Matthew 1

Jesus the Son of Abraham

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1.1)

Jesus is not random. He is divine and infinite, so at the times when we do not understand what He has done or allowed, we can rest—even in our finite discomfort—in His omnisciences and omnipresence. He does not act at random. He does not read the situation as it plays out and chooses the best recourse. He is glorious and His plan is perfect.

He is not surprised when our human situations get out of hand, when the pieces of the puzzle aren’t adding up or when we struggle to believe there is a plan. Jesus is the Son of God yet He is still the son of man. And God intentionally chose Abraham to be an ancestor of Jesus. Like Jesus, Adam is the earliest father of us all, but Matthew chooses to begin His genealogy with Abraham. Abraham, the man who believed God enough to set out from His home on a promise. Abraham, the man who sought to believe God’s promise of an heir but repeatedly sought to fulfill it by His own plans. Abraham, the man who God promised would be a blessing to all families on earth, and Abraham believed. He believed.

Abraham’s righteousness was in His faith that God’s was greater than His failure, greater than His success, greater than His wildest imagination, greater than the appearance of a random, aimless life. Abraham was called to the nations, and Jesus is Abraham’s blessing to the nations. He is the intentional outpouring of God’s love through humanity, for humanity, by a man whose struggling faith was strong enough.

Jesus, thank you that you use finite fallible men and women so that we might seek after you on our feeble knees.

Jesus the Son of David

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1.1)

Why a shepherd boy? Who takes a farm boy from the back fields with the sheep and crowns him king? David went from grazing, roving sheep to unseen royal glory. It is easy to see that the young boy had passion for God’s glory. It went beyond a national pride or loyalty to the crown. When David was pressed by Goliath’s taunts he didn’t step out to do battle for the authority of King Saul or on behalf of the Israelite people. David did battle in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel and the One who delivers giants into the hands of youth. David set His heart toward God.

Why a carpenter’s son? Who takes the redemption of all humanity and entrusts it to a table-making, wood-shaving apprentice? But for Jesus, as He chiseled and plained, royalty flowed in His veins. He was the Son of God, eternal and divine. He was also the son of kings. David cared for God’s holiness among the nations. He cared for the glory of God’s name among the peoples. And because of David’s heart God blessed him to share in Abraham’s blessing for the nations. God placed a crown on David’s head and then promised an eternal line of royalty, not an unbroken lineage of earthly kings, but One King who would reign, is reigning and will reign forevermore: Jesus the Son of David.

Jesus, thank you for being the great everlasting King! And thank you for carrying me to the table where I can be near you and worship you with my life.