While mediating on the meaning of Christmas I've read through the beginning of Matthew. If you are like me I tend to skip over the geneologies in the beginning of Matthew. But this past semester I've preached through the Old Testament covenants. It was wonderful to read through the geneologies again after studying the OT Covenants. It brought to light a greater understanding of God's faithfulness.

Here are a few of insights that I saw while reading Matthew. 

1. Jesus is the son of Abraham and the son of David. Meaning that by being the son of Abraham, Jesus is a true Jew. Abraham is believed to be the first Jewish person because God has him circumcised. Plus the by being Abraham's son he is the one who will bring the promised blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant. Jesus will be the one whom all the nations will be blessed through. By being the son of David, Jesus is the Messiah King who will usher in David's kingdom and this kingdom will never end and Jesus will sit on this throne forever.

2. The climax of Israel's histpory is Jesus himself. Matthew points to major historical figures in this liniage. Matthew uses notes people like Abraham, David, and Josiah (who brought about religious reform in Judah),When Jews read this they would have connected these people with prosperious times. Now comes Jesus who will bring about the fulfillment of all those promises in the past. 

3. Jesus comes from an unpure line. Meaning he has people who are not Jews in his blood line and Matthew makes it a point to include them. People such as Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba, Ruth is a Moabite, Rahab is a prostitue and from Jericho, and Bathsheba is Uriah's wife who committed adultery and probably a Hittite like Uriah. Thinking how inter-racial marriages are taken in the Korean community it was worse in the Jewish community during the OT period. But this comes as a comfort to us because this means all nations are welcomed by Jesus and our God is a missional God. He cares for the nations and desires to bring them in to our community. It is shown in the Old Testament through marriage because marriage is a covenant making promise. Now the church is the bride and Jesus is the bride groom. 

 So as we remember the birth of Jesus let us sit and remember our God and see how he has worked throughout history to bring his redemtive story to fulfillment. Let us be amazed by God's faithfulness and love for us.