Today’s reading is Matthew 1.
No doubt, Matthew is calling to mind Genesis 5:1 as he kicks off his account of the gospel.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. (ESV)
Then Moses revealed the lineage of Adam to Noah. However, do you know what is missing from the genealogy of Adam to Noah? Mothers. Though that lineage repeatedly mentions these men had sons and daughters, not one mother is mentioned. Not even Eve, the mother of all living.
Matthew diverges from this on four occasions (well, five actually, but we’ll talk about the fifth one tomorrow). Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth. David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.
The stories of these particular women are varied and colorful. Tamar was a Canaanite who dressed up like a prostitute and secretly seduced Judah, her father-in-law, when he refused to let her deceased husbands’ brother perform his proper duty by marrying her and raising up a son in her first husband’s name. Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute. Ruth was a Moabitess who wasn’t even supposed to be part of the congregation of Israel, but ends up being the great-grandmother of King David. The wife of Uriah is Bathsheba, the precious ewe lamb of David’s neighbor whom he stole when his body and heart desired her.
In other words, Jesus is not only the Son of God. He is not only the Son of Man. He is not only the Son of David. He is not only the Son of Abraham. He is also the Son of Gentiles. Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth are all Gentiles. They shouldn’t be in this list, should they? Why would Matthew expose the King of the Jews and the Jewish Messiah has a line tainted with Gentiles? His point is simply this, Jesus is not just the Jewish Messiah and the King of the Jews. He is simply the King. He is the King of the nations. I’m a Gentile. While Matthew seems to be writing mostly for Jews, I learn Jesus is not just a Jewish king for a Jewish people. He is my king as well.
I thought about including that this demonstrates Jesus was also the Son of Sinners. However, Matthew didn’t need to include these women to point that out. The men on this list are a set of rotten, awful sinners. In fact, the way Matthew mentions Bathsheba is not intended to be a slight to her or to dehumanize her as if she didn’t have her own identity. Rather, it is intended to highlight David’s rotten, awful sins.
Matthew has already made a big deal out of Jesus being the son of David. However, he doesn’t want us to idolize David as if David was something special on his own. He wasn’t. On his own, he was a sinner, an egregious sinner. As we learned a few weeks ago while studying the Psalms he was a chief of sinners. Yet, Jesus was descended from sinners like David, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth.
Matthew’s point, no doubt, is simply this. Jesus came into a world of sinners, a family of sinners in order to save sinners. Keep an eye on this Jesus. He’ll be important to every one of us.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 1.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- Ethnically, are you a Jew or a Gentile? Either way, are you glad Jesus came to save Jews and Gentiles? Why or why not?
- Paul says it is a trustworthy statement that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Why are you glad that is true? Who would be saved if He came only to save non-sinners?
- Why do you think God wants to bless a bunch of sinners like those in this genealogy and those who live in this house with Jesus?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
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