Bible Answer, 60

~ Did You Get It Right? ~

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~~~~ bible answer ~~~~

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question:  The bloodline of Jesus came through which son of Jacob?

answer:  Judah (Matthew 1:2)

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram” (Matthew 1:1-3).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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Christ’s Genealogy

~ One Savior—Two Recorded Genealogies ~

Two of the four Gospels record the genealogy of Jesus Christ—The Messiah.  On the surface they are significantly different but when properly understood they do not disagree with each other (this is very involved and would require a book to explain fully).  In this post we will look at a bird’s eye view of the two genealogy.

Luke 3  ~  Luke’s account is the most complete timeline as it covers 76 generations from Adam to Jesus Christ.  One of the unusual aspects of Luke’s is that it begins at the end—with Jesus Christ—and moves backward in time.  Perhaps this was Dr. Luke’s way of emphasizing Jesus Christ.  The intent of Luke’s Gospel is widely understood to be to give a precise record of Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, and is the only acceptable sacrifice for fallen mankind.  With this in mind it is very logical for Luke to record all the way back to the very beginning with Adam as he traces the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1  ~  Matthew’s account covers 41 generations as it starts with the patriarch Abraham and moves forward to Jesus Christ—The Messiah.  The most obvious aspect of Matthew’s account is how he divides the generations into three time periods of 14 generations each.  First he lists 14 patriarchs, then 14 kings, and finally 14 ordinary citizens.   Matthew’s intent appears to be an emphasis on the historical progression.  It is widely understood that Matthew writes his Gospel from a Jewish perspective.  Given that reality starting the genealogy of The Messiah with Abraham makes a lot of sense.

the key question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).  This is the most important question you will ever answer.  If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).

Genesis Genealogy Gospel

~ 10 Men Weave The Greatest Story Ever Told ~   

In a previous blog (4-May-2010) we found the message of salvation in the first book of the New Testament by looking at a genealogy of Christ. Christ and the story of redemption are also found in the first book of the Old Testament in a genealogy of Adam!  (Genesis 5)

In Genesis 5 we find a genealogy from the Creation of man until the Flood—at which time only a few on earth were lifted above the devastation and therefore saved from physical death.  In a future day God will rescue His own by lifting them above to meet Jesus Christ in the air—those who have been saved from spiritual death. 

Genesis 5 records ten men in the following order:

Adam ~ As we know Adam, was the father of mankind—as the first man he represents mankind (Genesis 2:7-18). 

Seth ~ Seth was appointed by God to be in the blood line of Christ (Genesis 4:25).

Enosh / Enos ~ The meaning of his name carries the idea of sickness and mortality. 

Cainan / Kenan ~ It has been suggested by a number of commentators that his life was characterized by suffering and sorrow. 

Mahalalel / Mahaleleel ~ His name has the root “el” meaning God, and the overall name has the context of being blessed of God or praising God. 

Jared ~ Jared’s name carries the idea of a ruling or command, coming down, or shall come down. 

Enoch ~ The thing we all remember about Enoch is that he did not die but was taken by God or translated (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5). Enoch is a picture of the future rapture of true believers. 

Methuselah ~ Every Sunday school student knows Methuselah to be the longest living man in history—yet he too died! All of mankind are mortal—we are all destined to die (Hebrews 9:27).

Lamech ~ His name means poor or made low—and carries the concept of despair. Our word lament comes from the same root as Lamech. 

Noah ~ Noah’s name contains the concept of repose, consolation, relief, rest, comfort, or grace.

We can greatly simplify the combined story of these ten men in a simple paragraph as follows: 

Man [Noah] was appointed [Seth] by God to rule the earth. With man’s mortality [Enosh] came suffering and sorrow [Cainan].  But praise [Mahalalel] be to God, there shall be One who shall come down [Jared] to die [Methuselah] on man’s behalf that some may be translated [Enoch] to be with God forever. Life on earth brings sorrow and lament [Lamech] but there is consolation, comfort, grace, and relief [Noah] in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The genealogy of Genesis 5 can further be simplified to the following summary of the Gospel message: 

Man was appointed as God’s representatives.  He is mortal and lives with suffering. But praise be to God who came down to earth. His death brought provision for the Christian’s rapture (future), removed Christians from despair (past), and brings comfort (present) to Christians.

contemplate:  The number 10 is often associated in Scripture with the completion of divine order or simply completion. In the lives of 10 men in Genesis 5 we see the Gospel message (John 19:30) and this message is a summary of the Bible. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Genealogy Gospel

~ 4 Women Tell a Story ~

One of the truly interesting aspects of the genealogy of Christ presented to us in Matthew 1 is the inclusion of four women—three named and one referred to without name. Since we believe every word of the Bible in the original languages to be not only inspired but beneficial for our learning, this fact can be puzzling.

