If you're joining us for our New Thru 30 initiative then perhaps you've already read Matthew 1. To us, it's strange to start with a genealogy. Why list all of these names?
But look closely at the list. There are 4 women, 5 including Mary. This is highly unusual in the ancient world to highlight women in a genealogy. Not only that, but the women Matthew chooses to highlight are all scandalous in some way.
First in Matthew 1:3 there's Tamar. Check out Genesis 38 for her story. That's a Bible story? Yep. And it's not pretty.
Second in Matthew 1:5, we encounter Rahab. She's pretty well known by a certain unflattering title: Rahab the Harlot or Prostitute. This is the Rahab that protected the spies who came to Jericho in Joshua 2. It doesn't look good for Jesus. We've got two prostitutes in the genealogy so far.
Third is Ruth in Matthew 1:5. Here story is found in the Book of Ruth. What's the trouble with Ruth? She's a Moabite. She's not Jewish! Another mark against Jesus and his claim to be the Jewish Messiah.
Fourth we find Bathsheba in Matthew 1:6. However Matthew doesn't give her name. Instead he says "who's mother had been Uriah's wife." The story of David and Bathsheba is well known and found in 2 Samuel 11. In this story we find scandal in the palace.
So why does Matthew choose to mention these women? He could have just mentioned the men like he did elsewhere in the list. I believe Matthew mentions these women to emphasize why Jesus needed to come and the extend to which God's grace reaches. The scandals mentioned in Jesus' genealogy demonstrate that the world needs a savior. We need someone who will save us from our sins.
But these scandals are also redeemed in the genealogy of Jesus. God redeems the sin and darkness in these stories by bringing about the birth of his Son, the Savior.
Let Jesus' genealogy give us hope that even the dark, scandalous stories in our lives can be and will be redeemed through the work of Jesus the Redeemer.
Now on to chapter 2!
Grace and peace,
Steve
1 comments:
I have been sitting here for the past twenty minutes, typing and re-typing, trying to find the words to sum up my response...and am failing miserably.
All I can say is...what a beautiful and loving Savior He is! Only He, and He alone, can take the ashes from the messes we humans make, and turn it into beauty. To Him be the glory!
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