2014-12-28 Faith Talk The Family Tree of Jesus
Matthew, as he started to record the story of Jesus, began by recounting the lineage of Jesus from Abraham
through Jesus. Matthew recorded three sets of fourteen generations from the time God gave His promise to
Abraham to the time Jesus was born. In these three sets of fourteen generations we saw how God dealt with
mankind then and hoe He deals with us today. It is good for us to understand God deals with each one of us in the
same way He dealt with His children who descended from Abraham, collectively called the children of Israel.
Read Matthew 1: 1-6a (NKJV) 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2
Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah
by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and
Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse
begot David the king.
Recall: The story of Abraham, Abram beginning in Genesis 12, includes God’s promise to make Abraham the father
and Sarah the mother of a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. They began with obedience and left their
home as God had commanded. Along the way Abraham began a pattern of lying calling Sarah his sister for fear the
Egyptians would kill him. We see this pattern of lying continue through his son Isaac and become worse with his
grandson Jacob. Recall the story of the blessing of Isaac and how Jacob lied to his own father to steal his blessing.
Recall: When two of Judah’s, son of Jacob, older sons had died leaving Tamar a widow the law said she was to
become the wife of Judah’s younger son. Instead Judah told to Tamar to live in her father’s house until his younger
son was old enough to marry. Apparently Judah never planned give her to his youngest son. In Genesis 38 we see
how Tamar became the mother of an ancestor of Jesus by tricking Judah. We also see how Judah was caught
engaging in prostitution with his own daughter-in-law resulting in the birth of an ancestor of Jesus. Imagine that!
Notice: The sins of lying and deception plagued the early family tree of Jesus. Each generation it seems got worse
and worse. We also do well to notice the inclusion women in Jesus’ family tree. Women during this time in history
were not typically included in the list of one’s ancestors. Notice Tamar who tricked her father-in-law and Rahab
who helped the spies sent into the Promised Land were both described as prostitutes. Notice also the third
woman, Ruth, who was a Moabite; the Moabites were a cursed people. Jesus’ family tree included many most
people would prefer to exclude.
Discuss: God included people in the family tree who were habitual liars, prostitutes, and cursed people. God still
does the same today allowing cursed sinners to become children of God. God made promises to Abraham and,
even though the lineage of Jesus was marked with people doing terrible things, God still used those people to
bring about His promises. God can and will use you and me in His will no matter how far short we fall of being
perfect.
Read Matthew 1:6b-11 (NKJV) David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife[1] of Uriah. 7 Solomon
begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. [2] 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot
Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah
begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,[3] and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about
the time they were carried away to Babylon.
Notice: Another woman, this one not even named here because God knew her as the wife of another, gave birth
to a son by David after having been taken in an adulterous relationship. Notice how the pattern of sexual sin begun
by David plagued David and his sons for generations. Read in 2 Samuel 13 how David’s firstborn son took his own
sister Tamar. Read in 2 Samuel 16 how Absalom took his own father’s concubines.
2014-12-28 Faith Talk The Family Tree of Jesus
Consider: As we read of the lineage of Jesus we see how even though God promised great blessings to His people
the descendents of Abraham, God’s people continued to grow further and further from God. When we consider
our own sins, the ones Satan reminds us of frequently, the ones Satan uses to tell us we are unworthy and
unusable by God, we need to understand God is a God who not only makes and keeps promises, God is the God
who redeems and uses His people. We also need to understand that sin has lasting consequences.
Read Matthew 1:12-17 (NKJV) 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel
begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok,
Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot
Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. 17 So all the
generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are
fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Notice: God made promises. God was faithful even when His people were not. God punished the sin of His people
but still remained faithful to them, kept His promises, and sent His Son to redeem His people from their sins.
Compare: Notice how our individual lives compare to the history of the children of God. God promised us eternal
life through His son. Even though our lives before Jesus were filled with sin and without hope, God promised us
something better. Even though, after believing and obeying God, we still sin and find ourselves far from God, God
was, is and will continue to be faithful to keep his promises. God continues to provide a way back to Him through
conviction, confession and repentance, to provide us forgiveness, cleansing and a return to righteousness.
Challenge: As we reflect on Jesus’ birth and all it means to you, remember God included in Jesus’ lineage broken
sinful people. Realize God used the imperfect then to let us know without a doubt, He still forgives, He still
redeems, and He still uses His redeemed to glorify Himself. Realize no one is perfect, we all sin, and, Praise God, He
redeems and continues to use broken vessels like us. Then get busy sharing your story of brokenness and
redemption. Someone near needs to hear our God still heals, redeems, and uses His children.
Read Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Much of the material in this Faith Talk was presented by Phillip Griffin of The Family Church in a recent message.
Love,
Tom