Return of the King

0: intro me; finished Ruth; Matthew, 1st of 4 gospels, watch + learn from Jesus. lots.

1: done Luke - another? Bible’s all about Jesus . Keyboard “home position” - so much to learn - plan

2: Ruth genealogy connection. Gens 1+2 easy - who can go back 3? 4? 5? 42?

3: boring list of names? a moat? no - there’s a purpose, a pattern, a point. p965, Ruth

4-5: Mt 1:1-17

6: Whatever - Joseph, not the dad cf virgin birth! Mt aware - 42 father of’s & Mt 1:16 mother of; & v17ff

Matthew 1:16 (NIV)

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

7: Why Joseph? Legal status through father; marriage => son; NT Wright. essential for promises to D+A

Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1–15 Jesus’ Genealogy (Matthew 1:1–17)

only a select few, by the first century AD, would trace their own line through King David. Even fewer would be able to continue by going on through Solomon and the other kings of Judah all the way to the exile

So why Joseph? The Jewish understanding was that legal status, legal identity, legal connection came through the father. And when Joseph chooses to marry Mary, legally, Jesus becomes his son - not biologically, but legally; That means Jesus legitimately joins Joseph’s line - and what a line it is: NT Wright says … This legal status, this legal line, was essential for Jesus to truly be the fulfilment of the promises given to David and to Abraham about their line, their successor; without it, he couldn’t possibly be the promised Messiah.

8: male customary - women? not unprecedented 1 Chron 3 separate lines; why here? why these [names]?

9: Selective + peculiar choices: Tamar dresses Gen 38; Rahab was Josh 2; Ruth a Moabite; Bathsheba adultery 2 Sam 11

10: “dirty laundry” in line? David highpoint otherwise. But Ruth righteous; heroines in Jewish tradition

11: + don’t need women! - Jacob cheats birthright+blessing; Abraham lies; Rehoboam + Ahaz notorious

12: anomaly in line, preparing for Mary? Ruth; Tamar; but Rahab? And why Bathsheba unnamed?

13: inclusion. Tamar Canaanite; Rahab Canaanite; Ruth Moabite; Uriah’s wife (Hittite)

14: why? Abraham, root, promised all nations blessed through you Gen 12:2-3 - about to explode from Jews through Jesus

Genesis 12:2–3 NIV

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

15: more: obviously sculpted - Mt 1:17 3 x 14s how convenient! omissions - legit b/c “begat” telescopes. But why?

Matthew 1:17 NIV

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

16: best answer with a song. Aleph-Bet

18: DVD = 4+6+4 = 14

19: one more way of underlining - notice he’s the “king” - Mt 1:6

Matthew 1:6 NIV

and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

20: why David? why 3 14s? waxing and waning - “Return of the king” Super-David coming

21: Jesus, true + better David; fulfils David’s “forever” kingdom; fulfils Abraham’s “all nations”

22: So what? Mt point: the Promised Messiah = series name; not hoping/longing - has come

23: downhill from summit again? can feel that; days are dark. church down + right. world gone crazy. sky is falling.

24: David’s kingdom + line withers; hopes crushed. Christ’s advances, family grows; fission chain reaction, dominoes

25: age of fulfilment; we’re part of the story; Kingdom advancing in, through + beyond us (key Mt theme);

26: reason for hope - something to celebrate at Christmas, something to share at Christmas