroud of Turin which is thought to be the burial cloth of Jesus.
But even if provenance was provided to prove that the Shroud of Turin was actually Jesus’ burial cloth the fact remains that the Shroud of Turing is nothing and Jesus is everything.
Oh, how our hearts yearn after idols!
And, what about the tomb where Jesus was dead and buried for three days?
Do they really know where that tomb is?
National Geographic, NY Times, CBN, CBS, NBC, Daily Mail, Washington Post and others all reported on the grand event when the supposed tomb of Jesus was unsealed in 2016.
Sure, that’s exciting even in a society with an anti-Christ bias.
But, here’s the thing even if provenance was provided that proved that the tomb was actually where Jesus was buried, the fact remains that the tomb is nothing and Jesus is everything!
The so called Holy Grail did not come to show us the way to the Father, Jesus did.
The shroud of Turin did not suffer and die for your sins, Jesus did.
The tomb of Jesus cannot give you eternal life, only Jesus can!
Jesus is all! Jesus is everything!!
We cannot let meaningless trinkets and legends distract us from Jesus the Son of God.
Jesus is all! Jesus is everything!
So, why did Matthew include a genealogy in the Gospel he wrote?
He did it to show provenance as proof that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and to show the providence of the Lord’s hand at work in bringing the Messiah into the world in the way He foretold through the prophets!
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read Matthew 1:17
Wow! That really stirs your soul, doesn’t it?
Genealogies were important in ancient Israel especially for priests and those in the royal line of David.
And, Matthew starts out with a bang, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Which can also be read this way, “This is an account of the origin of Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (and Luke includes) the Son of God.”
Now, remember that this was written fifty to sixty years after Jesus’ birth and twenty to thirty years after His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.
The target of this Gospel is pretty much everyone!
It is for both Jews and gentiles who have come to place their faith and trust in Jesus for salvation. For these folks it is for solidifying their faith and for teaching and for taking the Gospel to those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior.
It is also for both Jews and gentiles who have yet to place their trust in Jesus.
To draw them to salvation.
This genealogy speaks specifically to Jews who know the story of their heritage.
This genealogy is not complete, nor does it need to be.
It does not need to include everyone in the royal line to be genuine, just enough to prove the lineage, just enough to make it a legal provenance.
It is OK for the genealogy to skip generations.
For instance all Jewish men considered themselves to be “sons of Abraham”.
However, not one single Jew at the time of Jesus considered themselves to be actual sons of Abraham but …
In Matthew 3:9 Jesus says to the Jewish leaders,
“And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
All, Jews considered Abraham to be their father and so do we, at least that’s the way the song goes, right???
“Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham,
And I am one of them, and so are you. So let’s just praise the Lord. Right arm …”
The amazing thing about the genealogy not including everyone in the lineage is that you would think that Matthew would drop out the duds, right?
But, man, he’s got some real whacko’s in there, right?
Not only did Matthew leave some totally wicked kings in the lineup he also included two Canaanite women, one Moabite woman and a Jewish adulteress who was married to a Hittite.
You would not think that would be beneficial, would you?
But Matthew included these women in order to show that salvation is available to ALL, Jews and gentiles, all kinds of sinners can be saved and transformed by the Grace of God! PTL!!
Have you ever thought that you were too bad for the Lord to save you?
Then you don’t know the power of the Lord to reclaim a wicked life for His kingdom!
OK. So, let’s try to get back on track with the provenance and providence thing …
Provenance or proof of origin can also come from witnesses …
Who in the New Testament testified to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah???
A Roman Centurion …
Matthew 27:24,
“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely He was the Son of God!’”
Demons testified that Jesus was the Messiah!
Mark 3:11 NLT
“And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of [Jesus], the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, ‘You are the Son of God!’”
Matthew 16:16
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’”
God the Father Himself testifies in Mark 9:7
“Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!’”
Then there was this blind man …
Mark 10:46
“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus … was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’”
And, this guy possessed by a multitude of demons in Luke 8:27-29a
“When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at His feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man.”
What about angels??? In Luke 2:8-12 it says …
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’”
All of these witnesses are provenance of Jesus’ authenticity as the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Was it also providence? Was it the hand of God, that brought these people together with Jesus in a way that they had no choice but to declare that Jesus was the Christ?
In spite of the provenance of Jesus’ lineage some still would not believe.
In spite of the testimony of blind men and Jesus’ disciples and demons and Centurions and angels and the voice of God Himself many would still not believe but many did!!
That was then. This is now. What has changed? Instead of them it is YOU who is called to be the provenance of God’s great salvation!
Along with the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit there is still one other ingredient that is needed and that is you and it is me and it is everyone who has called upon the name of Jesus for salvation from sin!
It is US! It is you and it is me.
We live in a land that is filled with people who know nothing of Jesus except to use His Holy name as a curse word.
We live in a land where many think that the whole of Christianity can be defined by the Crusades and the inquisitions and the Salem witch trials.
We live in a society that believes all the church wants is your money and that very thought is reinforced over and over and over by many of the TV preachers!
But we are to be the bearers of the provenance, the proof of Jesus’ authenticity as the Messiah.
We are to proclaim the truth that this Jesus who was born on Christmas morning came to save them from their sin and save them from an eternity separated from God in a place of torment.
We are to be the witnesses.
I love how many things in the kingdom of God work out in threes.
Just look at these three things that the Lord uses to bring others to salvation; the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and faithful witnesses!
All of these things together work to provide the provenance, the authentication of Jesus in the hearts of others.
All of these bring Jesus into focus so that people can see Him clearly in order to make a decision to follow Him or to continue to live in rebellion.
But, we are critical to the process. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it??
How do we know that we are critical to the process?
Romans 10:14
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
The words of faithful witnesses along with the enabling help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God are the provenance but our intentional or even seemingly random interactions with others is the providence.
Providence, where God is providing the witness of His truth to those who are lost
I met a lady yesterday at the Pines nursing home who was telling me about how the Lord saved her from living for decades in an empty religion that was all ritual and she had no relationship with the Lord.
I’m sure she witnesses to as many as will listen to her.
That is God provenance and providence in action!
Praise the Lord for His provenance and providence.
But, you know, there is only one thing that can enable a person to accept the provenance, the proof of the authenticity of this Book, the Bible, and that one thing is the Holy Spirit speaking to you and you ceasing to resist the Holy Spirit.
Someone you know or someone you may meet may not have ever heard that Christmas is really about the Christ Child, the Son of the Living God, who was born in a stable over two thousand years ago. They may think that Christmas has always been about Santa and Christmas trees and gifts.
God wants to use you in combination with the Holy Spirit to take the Truth to that person; the truth of God becoming a Man as a Baby in a manger on that long ago Christmas Day.
Someone you know or someone you may meet may not know that it was really the Son of God who bled and died on a cross so that they may have eternal life almost two thousand years ago. They may think that Easter has always been about eggs and bunnies.
God wants to use you in combination with the Holy Spirit to take the truth of the perfect Lamb of God giving His sinless life for our salvation on that long ago resurrection day.
People need to know.
We are bearers of the provenance of this great truth.
God provides the opportunities to share this truth by His great providence.
I wonder how we’re all doing with that?
Final comments and leading into communion.
