ListenDaily – 14 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #7
Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17
The Genealogy of Jesus
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ
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There is another miraculous story concerning Isaac -- not only his birth, but also the prevention of his death. We know the story from Genesis 17, Abraham taking Isaac up on the mountain, directed by God. He binds Isaac to the altar, and as he prepares to sacrifice his only son, and angel calls out and stops him:
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.
One thing that happened here -- the line we spoke of yesterday, the creation of the Hebrew nation, and the lineage to the Messiah was created.
There is another picture in this story.
The world becomes blessed because Abraham did not withhold his son, his only son, and his son was spared. God did not require of Abraham, what he would later require of Himself.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son --
God did not withhold his Son, His only Son either -- and the world was saved.
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Questions:
1. Do you ever consider the faith of Abraham as part of the Christmas story?
2. Do you think that God was providing an everlasting perspective; His sacrifice would be ever greater than what He asks of us?
3. Do you ever consider how your individual acts of obedience (or disobedience) may affect the world?
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