Matthew__1

Scripture

Matthew 1:1 and 5

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham… Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth...

 

Observation

In this chapter we are introduced to Jesus’ lineage which not only seems pretty self-explanatory but also very daunting. The first few many remember, but as the family tree extends all the connections get even more messy, but they all are key to Jesus’ arrival.

 

Understanding

Alright… I have to be honest… I don’t think I have ever read the full genealogy of Jesus before. It just seemed like too much, and those names… geez I’d hate to be a teacher doing that roll call. However, this time I decided I would read through it and I am so glad that I did! Jesus came from a line of some pretty unperfect people. All of them seem to have flaws, but I had to stop on Rahab. For those who do not know her, here is some quick background on Rahab:

• This woman was a prostitute
• She lived in this place called Jericho (during the time of its invasion)
• She houses two Israelite spies, and lies to the Jericho authorities when questioned about them
• Frequently they come to her house where she gives them protection
• Because of this, her home is not destroyed

Here’s what I am getting at: God doesn’t care about your past that may not have been aligned with His. Not only was Rahab’s house not destroyed when all the rest of Jericho was, but she was added to the lineage of arguably the most awaited person in human history. The same applies to us! God doesn’t care what you may have done in the past, He’s concerned with whether or not you wish to be added to His story. Jesus comes from a long line of prostitutes, liars, murderers, and some extremely flawed people… but that’s why He came.

 

Life Application

Here’s a reminder that I think is very important here:

The enemy will tell you that sinning is not that big of a deal… until you do it… then he’ll tell you that you don’t deserve to be forgiven… but again, THAT’S WHY JESUS CAME!

I’m sure Rehab struggled some days with this fact, but she still was a part of ushering in the King of Kings. God not only forgave Rahab by protecting her home, but He rewarded her ten-fold by adding her to His family tree. God is asking us to be obedient! Not only are the rewards far greater than we can imagine, but others take notice and wish to be added to the “family tree” too. Let’s be purposeful in how we live, and let’s grow our big happy family even further.

-Allison Khan