He’s Here!
If Matthew were preparing for a 20/20 spot, he would have begun by interviewing people who claimed to have been healed or raised from the dead, then he would have asked the Jewish scholars, “Could this be the Messiah you’ve been waiting for? How would you know?”
The expected evidence is laid out–Matthew ensures his fellow Jews that Jesus is of the bloodline of David, the seed of the woman, foretold by the prophet in the wilderness, recognized and resisted by Satan.
As we read Matthew’s account, we have to bear in mind his purpose–presenting evidence to the Jews that Jesus fulfilled the expectations of the Old Testament. Matthew’s focus is on Jesus as the rightful King.
My favorite part of today’s passage is to see who is included in the bloodline–
- a liar (Abraham)
- a woman too old to have a child, married to a man too old to have a child (Sarah)
- a cheater (Jacob)
- a woman so desperate for a child that she tricked her father-in-law into getting her pregnant (Tamar)
- a harlot (Rahab)
- a Moabite widow (Ruth)
- the baby of the family–so low in rank his father didn’t even think of presenting him with the rest of the sons (David)
- an adulterer (David)
- an adulteress (Bathsheba)
- a murderer (David)
- a really bad parent (David)
- a man so arrogant he cause the permanent division of his kingdom (Rehoboam)
There may be hope for me yet–apparently God can use anybody. If these very public failures are acknowledged as being in the bloodline of the ultimate King of the Universe, maybe–just maybe–God can still make something useful out of the mess I’ve made of my life. Maybe your failures are just the beginning…maybe God can work everything together for good if we trust Him. Let’s watch!
If you’re reading through the Daily Walk Bible, today’s passage is Matthew 1-4.
