Faithful God, perfect plan
MATTHEW 1:12-17 | CRAIG CAMPBELL
‘After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud, Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.’
Verses 12-17 are the culmination of Matthew’s genealogy when the person who all of the Old Testament story points towards is named: “Jesus who is called the Messiah”.
Matthew’s genealogy reminds us of the story of God’s people: the nation was formed through Abraham’s family; then Israel became a kingdom and prospered under David’s reign; then the nation spiralled into disobedience under disobedient kings; devastating exile followed, which God had promised for their unfaithfulness towards him. Now in v12-17, we reach the final part of the Old Testament story where a remnant of God’s people had been preserved and returned to the land, but even then they seemed vulnerable and a poor imitation of the kingdom they once were. They had no king to rule over them and defend them, and the nations around them were competing with each other to sweep Israel up into their kingdoms and snuff them out completely. Yet during this time God continued to preserve his people until the one he had promised arrived. God had promised to Adam an offspring who would come to conquer evil, to Abraham an offspring who would bless the world by bringing salvation to it, and to David an offspring who would reign over God’s people as the true and perfect King they needed. Despite Israel’s tumultuous existence and near extinction, God kept all the promises he had made to his people and sent his own Son to be the Messiah they had been waiting for.
We praise you God for your amazing plan from the beginning of history to bring your Son to the world to be our Saviour. Faithful God, we ask that you would preserve us, your people, until we reach our home with you.
