JESUS OF NAZARETH:
HIS GENEALOGY AND BIRTH

 
Intro.
1. Bible provides a recorded history of the ancestry /descent Jesus.
2. Eph. 1:10 - God's eternal plan centers upon Christ.
  a. The Bible is the unfolding (revelation) of the divine plan to save man.
  b. Records the history of the Messiah's ancestors & His birth into world.
3. Understanding the genealogy & birth of Jesus strengthens our faith as we view God's power & love at work to save us from our sins.

I. THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS.
  A. Matthew's List (Abraham -- Jesus) - Matt. 1:1-17.
  [Purpose: To Show That Jesus Is Of The Proper Lineage To Be The Messiah.]
  1. Matthew's gospel provides a Jewish audience with evidence of the Messiahship of Jesus:
  a. Royal lineage; fulfilled prophecy; miracles; personal character; predictions He made.
  b. If His genealogy wasn't proper (royal), the Jews wouldn't listen to 	Him - cf. Jno. 7:42; Matt. 22:42.
  2. Associates Jesus w/ Davidic & Abrahamic promises.
  3. 1:16 - The official, legally recognized lineage of Jesus thru Joseph:
  a. 1:16 - "Whom" - Feminine gender -- Mary!
  b. So, this list doesn't prove Jesus had the blood of David, but that He was Joseph's lawful & legal heir, and thus legally inherited the throne through Joseph - cf. 2 Chron. 23:3.
  c. Without this legal claim to David's throne established, all the preaching of Jesus as the Messiah would be invalidated!
  4. In Matt. 4:1-17 we see:
  a. ORIGIN OF DAVID'S HOUSE - v. 2-6.
  b. ITS RISE & DECLINE - v. 7-11.
  c. ITS ECLIPSE - v. 12-16 -- BUT, not totally - cf. 1 Kgs. 11:36 -- Isa. 11:1.
  5. In Jesus, this promise finds fulfillment!

  B. Luke's List (Jesus -- Adam) - Lk. 3:23-28.
  [Purpose: Show Jesus' Relationship To All Men.]
  1. Actual bloodline of Jesus.
  a. 3:23 - Supposedly son of Joseph, but actually the son of Heli,....
  b. Cf. Lk. 1:32; Rom. 1:3 - Father David, Son of David.
  2. 3:31 - Bloodline thru Nathan; Royal line thru Solomon - Matt. 1:6.
  3. Luke shows Jesus' kinship to all of humanity, as he takes Jesus' ancestry all the way back to Adam, the son of God (3:38).

  C. Lessons From The Genealogies Of Jesus:
  1. Jesus is the legal heir to throne of David (not a usurper).
  2. God fulfilled His promise to David - Acts 13:23 (Rom. 1:3).
  3. See God's providence at work to accomplish in the ancestry of Joseph & Mary the elements needed to fulfill Messianic promises.
  4. The universality of Jesus' mission & message.

II. THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
  A. The Birth Of Immanuel - Matt. 1:21-25.
  1. The incarnation necessitated the virgin birth - Must realize the divinity of Jesus - cf. Jno. 1:1-3, 14.
  2. Phil. 2:5-8 - He left heaven to become a servant -- Became a man to serve God & man!
* 3. We must acknowledge who He is! - Jno. 8:23-24; Col. 2:9.

  B. The Birth Of A Man - Matt. 1:18, 25.
  1. Must realize the humanity of Jesus.
  -Lk. 2:12, 42, 51-52; 3:23 - He grew from infancy to adolescence to adulthood just like all of us do - Fully experienced being human.
  2. Therefore, He knows / understands our problems - Heb. 2:14, 17-18.
  3. Heb. 4:15-16 - We can trust in His capacity to empathize with our situations & problems!

  C. The Birth Of A King - Lk. 1:26-33 (Jno. 18:37).
  1. v. 32 - Throne ( Power, authority to rule & reign.
  2. v. 33 - His kingdom ( House of Jacob ( The people of God (Acts 2:30-31). Col. 1:13, 18 - His church!
  3. "No end" to kingdom - Heb. 12:28 (Psa. 110:1-2 ( Acts 2:34-36).
  4. We must be in His kingdom, living under His rule! (Col. 1:13)

  D. The Birth Of A Savior - Matt. 1:21; Lk. 2:11.
  1. Jesus - "Jehovah is salvation."
  2. 1:21 - Salvation from sins - cf. Jno. 1:29; Lk. 19:10.
  3. We must come to Him for salvation! (Matt. 11:28-30)

Conclusion
  Jesus' genealogy & birth emphasize the great care God took to save us from our sins and to grant us eternal life!