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To be honest with you, geneology just doesn't get my juices flowing and really excited about reading. I knew this day was coming and I knew that the first half of Matthew 1 was a list of names. But today is here and chapter one is now read and there was something that stood out to me.
As I was reading through the geneology, I noticed more names that were unknown than were known. I also noted a hooker, a murderer, adulterers, etc.. Now I know my family is dysfunctional, but last time I checked we weren't that bad. I am sure that if you went back 42 generations in my line there would probably be some of everything. It seems to me that Matthew goes out of his way to show us that Jesus' patriarchal history traces all the way back to David, as prophesied, and to Abraham. When we get to Jesus' birth, we know his matriarchal lineage is short, but no less significant. His mother, a virgin, becomes pregnant "by the Holy Spirit." I don't know how, but I think I believe it. Through Joseph, Matthew relays Jesus' human lineage, but through Mary we discover his divine lineage. Jesus is different, unique, special - human and divine...man AND God.
Then I bump into what caused me to pause today - "Watch for this - a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; they will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us"). 1:23
The One who is both God and Man, the Rescuer for all humanity, the payment for our sins was not "God apart from us" or "God removed from us". He was God WITH us. God's only son became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14). Remember what we say when we catch someone doing something silly and we begin to laugh? They look at us and say, "Don't laugh at me." We reply with, "I'm not laughing AT you, I'm laughing WITH you." The reply is meant to be an identifier. I'm laughing because I've been there, I've done that too. One of the core beliefs of the Christian faith is that God is a PERSONAL GOD. There is no better evidence of this than this passage right here. When our life is out of control, when our future is uncertain, when our marriage is in trouble, Jesus (God is with us). God is not removed from us and uncaring, but in the middle of our concerns, our worries and our anxiety. He loves us and that has been the plan all along.
What about you? What caught your attention today?
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So I looked it up in a wiki because I was wondering how old Jeconiah must have been when the Babylonian exile ended, but as it turns out (according to the wiki anyhow), Matthew skips several generations that were born during that exile. Just thought that was interesting.
ReplyDeleteMatthew 1:20-24: While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream… Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream.
ReplyDeleteObviously the situation was utterly fantastic. It's one thing to know the prophecy of a coming messiah born of a virgin and say you believe it could happen, it's another thing altogether to be the one directly involved in the prophecy. Yet Joseph didn't flinch. His faith bore immediate fruit in his actions "he did exactly as the angel commanded." No argument, no negotiation, just obedience.
A good writer wants to draw his readers in from the very beginning. I don't think 17 verses of geneology is a very good hook! But Matthew's agenda is to show that Jesus truly is the King of Kings, so his royal bloodline is important. And I love it that, as Brad said, God sprinkles that geneology with less-than-savory characters. Jesus is royalty, but he's also "one of us." He is God and King, embracing even the unseemly side of humanity.
ReplyDeleteEmma, I was curious about your comment and did a little homework. Here's a very abbreviated explanation. Geneologies were very common in Matthew's day, served several important functions, and were often "stylized" for their relative functions. They were seldom comprehensive and were not intended to be so. They were often "telescoped," meaning that some personalities were omitted and others included based on their relative significance and the purpose of the geneology. I think this makes Matthew's geneology of Jesus even more remarkable: he selectively chose women, gentiles, and people of questionable character. Matthew also exercises some artistic flair with the 14-14-14 organization: 14 is 7 X 2, the number seven symbolizing perfection; 14 is also the numerical equivalent of the name "David" in Hebrew.
ReplyDeleteI read this too: "They were often "telescoped," meaning that some personalities were omitted and others included based on their relative significance and the purpose of the geneology."
ReplyDeleteApparently Matthew also left out some kings who had less than stellar reputations.