Day 1: Can You See God’s Grace?
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: . . .
The Genealogy of Jesus
Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (Matthew 1:1,17)
Matthew was written by the tax-collector-turned-Jesus-follower, one of the original twelve Apostles. It is an eyewitness account of much of our Lord’s earthly ministry. Matthew writes his gospel primarily to a Jewish audience. It is fitting that he begins his writing by connecting Jesus back to the two great covenants of Jewish history–the Abrahamic (Genesis 12 and 15) and the Davidic (2 Samuel 7)–by including a detailed lineage of Christ. This genealogy shows that God is ever faithful to His promises and will make good every word He has spoken, though the performance of the fulfillment may be long deferred.
Anyone claiming to be the King of the Jews at that time would have been asked by their fellow Jews if he was indeed a descendant of King David. Matthew clearly gives a definitive “Yes!” to Jesus being rightly related to King David by detailing His lineage.
Interestingly, Matthew makes mention of five women in his genealogy of Jesus. He also includes some men of questionable character. The genealogy of Jesus demonstrates the gift of God’s grace: Tamar, an adulterous Canaanite; Rahab, a prostitute and a Canaanite as well; Ruth, a Moabite; Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, an adulteress; and Mary “of whom was born Jesus,” the “of whom” being a feminine relative pronoun indicating Jesus was the physical child of Mary, yet Joseph was not His physical father. I think it is extremely interesting that Matthew, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, mentions Uriah’s name in lieu of Bathsheba’s, as he had been her husband and the one that King David had killed in an effort to cover his own sin with her. I think it sweet of God to recognize Uriah in this significant place rather than Bathsheba, once again reminding us that Uriah was an honorable man.
We see God’s grace throughout the Bible, reaching back many generations through his covenant, and going forward through the sacrifice of his only Son.
Take It to Heart
“No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.” (Robert J. Morgan)
(Matthew 1:1-17)
“Grace is the grand and only resource for us all. It is the basis of our salvation; the basis of a life of practical godliness; and the basis of those imperishable hopes which animate us amid the trials and conflicts of this sin-stricken world. May we cherish a deeper sense of grace, and more ardent desire for glory!” (C. H. Mackintosh)
“Delays of promised mercies, though they exercise our patience, do not weaken God’s promise.” (Matthew Henry)
