02 Grace in the Family Tree

02 Grace in the family Tree:

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1. Roots, A Christmas Gift –

a. Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

i. Luke 3:23-38 Gives the lineage all the way back to Adam

b. Matthew 1:16 “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus…”

2. There is grief in the family tree of Jesus –

a. Matthew 1:2 “Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

b. Matthew 1:6 “And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;”

3. There is Grace in the family tree –

a. Matthew 1:5 “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”

i. The Kinsmen Redeemer

4. There is God in the family tree of Jesus –

a. Matthew 1:16 “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”

75 names listed in the genealogy of Christ in Luke 3. If you read the devotion, we gave you, then you know that the family tree of Jesus is made up of paupers and princes, shepherds and slaves, kings, and harlots. I wonder how many of us can list more than three of four of our ancestors.

A careful study of the genealogy of Christ will reveal that His family tree (like yours) is filled with grief.

Abraham was asked to leave all that he knew and go to a country that God would show him. He was asked to send away his first born son, into the desert. Rahab watched as her kinsmen were killed. Ruth’s husband and both of her sons died, leaving her with no man to care for her. King David lost an infant child and later lost a couple of grown sons.

Thanksgiving and Christmas, two of the most grief filled seasons for so many people. You may be one of them. Then there is the grief our Lord suffered in the garden just before being crucified.

Oh, but there is also grace in the family tree of Jesus.

· Abraham, who believed God tried to help God by lying with Sarah maidservant.

o God forgave him and fulfilled HIS promise just the same

· Jacob was a deceiver.

o Yet God forgave him and created a nation from his offspring.

· Tamar played the role of a harlot, seduced her father-in-law through this deceit.

o God blessed her with twins, one of which would be in the lineage of Christ.

o God forgave Judah as well for his role in this mater

· Judah slept with a prostitute who turned out to be his daughter-in-law, all because he wasn’t a man of his word, fearing to give her his last son.

· Boaz was born of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute

o Yet God received her into the family

· Ruth (daughter in law to Rahab) herself was a Moabite (Lot’s daughters had relations with him…)

· David was a murderer and an adulterer

· Bathsheba was an adulterous woman

· Solomon was a womanizer

· Yet all of these displayed a true faith in God (??) in some manner or another.

C

Grief & Grace in the Family Tree of Christ

Often time, we will use the expression, my life is a mess. Some even declaring that their life is too messed up for GOD to want to have anything to do with them. Or worst yet, my sins are too many and so bad, God wouldn’t possibly forgive me.

On top of that we will add our family. My family is a mess. It’s full of drunks, thieves, addicts and possibly even murderers. What chance do I have with God?

Let me say this, your life, your family is not the only own that is rooted in ugly doings.

This morning we will look at the lineage, (the family history) of Christ. It’s not all that pretty!

READ Matthew 1:1-17

1. Abraham – Lied about Sarah being his sister = Vacillating faith

o Grief – leave your family and country – Genesis 12:1

o Grace – all nations shall be blessed of thee – Genesis 22:18

2. Jacob – A Deceiver = fearful faith

o Grief – deceived into marrying Leah – Genesis 29:21-26

o Grace – blessed of God with 12 sons – Genesis 28:13-15 / Chapter 49

3. Rehab – A Canaanite prostitute = Hers was a New Faith

o Grief – watched her country die – Joshua 2

o Grace – God provided a husband, taking her out of the life of a harlot – Matthew 1:5

4. Ruth – A Moabite woman (Moabites came out of an incestuous relation between Lot and his daughters.

o Greif – widowed at a young age - Ruth

o Grace – married the kinsman redeemer - Ruth

5. Tamar – played the roles of a deceiver and a harlot – Genesis 38:24

o Grief – Two brothers she married died before giving her a child

o Grace – blessed with twin boys and received into the family thus provided for.

6. Judah – Failed to honor his promise to Tamar; played the whoremonger when out of town

o Grief – 2 of his sons died at a young age

o Grace – blessed of Jacob and God – twin grandsons as well

§ Genesis 49:8 “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:”

§ Genesis 49:10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

7. Bathsheba – Adulterous woman; perhaps co-conspirator with David

o Grief – watched her new born child die; (perhaps her first born child)

§ Exodus 34:19 “All that openeth the matrix is mine…”

o Grace – Forgiven, blessed with another son; heir to the throne

8. David – Guilty of adultery and murder

o Grief – watch his new born child die; in fact he watch several sons die

§ II Samuel 12:10 “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house;”

o Grace – Blessed with a mighty kingdom

§ II Samuel 7:12-13 “I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

9. Solomon – Womanizer

o Grief – think about it, 700 wives, 300 concubines; many of whom he built temples for their gods. - 1 Kings 11:3 “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”

o Grace – Blessed with a peace filled reign.

§ I Chronicles 22:9 (God to David) “Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.”

10. You - There is grace enough for you!

o Grief – Jesus understands your grief; His was in the garden and on the cross

§ READ Psalm 143

§ HE understands that you are or were a liar, a deceiver, a whore or whoremonger, a Gentile, a phony, a person without integrity, an adulterer, a womanize, or even a murderer. But that is not who you are in Christ! That is no longer your identity!

§ Through Christ, you are becoming who HE intended you to be.

o Grace – There is Grace enough for you! There is peace and joy to be had – God is not mad at you – He loves you and HE beckons you to come. The God of creation desires a relationship with YOU!

The word of God says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19.

Songs:

Are you hurting and broken within?

Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?

Jesus is calling

Have you come to the end of yourself

Do you thirst for a drink from the well?

Jesus is calling

O come to the altar

The Father's arms are open wide

Forgiveness was bought with

The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Blessed Assurance!

C

Grief & Grace in the Family Tree of Christ

Often time, we will use the expression, my life is a mess. Some even declaring that their life is too messed up for GOD to want to have anything to do with them. Or worst yet, my sins are too many and so bad, God wouldn’t possibly forgive me.

On top of that we will add our family. My family is a mess. It’s full of drunks, thieves, addicts and possibly even murderers. What chance do I have with God?

Let me say this, your life, your family is not the only own that is rooted in ugly doings.

This morning we will look at the lineage, (the family history) of Christ. It’s not all that pretty!

Closing thoughts:

You - There is grace enough for you!

o Grief – Jesus understands your grief; His was in the garden and on the cross

§ READ Psalm 143

§ HE understands that you are or were a liar, a deceiver, a whore or whoremonger, a Gentile, a phony, a person without integrity, an adulterer, a womanize, or even a murderer. But that is not who you are in Christ! That is no longer your identity!

§ Through Christ, you are becoming who HE intended you to be.

o Grace – There is Grace enough for you! There is peace and joy to be had – God is not mad at you – He loves you and HE beckons you to come. The God of creation desires a relationship with YOU!

The word of God says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19.