12-19-23-ENG.

"When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. "

Galatians 4:4 
AN IMPORTANT LIST

Read It: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 You're probably wondering why we are starting our Christmas devotional series with genealogies. Simple answer: Because that's where the New Testament starts. See, the Christmas story doesn't begin with Matthew 1:18 or Luke 1:26. It begins with "the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ" (Matthew 1:1). Now we're not going to work our way through all these names in the two lists, so relax. What I want you to see today is that the preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ reveals the sovereignty of God in an unforgettable gettable way. Every name on these lists tells a story of how God controlled, ruled, and overruled in the affairs of people and nations to accomplish His will in the incarnation of His Son. Paul was right on target when he said Jesus was born not a minute too early or too late. He was right on God's time. Matthew's record shows that Jesus was related by royalty to David. Luke's genealogy reveals that Jesus was related to David by family. Matthew says Jesus was tied to David through Solomon, so He had a legitimate imate right to the throne.

Luke says that Jesus was related to David through David's other son, Nathan, which is Mary's line. So Jesus was the heir to David's throne and a Son of David through His family. To arrange all this, God had to do some sovereign matchmaking. He also had to deal with an incredible array of people, good and not so good, over many hundreds of years to set the stage of history for Jesus' arrival. The genealogies of Jesus reveal another beautiful facet of God's character: acter: His grace. There are some messed-up folk on Matthew's list. David's name is there. He was guilty of adultery and murder. Bathsheba is there too (v. 6). Solomon is also present, the king who loved many foreign eign women. I also read the name of Rahab the prostitute (v. 5). And what about Manasseh? He was a wicked king for fifty-five long years. Do you see the grace of God in action? He never excuses sin, but He forgives and uses imperfect people. That means He can use us. Think About It No matter how you've messed up, God can bring something good from your life if you'll give yourself to Him.