First of all, in Jesus’ time women didn’t typically receive mention in the blood lines. At marriage the husband’s line continued and the wife’s line ended. Yet Matthew includes four women. Why?

Second, these four women were Gentile women, one Moabite, one Hittite, and two Canaanites. God had said in the Law that His people were not to intermarry with the Gentile tribes. We read for example that Abraham was instructed by God, when seeking a bride for his son Isaac, to send back to his own people to find a suitable bride. Later a similar thing was done by Isaac for his son Jacob. It was God’s arrangement that monotheism should be the prevailing belief of those who were in the line that was leading down to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet in His genealogy are the names of four Gentile women! What can we learn from this? Why are these four women listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ?

We need to look at the lives of each of these women. The first is Tamar (Matthew 1:3, Genesis 38). If one were given the assignment of describing her life in one word, a very good response would be “sin.” Out of the sin of Judah and Tamar were conceived twins.

The second woman is Rahab (Matthew 1:5, Joshua 2). Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute, but what she is most remembered for is her “faith.” The Bible says, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

The third woman is Ruth (Matthew 1:5, Ruth). She was a Moabite, a delightful person, and is never seen in Scripture as a sinner. She was a woman of beauty and of character, but the Mosaic Law shut her out. The Law has always condemned even the best people that ever lived. As we reflect on what the Scripture says about Ruth, a word that often comes to mind is “grace.”

The fourth woman is unnamed in Matthew’s account—but we know it was Bathsheba (Matthew 1:6, 2 Samuel 11). Bathsheba was a Hittite. As we recall David, the king, lusted after her and sinned against her and God. The Spirit of God seems to have omitted her name since the sin was primarily David’s. As a result of their interaction, David lost his joy—but not his salvation (Psalm 51:12). Looking at what we know about Bathsheba’s life, the word that comes to mind is “security.”

In looking at these four women, we see the plan of salvation woven throughout the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The first important step in salvation is to recognize that you are a sinner and must come to Christ as a sinner (Tamar). Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32).

The next action is to reach out in faith (Ruth) for the salvation that was obtained at the Cross. Third, with those two steps taken, God reaches down with great grace (Ruth) and delivers you from the penalty of your sin and its grip over you. The fourth reality in the plan of salvation is the security (Bathsheba) that you have in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

SUMMARY: Creation is the foundation of the Old Testament; everything else is built upon it. The four Gospels begin the New Testament; everything else is built upon them. The genealogy of Matthew 1 is the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) of the New Testament and is the necessary basis for the four Gospels.

A Great Cast—Where’s the Plot?

~ Matthew 1 – Like Reading a Phone Book? ~

The Old Testament begins with Creation—an immensely important foundation for what follows. The New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ—an equally important foundation for all that follows.

Is the first chapter of Matthew dull, boring, and unimportant? Absolutely not! Matthew 1:1-17 provides the blood line of Jesus Christ. (Luke 3:23-38 provides the blood line of His mother Mary.)

The “begats” (King James Version) of Matthew are one of the most important parts of the Bible. One could define the Old Testament as “the family history of Jesus Christ.” The historic blood line from Adam to Jesus Christ is documented in Matthew 1. The New Testament credibility stands or falls on the accuracy of this genealogy.

The genealogy can be divided into three groups of fourteen. The first group, Abraham through King David, was a period of theocratic rule (God was considered the supreme authority). The next group following David until the Babylonian captivity (King Solomon into the time of Jechonias) was a period monarchial rule (authority was in an individual). The final group, Jechonias through Jesus Christ, was a time of hierarchical rule (multiple levels of rule determined by rank / level and topic).

From a historical standpoint it is helpful to realize that the genealogies were kept in the temple, and when Titus destroyed the temple in 70 A.D., the genealogies were lost. However, when Jesus was making His claim of being a descendant of David and a descendant of Abraham, the genealogies were still there, and although His enemies questioned just about everything else, they never questioned Jesus’ genealogy. The reason is obvious—the genealogies proved that the Lord Jesus was who He claimed to be as a far as His ancestry was concerned. He is the son of David, and He is also the son of Abraham. He came in that line which God said would produce the Messiah. Matthew begins by declaring this fact in the very first verse of his Gospel.

The Jews of the period never questioned that Jesus Christ was the son of David and therefore could be the Messiah. They did question whether or not He was God in the flesh dwelling among mankind.

CONTEMPLATE: Why are four women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ?