“The Word Became Flesh: The Lineage of our King”
Introduction:
If the Wise Men Had Been Women...
First, if the wise men had been women, it would not have taken them two years to get there because they would have stopped and asked for directions.
If the Wise Men had been women, they would have been there to clean up the mess so Jesus wouldn’t have had to be born in a barn.
And finally, if the Wise Men had been women, they would have brought much more practical gifts including a casserole so the family would have something to eat....
The story of God’s bringing Jesus into the world is the most amazing story every recorded. We see that as Paul said, at just the right time, God brought his son Jesus into the world. The birth of Jesus is one of the most amazing events in all of history, because we see the plan of God being revealed and fulfilled. We see that this is the point that the prophets long for and waited for. The longed so much to see the Messiah come into the world. Jesus’ birth was amazing, because we see prophecies being fulfilled, and the scripture prove true, and we see Immanuel, God with us. He was the wonderful counselor, everlasting father, the mighty God, the prince of peace coming into the world. The birth of Jesus was a visioned birth, seen by Adam in the garden. It was seen by Abraham as the promise of the Messiah came to Him. It was seen in Isaiah chapter 9, and it was seen by Joseph before the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus was vital birth, in which the salvation of all men for all history depended on. It was a victorious birth, victorious over sin, and victorious over Satan.
It is important to understand that as Jesus came into the world, surely he came as a lowly peasant, but when he comes back again he is coming as conqueror and He is currently the reigning king. As Jesus came he showed that he was king over all types and groups of people.
The greatest story ever told is that God sent His son into the world as a man to die for our sins. Peter says in I Peter, that God desires all to be saved and all to come to repentance. The very message this Christmas season is that God want you to come to Him. The message of Christmas isn’t found on any child’s wish list, it isn’t found in the shopping malls, it isn’t found wrapped up in a tree, or flying in a sled, the message of Christmas isn’t found in Christmas carols, or Christmas decorations, the message of Christmas is that God loves you so much he would leave His home in Heaven and become a man, and die for your sins. The message is for all of us. Sometimes I think we overlook that message. Sometimes we forget that God loves us each individually, and that if just one of us has sinned he would have done it all over again. He didn’t send Jesus to die to make a good story, but he did it so that we could spend eternity in Heaven with Him. We all at some time have sinned, granted some have sinned more than others. Since we all have sinned, we are separated from God, and nothing we do can bring us back to Him, but the cross made a way for you and me to get to God. Jesus is our King and he died so that we could be saved, and be presented to God blameless and pure. Perhaps you have missed that message all your life, and today want to take God up on His offer of salvation. It is the greatest Christmas gift that can be offered and yet it is free.
Years I spent in vanity in pride, caring not my Lord was crucified, then I learned it was for me he died on Calvary…mercy there was great and grace was free pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary. You won’t find liberty at the manger, but you can find it at the cross.
Text: Matthew 1:1-17
I. Jesus is King over Israel
As you look through the genealogy of Jesus you can see clearly that Jesus came from the line of Israel. The names that are listed here are many names that you may be familiar with when reading the Old Testament accounts. Most of the names mentioned are Jewish names. Jesus came from the blood line of Israel. Thousands of years ago the promise of the Messiah coming into the world came to Abraham, God told Him that his descendants would be numerous and the Messiah would come from his blood line. Then the promise followed to Isaac, the son of Abraham, and then it followed to Isaac’s son, Jacob or Israel thus beginning the nation of Israel.
It was said that Jesus must come from the pure bloodline of the Jews, and as we read his genealogy we see that Jesus was King over Israel. When Jesus came into the world he came as a Jew into the nation of Israel. For years they had been waiting for the Messiah that was promised, and all the signs indicated that the Messiah was going to come soon. Most of the Jews heard the preaching of John the Baptist, saying that he was preparing the way for the Lord. All Israel had to know Messiah was coming. They had this view of who the Messiah was going to be. They expected Jesus to come as a conquering general, and to set up a kingdom here on Earth. Jesus did set up a kingdom here on Earth, but it was not what was expected, the church is the Kingdom that Jesus set up, which is a kingdom of priests. Jesus never tried to become king as he lived on the Earth, he came humbly. The Jews expected Him to come with more pomp and power, and that is why so many of Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Israel had their chance to accept the Messiah and they rejected him, and that same message is preached all throughout the book of Acts. The Jews had two purposes, first they were to model to other nations and godly nation, and second they were to bring the Messiah into the world. God chose this small group of people to bring the Savior into the world, and their duty is complete.
This Jesus who was born in a stable, with money to his name, he never traveled very far from his home, he never led an army, conquered a nation, he never wrote anything that we know of, yet he is still able to claim the Kingship of Israel.
He has the right to kingship because of his blood line. Jesus came from Kingly decent. While the priests were to come from the tribe of Levi, the Kings came from the tribe of Judah, and Jesus is from that tribe. Jesus’ lineage makes him king over Israel.
II. Jesus is King over sinners
If you look at the genealogy of Jesus you can also see that Jesus is king of sinners because his genealogy contains not only some righteous people, but also contains some sinners among them. This shows the grace of God and the fact that Jesus is Lord over even the sinners. Within this genealogy you can see three women who are sinners.
a. Tamar
In Genesis 38 we learn the story of Tamar and how she fits into the Messianic line. Judah was the son of Jacob, and the head of the tribe of Judah, from which Jesus would derive. Judah has a son named Er, and Er married a woman named Tamar. Er was wicked, and he died so that left Tamar a widow and without a child. In that time to be without child was shameless, so they had the law of the kinsman redeemer. That law allowed the brother of the one who died to have a child with those women. Soon Judah’s wife died. Tamar herd of this and dressed up as a prostitute. When Judah saw her he slept with her and got her pregnant. He didn’t know that the woman was his daughter-in-law. As he was about to have her killed, she proved that he was the father of the illegitimate child. Tamar, a sinner, was by the grace of God allowed into the Messianic line, which shows the grace of God.
b. Rahab
Rahab was a prostitute who was living in the city of Jericho. She was the only thing that lived from Jericho, after Israel had conquered the city. She was allowed to live by God because of her good deeds with spies that Joshua had sent into the city. As the spies were pursued, Rahab lied to the pursuers sending them a different way, when the whole time she housed the spies sent out of Israel. Rahab a prostitute, who should have been killed by the Israelites, was spared because of her good deeds, and made it into the Messianic line.
c. Bathsheba
We probably all know the story of Bathsheba. When we think of the sin of King David with this woman, we typically assume that David was the one at fault, but I believe that it is clear that it takes two to tango. I believe that it is evident that Bathsheba was a sinner. As David saw Bathsheba bathing he coveted her, and then committed adultery with her. He was approached by the prophet Nathan concerning his sin. David’s sin did not stop there, but he plotted to have Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to be killed. Bathsheba, they sinner that enticed King David to sin, bore the son of David, and was one of the descendants of Jesus.
In the Messianic line we see that not only is Jesus descended from the righteous, but he also descended from people who greatly sinned. In this we see that Jesus is King over sinners also.
Isn’t it great that Jesus loves us despite our sin, and looks over them? That is the message of God’s Word…that we have a loving father in Heaven who worked for thousands of years to redeem man, because they were lost because of their sin. Perhaps you today have sin that has filled your life, the message that Jesus brings is “follow me”. Jesus loves you and died for you despite your sin. There is no one too wicked and no one too evil for the grace of God.
Jesus’ lineage shows he is King over the sinners, of which we are chief.
III. Jesus is King over Gentiles
As you look at Jesus’ genealogy you can see that he is king over the Gentiles as well as over the Jews. While it is true that the majority of Jesus’ descendants are Jews, there are also some Gentiles among the descendants of our Lord. One of the main promises of the Old Testament was that there would come a time when the Gentiles would be allowed to be apart of God’s redeemed. From early on in history God had a specific people that he called His people. These were the Jews. God’s blessing and promises went to the Jews, and the Gentiles or non-Jews were not part of the people of God. Some people though who were Gentiles are seen as part of the lineage of Jesus.
