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 and His birth into world.
3. Understanding the genealogy and birth of Jesus strengthens our faith as we view God's power and 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 with Davidic and 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 and 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 and 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 and Mary the elements needed to fulfill Messianic promises.
  4. The universality of Jesus' mission and 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 and 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 and problems!

  C. The Birth Of A King - Lk. 1:26-33 (Jno. 18:37).
  1. v. 32 - Throne ( Power, authority to rule and 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 and birth emphasize the great care God took to save us from our sins and to grant us eternal life!