Monday, June 7, 2010
Opening Day
Today is the first day of NT Challenge, and I'm wondering what people thought as they opened up their Bibles and were met with a nice, long genealogy. Did people keep reading or did they hit a speed bump and lose control when they came to Ram, Amminadab, and Nahshon (Matt. 1:4)? Why is this genealogy here? Although it is not exciting reading material, it is important. Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises to David & Abraham (1:1) As you read Matthew keep an eye out for the word "fulfilled". In today's reading alone, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah (Matthew 1:22), Micah (Matt. 2:5), Hosea (2:15), Jeremiah (2:17).
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I enjoyed today's reading. In CH1 it begins by reminding us what God had promised us in His Word. Then in CH3 we find the Word made flesh in His Son Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteIn Ch1:21 it reminds us that we are sinners and out of fellowship with God and in need of a savior. Then in verse 23 the word Immanuel is used reminding us that God still wants a relationship with us.
So we see that Jesus is the entire package we need. Through Him we have forgiveness of sins and our relationship with God the Father is restored.
Blessings 2 all!
joe
I do have to say that opening the book of Matthew up to find a long list of names is not the most encouraging way to start out trying to tackle the New Testament. After we put together the genealogy of Jesus and what the importance of it being listed is (tying it together with the Old Testament) It was hard for us to stop reading when we finished chapter 3.
ReplyDeleteOn another note it says that Jesus doesn’t come back until Herod dies and is no longer a threat but I though Herod was there with Pilate when deciding to crucify Jesus’? Is Herod just another name for a King like Henry? We know this is jumping ahead a bit but It just stuck out when reading the beginning chapters from prior knowledge.
Josh & Kassidy
I find the genealogy of Jesus amazing... As I stumble through the pronunciations I find names that are familiar. It is remarkable that God used ordinary people and imperfect people to bear His perfect Son.
ReplyDeleteRahab: a harlot
David: bore Solomon with a woman he commuted adultery with and had her husband murdered.
Ahaz: worshiped false gods and took the items from the temple and shut the temples down
There are many who were faithful to God in this look at Jesus' genealogy but I find comfort in knowing that God will use the willing and indeed uses those who don't even acknowledge Him for His good purposes.
Then I think of Joseph, faithful to a woman who was pregnant with a child that was not his. He listened to what God said to him and in turn fulfilled teachings written 100's of years before he was born. Had he not listened would Herod been successful in killing our Messiah with all the other babies murdered?
And John the baptist, I smile when I think of him. In my mind I see Rupert from survivor... Coming out of the desert looking starved - preaching repentance, telling the Pharisees exactly what he thought and just "who" was coming.
Glad to be on this journey and thank you, Adam for the challenge!
Josh & Kassidy I'm thrilled that you kept reading past the days assignment. The King who died was Herod the Great. His son, Herod Antipas, takes over and will encounter Jesus in Luke 23. Great question
ReplyDeleteI found it curious that king Herod believed in the prophesies enough that he actively sought to kill Jesusas a baby, yet the pharises, who knew the them better than most were not actively watching for his coming.
ReplyDelete