The Un-Series: Week 1 Day 1

Matthew 1:1-17 (ESV)

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

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Yep, that’s a lot of names! If you’re anything like me, you zoned out a little reading that list. Maybe you recognized a few of the names, but many are unfamiliar; these unfamiliar names are worth examining.

There were all kinds of people on the path from Abraham, forming the covenant with God, all the way to Jesus, who was the fulfilment of that agreement. God didn’t prop up a series of powerful rulers or wise teachers to fortify the lineage of the Messiah; every one of these names was associated with a story of flaws, struggle, and heartbreak. They were proof that God did not, and will not, abandon us in our weakness, but instead show His faithfulness in unexpected ways.

As we explore the tumultuous progress of God’s promise, consider your place among the names beyond the list. We all contain a demonstrative element of God’s faithfulness, from strength of the unbroken, to perseverance of the unseen, to revitalization of the unenthused.

Maybe you’re simply unconvinced, that’s okay too, because there’s room for all types at the table. Welcome to the journey of learning what this unexpected joy is all about.