Sunday 22nd morning

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Matthew 1:1-17 ESV The 'Christ' has arrived Intro What is it that defines you? Your goodness? Your badness? Your family lineage and race? Maturity is knowing who you really are; fully expressing your identity 1. David's great Son is finally here Starts like Genesis, 'this is the book of the generations of...' This is the first 'word' since the OT. Which closes with Chronicles, a book full of genealogies. They are seams which tie things together. v17 as summary of the OT. Numbers spell 'David'; 14 explicit. 4+6+4 Matthew all about a greater David; the promised King. Promise links back not only to David, but actually to Abraham. 'Christ' 2. King Jesus welcomes sinners Sins and abuse are written into the genealogy - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba. Deliberate mentioning of them, 'so and so the father of so and so BY [name of woman]' The whole point is, questionable women are woven into Jesus' lineage...and then Mary appears to be one of them; except she's actually not! Things will not be as they seem. Jesus will be afflicted and cast out, except he's righteous! He will be numbered with the sinners, except he's not. What is it that defines you? Your goodness? Your badness? Or being woven into Jesus? God's glory: He not only forgives sinners, but includes us in his story and in his family. Jesus came to save sinners. He relentlessly keeps his promise to Abraham! Blessing for all peoples, through Jesus! FCF: We think that sin places us outside of God's blessing, interest, or reach. We think it defines us. Whereas the grace of God has the last word - as with Tamar, Rahab, Ruth. By nature - we feel shame without deciding to, or thinking about it. E.g., 'carried shame'. By choice - We choose coverings for our identity, which lead us to abuse and mistreat others. Irreligious - Try to define ourselves by our freedom and enjoyment. Mistreat others in the name of personal freedom. Religious - Try to define ourselves by our 'goodness'. Mistreat others in maintaining this facade. Person of Jesus : He receives sinners, outcasts, women and men. Beggars, lepers, prostitutes, thieves, children. Blind Bartimaeus calls out to him, 'Jesus Son of David!' He shows us the mercy of God. Work of Jesus: He becomes the shamed, cast out one. And through doing this removes our shame for ever. Through his death we can be woven into his life, along with all kinds of people. Union with Jesus : Woven into the reign of the King of Glory, the greater David. Wrap-up: What is it that defines you? Your goodness? Your badness? Your family lineage and race? Maturity is knowing who you really are; fully expressing your identity. Knowing and living as those 'in' King Jesus. For ref: "What did Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah) have in common? They were all “questionable women” who were unlikely candidates for marriage and bearing children to Jewish men. Tamar played the harlot with her father-in-law and gave birth to two illegitimate sons (see Genesis chapter 38). Rahab was a harlot and a Gentile (see Joshua 2:2). Ruth was a Moabite (another “Gentile”) and that nation had been banned from the congregation of Israel for ten generations (see Deuteronomy 23:3). Bathsheba committed adultery with David (see 2 nd Samuel 11:1-5). The fact that God allowed these women to be included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ is a miracle of His wonderful grace! I have often thought that if men (in this case, Matthew) had not been inspired to write the Bible there is no way a godly Jew would have included them. It was rare for women to be mentioned at all in genealogies, and then to write of women with such shameful pasts was proof that God’s hand was upon Matthew as he penned these words. Again, this but manifests the matchless grace of God that turned these women into “trophies of His grace” and allowed them to be in the “Royal Line” (of the “tribe of Judah”) that eventually gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world." Music - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - While Shepherds Watched - Who is He in Yonder Stall - O Come O Come Emmanuel - Once in Royal David's City

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