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Have you ever found yourself rushing through the list of genealogies when you find them as you’re reading through the gospel of Matthew and elsewhere? I must admit that I have done that many a time! However, I have grown to appreciate how God made certain to record the lineage of Jesus Christ in order to authenticate His Word historically. That’s not going to be the focus of this post,  but I have added a teaching by Dave Hunt to possibly help you to appreciate the genealogical record, and maybe you’ll slow down a bit and even reflect on the names the next time you read through the list in the gospel of Matthew.

The main purpose of this post is to reach out to those of you who do not have the hope and joy that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by placing your trust in Him alone for your salvation. Instead, many of you are placing your trust in your religious practices, or in your good deeds done out of love within your hearts for the homeless or the lonely, yet at the same time you are hoping to earn acceptance by God through all the good that you do. Many of you fail to see that all of us are wretched sinners in the sight of a thrice Holy God, and that we all need a Savior. Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, is our only hope to be reconciled to a Holy God.

The message the angels gave on that silent, Holy Night, when Jesus Christ willingly left all the glories of heaven to come down to this sin-filled world of ours, was a message filled with good news of great joy! But sadly, many of you are now sitting there with broken hearts and tear stained faces because you have never heard the good news of the gospel. If you feel as if no one loves you, I pray that you will come to understand the depth of the love that God has for you! Yes, you!  I am not promising that your life will turn out with a happy ending like most of the Hallmark movies do (that I enjoy watching from time to time), but I am promising you that if you will receive the gift of His love and forgiveness that He offers to every one of you who is willing to believe the good news, then He will not only give you His grace that is sufficient to bring you through the darkest trial that you could ever face, but also He will give you His peace that surpasses all human understanding. I speak from experience, dear reader.

Jesus Christ, the second Person in the Trinity, was wrapped in human flesh and willingly came to this earth to live the perfect, sinless life that you and I could never live, to become the spotless Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus Christ took God’s wrath that we deserve for all of our sins upon Himself; He died in our place as our substitute. But you must choose to receive this gift of His love and forgiveness, or you will be left standing before Him on judgment day still clothed in your sins, and your righteous deeds will appear only as filthy rags in His sight.         (Isaiah 64:6)

The choice is yours, and I pray that you will receive this precious gift that was paid for with His life. But it doesn’t end there. To show that God the Father accepted His death as full payment for the debt of our sins, He raised Jesus Christ from the dead for our justification! (Romans 4:25) Now that is truly good news to cause all to rejoice!!

Matthew Chapter 1 – King James Version

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
King James Version (KJV)

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RELATED SCRIPTURES

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,  Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:1-8)

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:8-19)

 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.         (Isaiah 64:6)

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

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