DECEMBER 3 BORN INTO THE “RIGHT FAMILY” By Stephen J. Bramer Chair and Senior Professor of Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary Adjunct Faculty, Word of Life Bible Institute
Today’s Passage: Matthew 1:1, 16; Psalm 89:3b–4
The promise of a King, descended from David, who would rule over His people in an eternal kingdom, was first declared to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12, 16 “...I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom... the throne of his kingdom forever”. Later, in Psalm 89:3b–4, God’s promise to David is repeated in poetic form, rehearsing the everlasting nature of such a king and his kingdom.
But did such a King, who could bring an everlasting kingdom, ever descend from David?
Yes, he did! The genealogy found in Matthew 1 demonstrates that Jesus was truly hereditarily eligible to be that promised King. He was “born into the right family!” The view that the genealogy of Matthew is merely a list of names with no real spiritual purpose or application is just not valid. Rather, it clearly shows the fulfillment of God’s great promise to David concerning a son who would, in his life on earth, authenticate himself as king. In the person of Jesus Christ, prophecies about his ancestry came true. However, not only does this genealogy show Jesus’ descent from David, but Matthew also makes us aware of another reason that Jesus was “born into the right family.” The ancestry of Jesus Christ was not made up of perfect people but rather imperfect people who experienced God’s grace. Women like Rahab, Tamar, and Bathsheba, and men like Jacob, Jehoiachin, and even David, are all included because of God’s grace to them. Jesus came into a family that evidenced God’s great grace, and He gives grace to those who would become members of His forever family.
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