"Reflecting on the Season"

Geneology?? If we are honest our initial reactions to this word are not real positive. Just lots and lots of begats and numerous amounts of names no one has any business pronouncing.  Last week, however, we saw that geneology in the New Testament is beautifully linked to promise. Go back to the garden where Adam and Eve had perfect fellowship with God. Sin came in and tragically ripped those who were once close in communion with God and made them enemies and strangers. It is in this garden, however, that we see the love of God declare His promise that He would take that which was broken and redeem it through the Promise of a Seed that would come through Eve.

"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” 
(Genesis 3:15 ESV)

If we see in the Old Testament this promise-fulfillment background our hearts are filled with amazement and hope as God keeps His word. Eve gives birth to Cain who then kills Abel. Then in Genesis 4:25 Eve reacts to the birth of her third child, Seth.

"And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

Notice her words, "God has appointed for me another offspring. The word for offspring in the Hebrew means "seed".  Eve may not have understood when this promised one would come on the scene, but she seemed to be mindful of the promise God had made.  It would be from Seth that God would start the fulfillment.  Through the line of Seth eventually would come Noah.  The man who constructed the ark would have three boys: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  It would be through the line of Shem that Abram would be born. This man form Ur would receive the Promise in Genesis 12:1-3. It would be in these verses we find that ultimately the Seed would bless all the families of the earth. You see, God was keeping His word He origninally made to Eve. He would be faithful. All through Genesis we see the promise reiterated to those within this line of Promise. We see it reiterated with Isaac, and then Jacob, and then to Judah. As the Old Testament continues to develop we see this promise come through Judah and eventually lead to David.

The reader of the Old Testament is left to wonder and look diligently for this promised seed.  The last book of the Old Testament was written by the prophet Malachi.  This would start a period of 400 years of silence.  Had God forgotten His promise?  When would this Deliverer and Messiah come?  We come to the book of Matthew.  The opening words read...

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

God had been faithful!  He did keep His word!  He was openly declaring His faithfulness. So the next time you read the geneology of Jesus reflect on the fact that God always keeps His Word. Everything He has said will be fulfilled.

This Christmas be reminded of His faithful Word, and allow that reminder to compel you to trust in His promises that have yet to be fulfilled. He WILL BE FAITHFUL.

Tomorrow we are going to look at the meaning of Christmas. There are so many places we could go but we are going to focus on one of the clearest verses that sums up the wonder of the Gospel.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
(2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

As we examine this text we will see it illustrated through several Old Testament Messianic predictions. My prayer is that God will overwhelm our heart to worship Him.  We will see that God in the midst of our sin brought hope and redemption through Jesus.  As the old Christmas song encourages us to do, we need to Go and tell it on the mountain!