For example, Rahab not only was a prostitute, but she was a Gentile woman. Also, we see that Ruth is included in this lineage of Jesus as well and she was a Gentile woman as well.
I love the story of Ruth, which I believe is a type or an example of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Perhaps you remember the story of Ruth. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi’s husband died, and her two sons including Ruth’s husband died as well. Ruth stuck with her mother-in-law. Finally a Jewish man from Bethlehem named Boaz, purchased Ruth as his wife. As you look at this story you see the gentile Bride being purchased and redeemed and the story is the same between Jesus and the Church.
I am so thankful that Jesus is not only king over the Jew, but he is King over the Gentiles, because we are Gentiles. There are none of us who are Jewish, so if Jesus would not have come and the gospel was never brought to the Gentiles we would be lost. That is not the way the scriptures teach, we learn that the church is the new Israel, they are God’s people now. When the gospel came and was originally preached to the Gentiles in Acts, people had a problem with it, but God made it clear that since the Jew rejected Jesus, the gospel would be extended to the Gentiles. Praise the Lord that Jesus is King over the Gentiles.
IV. Jesus is King over Nobodies
Also you see in Jesus lineage and throughout the scriptures a list of nobodies. Very seldom does God use to accomplish his purpose people that we would use. He doesn’t use people based on their social status, or their strength, but he uses the nobodies or the weak. Think about the people that God has uses throughout the scriptures…
Abraham who was a liar, originally he worshipped pagan gods, he wasn’t wealthy or famous, but God used him to begin the Jewish nation.
Moses was a man who couldn’t speak and couldn’t lead, but God used him to lead the people of God out of slavery in Egypt.
Gideon was called to defeat the Midianites, but he said he was of the weakest in his family, of the weakest clan, of the weakest tribe; God used him to defeat the Midianites.
David was the least likely of the sons of Jesse to be named King over Israel, but yet God used him to defeat the Philistine giant, and to lead the Israelites for 40 years.
God uses the nobodies to do His work.
Look through the genealogy of Jesus, and yes you see a lot of kings, but you also see a lot of nobodies, you see sinners, and poor people, Jews and Gentiles… God uses the nobodies to do his work.
Think that God wants to use you to spread his word. Perhaps you are not good at anything; perhaps you do not know anything that you are good at, God wants to use you. It is an honor to know that God wants to use the nobodies and the weak things of the world, and I am a living testimony of that. Jesus is king over the nobodies. Along with that it is great to know that there is nobody that God does not want to be saved. A lot of times we picture Christians as middle class white Americans, but God wants all to be saved. Perhaps it is easier for you to witness or tell people like you about Jesus. Perhaps its easier to tell people that look like you about Jesus. That is you looking through human eyes, but God wants all people to be saved, and when it comes down to it the wealthy, the popular, the cool, the respected are the people that reject Jesus. The nobodies are the ones that come to Jesus. Perhaps a good bit of advice is to find the person that has the least and share the gospel with them, and I can promise that God is twice as likely to use them to do his work than anyone else. Find a person with no friends, stuck in sin, addicted to drugs, from a broken home, find the poor, the sinner, the broken, and tell them about Jesus. They need hope, they need the message that Jesus offers, come to me all who are weary and burdened. Remember Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. We need to break our comfort zones and tell people who need Jesus about Him, and we will see Jesus is King of the nobodies.
Whether we like to admit it or not that is what we are, and I am thankful that you do not have to be popular, or worthy in the eyes of the world to be used by God. God wants to use us and what he looks at is our hearts. When the prophet Samuel answered the people’s questions as to why David was chosen as King, he said, “man looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heat.” I am glad for that. In Jesus’ genealogy we see a bunch of people who would be classified as nobodies, and this shows him as King over the nobodies.
Always remember that you can be a “nobody” to the world and still a “somebody” in the Kingdom of God.
