Text: Matthew 1:1-17
Theme: The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Greetings: The Lord is good and His Love endures forever.
Introduction: ??ß??? ?e??se?? - BIBLOS GENSEOS, is translated as ‘record of the genealogy,’ ‘record of the origins,’ or ‘record of the history’. “Matthew nobly used his literary skill to become the first man ever to compile an account of the teaching of Jesus.” (Barclay).
The Apostle and Disciple Matthew was not a “pro-Jews” but a “pro-Jesus”. He presented Jesus as authentic Jewish Messiah whom Jews rejected (David Guzik). Normally, many would like to skip reading Genealogy, mostly it’s a boring passage for casual reading. But “A slower, more careful reading shows that this genealogy makes some fascinating theological and political claims. It is a new creation story” (Mitzi Minor, Professor of New Testament). A new redemptive history.
It offers a telescopic view of God’s enduring redemptive work among the people of God. “No nation was more careful to frame and preserve its genealogical tables than Israel. Their sacred writings contain genealogies which extend through a period of more than 3500 years, from the creation of Adam to the captivity of Judah.” (Ruth 4:18-22, Ezra 7:1-5, Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11).
However, we cannot take it for granted that Genealogy is a good reliable source. Therefore, Paul warned Timothy and Titus to guard against those who were fascinated by endless genealogies which are dangerous (1 Timothy 1:4, Titus 3:9).
But on this advent Sunday, I would like to share with you through this passage, on three important points: namely , the unlimited grace, God’ uncompromising stand of God, an un fathomable plan of God.
1. God’s Unlimited grace
This genealogy records about five women of unfortunate who lived in the brim of the society, namely Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. The mediation on these vulnerable members of the society and their contexts in the Genealogy. “God can take unlikely people and use them in great ways” (Enduring Word Commentary).
These women represent the people groups of the Sinful, demeaned, refugees and hostages explains the unlimited flow of God’s grace to everyone. These four women have an important place in the genealogy of Jesus to demonstrate that Jesus Christ was not from a pure aristocratic background, a high social status Community; but Jesus identified with these demeaned people in His genealogy, as He did in His birth, baptism, life, and death on the cross (Enduring Word Commentary).
Matthew points out that Jesus’ ancestors were not a people with proud heritage. A few of them were born of incest (Perez), born of mixed races (Boaz), and born of illicit relationships (Solomon). It’s to be ashamed to talk about the genealogy of Jesus. It has the list of all sorts of people, holy and unholy, public sinners, and outcasts. But the entry of Jesus has changed their status, Jesus can use anyone for his glorious mission of redemption.
Tamar (v. 3) crossed the family boundaries and had a Misbehaviour with her Father-in-law (Genesis 38). This sexual relationship was strongly condemned by God through Levitical martial laws. Rahab (v. 5) was a prostitute and a gentile, God saved her from sin of prostitution and destruction (Joshua 2; 6:22-23). Ruth (v.5) was a widow, a Moabite, an outsider of the covenant of Israel. Bathsheba (v. 6), “Matthew peculiarly refers her as ‘Uriah’s wife,’ may be an attempt to focus on the fact that Uriah was not an Israelite but a Hittite.” (Carson).
All four were “sexually questionable”. To bring hope to their families, all four took active, even aggressive actions, which women in their worlds were not to do.’(Mitzi Minor, Professor of New Testament). And Mary (v. 16), the Virgin, poor and neglected family in Judea.
The unlimited Grace of God has come down to this downtown people of the society. His unlimited grace is available to everyone and everywhere.
2. God’s non-compromised stand
This genealogy of Jesus has the record of 42 generations. 14 from Abraham to David, 14 from David to Exile, and the last 14 from exile to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:17).
The first fourteen names mentioned are those of the patriarchs, people such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The second fourteen are Israel's kings, especially from the Kings David and Solomon to the last king of Judah. The last fourteen are unknown biblical records who played a vital role in the coming of the Messiah. This record is an exclusive list provided by the Pharisees who survived.
