Bible passage (chapter numbers)

 Matthew 1:1 – 1:22

Heading

God’s masterplan

3 points of note

·         Matthew 1:17  “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.”

o   Fourteen generations thrice in a row. How mathematically possible can this be? Yet, God created Jesus’ genealogy in that numerical order.

o   Does that not amaze you of God’s wonderful capabilities? From the very beginning, when he made Abraham, He has foreseen that Abraham would be the father of all nations and He foresaw who would be the father of whom.

o   I don’t know about you, but this is terribly exciting to know that God has pre-destined all these men such that they would be the direct ancestors of Jesus Christ, and in perfect number sequence! I counted myself and the numbers tally.

o   Reading from the earlier-mentioned post on Genesis 1:1 – 3:8, we now know that not all is lost. God has planned his masterplan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

·         Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

o   Joseph did not want to dishonor Mary. In Jewish culture, it was the norm for young women to remain virgins until marriage. Mary was found to be pregnant with Jesus. What could Joseph do, except to do the right thing?

o   Yet, the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and asked Joseph not to be afraid of taking Mary as his wife.

o   If I were Joseph, I would grapple with this dilemma: do I do the culturally right thing or do I trust God?

o   What nailed or rather compelled Joseph to trust God were these very words: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

o   Joseph had read the Scriptures many, many times. He knows that there is a Messiah to come. He knows that God’s prophecies would come true in time to come, and by his acceptance of God’s plan, we now read:

·        Matthew 1:22 “ Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying”

o   “It might be fulfilled” – God’s prophecies would come true at the perfect time. After 14 generations thrice in a row, this was the perfect time for Jesus to be born, and from a royal lineage counting King David.

o   We now live in a time where promises are easily made and broken. What can we trust? Who can we trust?

o   The prophets in ancient times were not always seriously taken by the people at that time. What now should we believe and trust, when people have hurt us by their lies?

o   The very fact that the prophecies were written in the Bible and kept for posterity shows us that God and His Word can be trusted 100%.

o   Jesus as the Promised Messiah is now born in flesh, like man. He saves people from their sins. What a wonderful hope there is to know that Jesus can save us.

o   Some of you may doubt, and scoff. Just remember, you could be this Joseph. And in your time of greatest need, God will appear to you and say, “Have faith in Me. Believe Me and leave the rest to Me”. Let God do the worrying for you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. You just need to trust Him.

Summary

God created Jesus’ genealogy such that it would be 14 generations thrice in a row. The mathematical design of God’s planning is amazing to behold. Mary would bring forth Jesus into the world as the Messiah, the one who shall save his people from their sins. If Joseph chose to do the culturally right thing, there would be no Jesus. We need to let go of our control to let God take care of the chaos.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for letting me read about your wonderful story of bringing Jesus as the promised Messiah into the world. We now know that You have already set Your plan of redemption through Jesus, whose name has been divinely proclaimed as “the one who shall save his people from their sins”. It awes and humbles us to see how profoundly creative You are, and that everything You create has its plan, purpose and meaning for that time. May this inspire us to thank You for everything in our lives, and we pray for God’s love upon those who still hurt inside. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.