Matthew 1:1-25 The Birth of Jesus

Matthew 1 - The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah

 ¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
 ² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
   Isaac was the father of Jacob.
   Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
 ³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
   Perez was the father of Hezron.
   Hezron was the father of Ram.
 ⁴ Ram was the father of Amminadab.
   Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
   Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
 ⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
   Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
   Obed was the father of Jesse.
 ⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.
   David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
 ⁷ Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
   Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
   Abijah was the father of Asa.
 ⁸ Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
   Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
   Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
 ⁹ Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
   Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
   Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
 ¹⁰ Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
   Manasseh was the father of Amon.
   Amon was the father of Josiah.
 ¹¹ Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
 ¹² After the Babylonian exile:
   Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
   Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
 ¹³ Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
   Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
   Eliakim was the father of Azor.
 ¹⁴ Azor was the father of Zadok.
   Zadok was the father of Akim.
   Akim was the father of Eliud.
 ¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
   Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
   Matthan was the father of Jacob.
 ¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
   Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
 ¹⁷ All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

 ¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
 ²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^[i] for he will save his people from their sins.”
 ²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
 ²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
      She will give birth to a son,
   and they will call him Immanuel,^[j]
      which means ‘God is with us.’”
 ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

(As I begin thoughts on the New Testament...on this new year...I remind you that my thoughts aren't intended to be a commentary on the whole text, but simply some thoughts that struck me about portions of the daily chapter. I encourage you to read the entire chapter for context.)

The New Testament offers two genealogies for Jesus...

Matthew 1 emphasizes, right from the beginning, Jesus’ title Christ—the Greek rendering of the Hebrew title Messiah—meaning anointed, in the sense of an anointed king. Thus, Matthew begins by calling Jesus son of David, indicating his royal origin, and also son of Abraham, indicating that he was a Jew; both are stock phrases, in which son means descendant, calling to mind the promises God made to David and to Abraham.

Luke 3 emphasizes Jesus’ title Son of God, as an essential title of the Messiah in prophecy. The genealogy immediately follows a heavenly voice at Jesus’ baptism, saying “You are my son,” and concludes with “son of Adam...son of God.” Thus, like all mankind he is a son of God through Adam, who was made by God, but uniquely he is also begotten by God.

Together, the two genealogies explain our belief that Jesus is fully man and fully God...something necessary for Him to be recognized as a worthy mediator between God and man.

All heady theological stuff, but not what turns my head today...

So this angel comes to visit Joseph...“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

I mean, when I was Joseph's age the standard line was "Joseph, your girlfriend has gone to visit her sick aunt in Michigan. She should be back in 7 or 8 months." And...everybody knew what it meant. By any measure, this angel told a whopper! God did it! More to the point...Joseph bought it hook, line and sinker. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 

What strikes me is how we think nothing of it. We expect our biblical characters to act properly...giving them no room for humanity...while giving ourselves a pass. We say "but wait...God was doing this...He knew Joseph and prepared his heart for this."

Really? Try this when your son dies in Afghanistan...or your daughter miscarries. Or is God different today?

I speak with people of faith nearly every day who are questioning God's presence in their lives. Why? Because the don't like...or don't understand what's going on. As though it's God's responsibility to conform to their world rather than the other way around.

Think about that for a moment. If God conformed to our world, we'd have no Savior and no salvation. We would be dead in our sin. I, for one, am thankful that God has His own ideas.

I also think Joseph is a pretty good model for us when we face incomprehensible dilemmas. How about you?

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Our responsibility to praise God ought to be a matter of character, not conduct.
When we look at today's Psalm we see a challenge to let praise permeate all of creation. We ought not simply be "praisers," but we ought to help orchestrate an environment of praise.
Yet...all too often...people of faith seem to park their enthusiasm at the church door as they leave. I recall standing next to a woman at Ramstein chapel one Sunday who was nearly delirious with praise. She was sweating, exhausted and mesmerized by the occasion of worship...until she appeared to be in a trance-like state.

I was thinking "this woman has lost her mind!'

Then I thought..."this is really admirable...if it's authentic."

I knew the woman and had to agree she was a person of devout faith...even though I had never witnessed this level of spiritual enthusiasm at the BX or commmissary. We might agree that wouldn't seem appropriate.

We all tend exhibit a conduct and attitude inside those church walls that have very little in common with with the rest of our lives. Yet...if these two segments of our lives are to demonstrate more similarity (and they should), I suggest God will prefer we take the "praise" attitude with us when we leave church rather than bring the "proper" attitude into church when we arrive.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains,
9 to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!

Wow! "Let a sharp sword be in their hands..."

And, this is a happy psalm?

I'm always inclined to take god's word literally...I believe it's the best way to accurately understand what God is saying to us.

But there are metaphors...

Here I believe the sword is a metaphor for our civic responsibility to do some important things:

1. "Execute vengence and punish people" - God's words says we are never to repay evil with evil, but to repay evil with good. So...vengence cannot mean repayment in kind against those who have hurt us. It can mean that we refuse to be in harmony with ungodly people. It can mean that we must be selective about who we keep as friends and advisors. 1st Corinthians mentions a case where a church member was removed from fellowship because of sinful behavior. The world may say this is vengeful. That should not deter us from demanding high standards from ourselves and others.

