My Advent Day 17 Matthew 1:1-23

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³ and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴ and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵ and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, ⁷ and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph  ⁸ and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹ and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, ¹¹ and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

¹² And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Many people new to the Bible ask what is up with these genealogies of Jesus. It is just a bunch of names, so what is the purpose? Why are they there? The reason for the genealogies is twofold: one, it demonstrates God's consistent mercy, blessings, and patience in the perpetuation of the line from Abraham to David to Jesus. Secondly, it provides a road map to God’s plan of salvation for humanity.

Look up in the Bible every person listed in the genealogy of Christ, and you will see the mercy of God present in their life. You will also see, in some form, the foreshadowing of Christ. From the Garden to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Moses, you will see God working to keep His plan of salvation on track.

You will see the times the line of David held on by a thread, to the times of blessings and bounty in the lives of the Israelites. You will see the evil of humanity and the goodness God placed in the void to keep His creation alive and growing. From examples of those who stood in the gap to protect the many from extinction, to those who made sacrifices so that the plan of God would be carried out.

The genealogies of Christ help confirm that the messianic prophecies were fulfilled, and that the shoot from the“stump” of Jesse is indeed Jesus. That God's Word is true and unfailing, inerrant and woven like the scrolls they were written on like the clothes of the authors who wrote them.

Today, tracing one's family is a common practice that allows people to discover their roots. Take the time this Advent to follow the roots of Jesus. From Abraham to Joseph and Mary, take a look at those in the genealogies and see how they became a part of God’s plan of salvation.

From verses 18 to 23, Matthew showed us how this very plan was completed through the marriage of Joseph and Mary, the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, and the miracle of the incarnation. This Advent season come to know God’s plan of salvation through the lineage of Christ Jesus.

Advent Prayer Day 17

Almighty Father in Heaven,

Open our eyes and hearts to Your Word.

Let us see the truth and the path you planned for the salvation of humanity.

Let the story of each name in the lineage of your Son, Christ Jesus, and their part in your plan of redemption be revealed to those who have not witnessed it.

Teach us, Lord, that there was a calculated plan using your people to reveal the Messiah to the world.

This Advent, Lord, let the blind see and the deaf hear that the deity of Christ would be revealed to the lost sheep of this world.

We pray this in our Savior's name, Amen.