A Geneology of Suffering

1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of

Abraham.

-We have spent time on Abraham in Sunday School

-Leaving of family, country, and nation

-Half truths

-Lot and all his issues

-Hagar and Sarah

-Infertility

-Issac and Ishmael

2 Abraham begat Isaac;

-Was about to be sacrificed by his father

-Death of his mother

-Infertility

-Jacob and Esau

-Rebecca getting involved in it

and Isaac begat Jacob;

-Constant strife with Esau and running from him

-Lived a nomadic life as a deceiver

-Laban, Leah, and Rachel

-Infertility

-The rape of Dinah

and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

-This would be Judah and his brothers

-Joseph

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab;

and Booz begat Obed of Ruth;

-This would refer to Boaz

-Ruth and Boaz come together in marriage by way of much suffering in the life of Ruth and Naomi

and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king;

-Here is a life of ups and downs

-Sufferings and joy

-He was despised by his brothers

-Fought a giant

-Was hated and hunted by Saul

-Commits sin with Bathsheba

-Uriah dies

-The child dies

-The desire of Absolom to take the throne

-The rape of Tamar

and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of

-All of the wives

-The riches which brought on disillusionment with the things of the world

-To get the picture read Ecclesiastes

Urias;

-Uriah

7 And Solomon begat Roboam;

-The division of the kingdom

and Roboam begat Abia; and

-Abijah…started good but ended wicked like his father

Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham;

and Joatham begat Achaz;

-Ahaz

-Sacrificed to pagan gods

-Burnt incense to false gods on the hilltops

-Burned his children in the fire

and Achaz begat Ezekias;

-Hezekiah

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses;

-Menassah

-Worshipped:

-Astrology

-Worshipped the dead

-Murdered his predecessor to gain the throne

-Attacked a city and became so angry he cut open the pregnant women and killed the babies

and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

-The exile was a time of suffering and judgment

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat tZorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph

-Faced with the difficult decision of what to do with Mary

-Taking his pregnant wife on a trip mandated by the government

the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

-All that Mary endured

-The questions

-The looks

-The whispering

-The assumptions

-The pregnant donkey ride to Nazareth

-Childbirth

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.

Matthew 2

16-23

-The anger of Herod and the death of the male children 2 and under

-Yet another trip but this time with a toddler and all the way to Egypt

-There is an eventual return but to a different city

In the full Christmas account, we find joy and hope but when we look through the genealogy, we see that the joy and hope of Christmas was born out of suffering and difficulty.

James 1:2-5

The natural human response to suffering is to escape it but God uses suffering and difficulty to mature His people.

This Christmas may be difficult…you may be facing suffering or trials but the genealogy here in Matthew can bring hope.

In the same way that all of the sufferings of Jesus’ ancestors brought hope God can bring hope in the midst of your sufferings and difficulties.

God is the God of hope

James finishes in verse 5 by directing those who are suffering or facing difficulty to look to God and allow Him to guide them and direct them.

Lets see the difficulties of this life through the wisdom of God

He is the one with the wisdom

He is the one who is able

He is the one who is worthy.