2. "Bind kings and leaders" - Believe it or not, our leaders are subject to our laws. This should be a challenge for us to be politically active and demand laws that honor our own faith traditions. This is not to suggest we impose a theocracy...God will do that in His time...but it does suggest that Godly moral and social values should be upheld. Don't be bashful...the ballot box is our legitimate means of binding our rulers. If they refuse to honor our values, we should remove them.

3. "Execute judgement written against them" - I'm always curious with Christians who say "I don't want to judge" when observing bad behavior. We don't have to judge...God's word already has. We are supposed to declare the truth that is written. Proclaiming that unbelievers have no part in God's kingdom is not judging anybody. It is "executing judgment already written against them."

These are responsibilites that are not without risk. But...this is the glorious privilege of God's faithful ones.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women, old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!


The fire, hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather obey God,

Or, does the weather obey the consequences of manmade carbon emissions?

We can't have it both ways. This doesn't mean the two are mutually exclusive. It simply asks the question" who controls the weather?

Why is this important? Because stewardship of our planet only becomes a compelling idea if we believe it is an act of obedience to creator God.

A friend of mine told me recently..."it is within God's ability and power to over-ride the mess we make of things, but it is not His function."

So...we live with the consequences of our behavior, not because God cannot eliminate consequences, but because consequences are some of the tools God uses to teach us responsible behavior.

Mankind is too shortsighted to change behavior because the possibility of flooding 100 years from now. Most people don't get worked up about problems looming 100 days from now.

And... "rulers and judges of the earth" obey God. Which rules out the idea that any current administration has run amok. Even if our congress doesn't believe it...it serves a power higher than themselves.

So, it seems, the historical record of God's relationship with mankind is unfolding daily. Not just in ways we recognize, but in the very rising of the sun...He does it all on our behalf.

So...I come away from this Psalm with two thoughts:
1. I should live responsibly...in a way that reveals my gratitude for what God has given.
2. I should live confidently...recognizing that nothing occurs without His express permission.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 147

1 Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!
2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!
6 The Lord supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
9 He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.
11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls.
14 He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his orders to the world— how swiftly his word flies!
16 He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
17 He hurls the hail like stones.[a] Who can stand against his freezing cold?
18 Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
19 He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations. Praise the Lord!
Our God is a God of redemption.

Have you ever felt you have strayed so far from God's path that you will never find yourself back on track? Look at the nation of Israel...exiled in a strange land...because of their own stubborn lack of faith. But yet, David says "the Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back."

More than that..."He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds". So, not only is God a God of redemption, He is also a God of healing.

And, He can do it. God can do whatever He pleases. After all, "He calls the stars by name. His power is absolute and His understanding is beyond comprehension".

In other words, nothing can stop God from lovingly redeeming us when we stray.

But...on what basis? Humility.

David says "the Lord takes to pleasure in the strength of horses or in human might. The delight of the Lord is in those who fear Him".

Are you feeling a bit alienated today? Would you like to find yourself back in the center of God's will? Swallow your pride, "put your hope in His unfailing love"...instead of your own intuition...and see what happens.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Eventually, they will all let us down...those powerful people who we count on to maintain equalibrium in our lives.

The politicians...who promise to protect us...in exchange for our vote.

The merchants...who promise to provide us anything we need...in exchange for our money.

The educators...who promise to prepare us for life...in exchange for our minds.

I could go on and on...but..."there is no help for us there!" Why? because they are really no different than we are. At the end of the day they will lie down and die like the rest of us...and their plans die with them.

So...I still worry about the state of our society...and wonder why the politicians don't do something about it. I worry about my financial needs...and wonder why necessities are so expensive. I worry about our schools...and wonder why they are more devoted to indoctrinating my grandchildren rather than endowing them with life skills.

By now I should know better...

David says "the Lord lifts up those who are weighed down." And, how can He do that? Because "He made heaven and earth and everything in them. He keeps all His promises forever."

Oh yes...and "He will reign forever."

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 145

1 I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
14 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
21 I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.

Not a word of frustration or fear or anger.

As the noise and activities of life fade, we should stop for a moment and consider exactly what the birth of our Savior means to us.

Here's a sample of David's response...
"I will exhalt you and praise your name forever!" Because of the gift of Jesus, our lives can be transformed from meager existences into celebrations of God's eternal goodness.
"Let each generation tell it's children." Because of the gift of Jesus, I have something of eternal value to teach my children.
"I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles!" Because of the gift of Jesus our lives have purpose and meaning.

Here's a sample of the reasons why...
"The Lord always keeps his promises!"God promised to bridge the gap that sin created between Him and His children...and He did it through His son Jesus.
"The Lord is close to all who call on Him."God promised to dwell with us forever and He does so through the Spirit of Christ that lives within every person of faith.
"The Lord protects all those who love Him."God has broken the power of sin forever...for those who trust in His son Jesus.

There is now nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

Live boldly out there today...