For Everyone

Read: Matthew 1.1-17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Who is Jesus? Matthew begins his answer to this question by listing Jesus' "family tree." Matthew is writing primarily to readers with a Jewish background, and he wants to prove that Jesus is the savior ("Messiah") that was promised to the Hebrew (Jewish) people in the Old Testament. Matthew shows that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham (the ancestral father of the Hebrew people) and of David (the greatest Hebrew king), making Jesus an heir to the throne of the nation of Israel (the Hebrew people). In other words, Jesus is truly a King in the way the world understands the term, but he also qualifies as the promised savior as a descendant of both men. This Savior/King is the fulfillment of God's promise, proving God's faithfulness and trustworthiness. However, this is a Savior/King whose ancestry includes two women who were not Jewish (Rahab and Ruth) and two women involved in scandalous sin (Tamar and Uriah's wife). Perhaps Matthew is already letting us know that this Savior/King is one that understands that salvation from sin is the fundamental salvation people need, and that it is needed by more than simply the Jewish people. Perhaps Matthew is previewing a Savior/King for all people, everywhere, from every place in life.