One of the most amusing memories and lasting images of my maternal grandparents’ home is a souvenir one of my uncles bought on a trip to the mountains. This odd “conversation piece” was placed in a prominent spot in the home. The figure was a small tree placed in a wooden pot. The branches of the tree were covered with various nuts and on each of the shells plastic eyes were glued. The caption for this fine work of art was affixed to the base and it read: Our Family Tree: A Bunch of Nuts.
So, at an early age I was conditioned to accept the truth my genealogy was filled with a bunch of nuts. In many ways this is true. We have a good time when I get together with my mom’s family. My Uncle Aubrey is a joker. Unfortunately, I can’t write all of his jokes here. My Aunt Dorothy is a nut. One Christmas the “Harris Family” gathered and she was tasked with passing out the presents. She came dressed as a clown. You have to be a nut to dress like a clown at Christmas. However, the reason she dressed like a clown was she was too cheap to buy an appropriate costume.
All of us have The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in our family tree.
We all must recognize we have to trace our family roots all the way to the Garden of Eden. There the first sins were committed by Great, Great, Great, Great, Great (etc.) Grandmother and Grandfather Adam and Eve. Once the first sin was committed, God put a plan into motion.
God had a plan to redeem the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So, as you examine the genealogy of Jesus listed in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, you can notice some truths about the redemptive plan of God.
Four Words that describe God’s plan.
1. Purposeful Plan (Matt. 1:17)
Matthew grouped the genealogy into three groups of fourteen. Seven or any multiple of seven — like 14 — symbolized perfection. Three was also a divine number of perfection and fullness. The genealogy is perfectly planned. The genealogy is a demonstration of God's order and movement toward Christ.
Matthew's point: God is in control.
2. Prophesied Plan
Hundreds of years before Christ was born, Isaiah prophesied his birth (See Isaiah 53).
3. Passionate Plan
"For God so loved the world...(John 3:16)
4. Personal Plan
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish."
Four Summary Truths to Remember
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
To expand a point we made earlier, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. wrote: “Matthew 1:8 omits three names between King Joram and Ozias (Uzziah), Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:25), Joash (2 Kings 12:10)and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:1). In Matthew 1:11 Matthew omits Jehoiakin (2 Kings 23:34). Matthew’s goal is to reduce the genealogies to a memorable three sets of fourteen individuals, for fourteen is the number of ‘David,’ D = 4, V or Hebrew waw = 6 and the last D = 4, for a total of 14.” Matthew wanted to underscore God perfect design.
II. God uses flawed humans as he carries history forward.
The family tree of Jesus includes some folks that used bad judgement at times.
· Abraham "more than once lied like Pinocchio."
· Jacob, whose name means "cheater," was "slicker than a Vegas card shark."
· Judah committed incest; he was a hypocrite and adulterer.
· David was an adulterer and a murderer.
· Rahab was a prostitute
· Manasseh was a wicked king who sacrificed his own son to Baal.
III. Irregardless of their past, God works through individuals who seek Him.
Take a look at Josiah (v.10)—One of the best kings in Jewish History. He became king at age 8 and, at age 16, “began to seek the God of his ancestor David (II Chronicles 34:3)."
We may be from a family of Godless "nuts," but God can still use us, if we let Him.
IV. While many in Israel were unfaithful, Jesus still came.
(1:17) Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
Why did God use these people?
· He knew we'd be worriers, and he wants us to know he's in total control.
· The proof is in the last name on the genealogy list: Jesus, the Christ.
Consequently, this Christmas don't forget that God can work through an individual who comes through a family of Wavering, Wounded, Wrestling, Worshipping, Warring, Wealthy, Wise, Wanton, and/or Wild "Nuts."
0 comments:
Post a Comment