Advent Week 1

Adventus- arrival 

How is that different than Christmas? We put a sticker on top of all of the same busyness, consumerism, and chaos as the world and say it’s for Jesus. We don’t quiet ourselves and feel the longing and anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. Advent is a means for us to live differently. 

All scripture is God breathed and useful. What is the value of the genealogies? 

This opening was not boring to Matthew and his audience. It was about the fulfillment of Israel’s story. 

How do we handle the differences in Matthew and Luke’s genealogy?

There weren’t actually 14 generations in between these historical markers. He is intentionally causing the number 14 to be repeated three times. This was meaningful to the Hebrew audience. They would have heard the value of David’s name: 14. Also, the number 7 was understood and perfection. So three 14s is six 7s and Jesus steps in as the seventh 7. He is perfect perfection!

Matthew is showing Jesus’ right to claim Kingship over Israel in the line of David. 

Vs 1-6 Awaiting a King

The women included in the list were considered very immoral, scandalous and unclean. Matthew knows that the listener would be having a hard time with God bringing about his plan through a poor, insignificant, unmarried Jewish girl. He stumps this argument by highlighting these scandalous women in David’s lineage. 

Vs 6b-11 Disappointed by fallen kings

In this list are kings that not only turned their backs on God, but mandated the worship of other gods. In this section are kings that hunted down and murdered God’s prophets. 

This section shows that God would be faithful to his promise for a Messiah despite the corruption of the kings in this lineage. God is not responding to humanity’s awesomeness. 

Vs 12-17 Awaiting a better king

This section happens during the inter-testamental period; the 400 years of silence. The kings that Babylon put on the thrown are not part of the lineage of David. This section represents disappointment and longing for a better king and God says, “ok, I’ll come be your king.”