The Jewish culture has the practice of "Gematria," in which they assign specific numeric values to different letters within their alphabet. The central figure in Matthew's genealogy of Christ is King David. David's name in Hebrew consist of three letters: "Dalet, Waw, Dalet." The sum of the numeric value of these three letters is fourteen (four + six + four.)
By grouping his divisions into three groups of fourteen generations Matthew emphasises Jesus' lineage to King David in an explicit Jewish context. “In the first fourteen, we have the family of David rising, and looking forth as the morning; in the second, we have it flourishing in its meridian lustre; in the third, we have it declining and growing less and less, dwindling into the family of a poor carpenter, and then Christ shines forth out of it, the glory of his people Israel” (Matthew Henry).
This genealogy takes Jesus to throne of David through his adoptive father Joseph. Actually there were more than fourteen generations between the points indicated, but Matthew edited the list to make it easy to remember.
It’s very clear in Matthew 1:11 Matthew passed over in between Josiah and Jechoniah, and his name was Jehoakim. This lineage was not correctly recorded, for example, Matthew 1:8 says Joram begot Uzziah but there were three kings between them, namely Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah.
Jehoakim was so wicked, hence through the Prophet Jeremiah, God promised that no blood descendant of his would sit on the throne of Israel. So Jesus Christ can’t claim the throne of David through Jehoakim. But Psalm 132:11-12: “The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: ‘One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne.” How to explain this contradictions.
Jesus became king not by the blood lineage of Jesus through Mary, but by the legal lineage of Jesus through Joseph whereas the Gospel of Luke provides Jesus’ blood lineage through Mary. The blood lineage of Joseph was a cursed genealogy through wicked King Jehoakim (2 Chronicles 36:5-8, Jeremiah 36:30-31). So Matthew avoids it.
The genealogies of Matthew and Luke are the same record from Adam or Abraham to David. But at David, the two genealogies are separated.
2 Samuel 5 gives the names of the Sons of David. According to Matthew 1:6, Joseph’s line went through Solomon including Jehoakim, the cursed one.
Jesus was the legal son of Joseph, not the blood son of Joseph. Joseph was not blood to Jesus, but a legal relative standing as a descendant of the royal line to Jesus. Mary was the blood line of Jesus not through Solomon, and not through Jehoaokim, but through Nathan (Luke 3:31) a different son of David. Therefore, Mary was not part of that cursed blood line of Jehoiakim but through Nathan. So the DNA of Jesus has the blood identity of David through his Son Nathan and not through Solomon. But his kingship is through legal lineage of Solomon to David.
We all are children of God not through the DNA of Jesus but through the legal rights, we are Children of Abraham through faith genealogy. God never compromises in his stand on faith, holiness.
3. An unfathomable plan of God
Matthew insists that Jesus was a Son of Abraham and a son of David. He would defeat the kingdoms through his weapon of love, forgiveness like King David who defeated his enemies with weapons of war (Matthew 26:51-52). He was a Son of Abraham to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:2-3).
Jesus was not a violent King but a polite loving saviour. He became a source of blessing to all. God used faithful people with flaws, He used those who feel like failures, and He never forgotten to use who fear and are forgotten.
This genealogy has a few names that stand out. Another interesting observation is apart from the Patriarchs and Kings, it has the names of the elite nomads and landlords like Jacob, Judah, Boaz.
God used the faithful like Abraham, Isaac. God used the failures like Rahab, and Bathsheba. God used the forgotten like Hezron and Ram, Abiud, Azor and Akim, Zadok.
The Genealogy shows that Jesus heals the primordial animosity between men and women, and works to restore the mutual dignity, equality, and complementarity of men and women, which existed very much in the creation.
The four women are non-Jews, gentiles. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites; Ruth was a Moabite; Bathsheba married to a Hittite. It shows that Jesus fulfills God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the nations.
Galatians 3:28-29: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Conclusion: We need to accept our humanity, our DNA of faith in Christ, we are relatives of all these who became the valors of faiths, and do the best on the given life rather than blaming the history. Amen.
