January 15, 2020
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part 7 Judah married Er to a young Canaanite woman named Tamar. Their marriage was short-lived. Er died. So Judah ordered his n ext son, Onan to have sex with Tamar in order “to raise up offspring for your brother.” This was what we know as “levirate marriage” (more on that later). […]
January 8, 2020
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part 6 In Ge. 38:1-3 the narrative of Judah and Tamar is written. Judah was the fourth-born to Jacob’s first wife Leah. He was the “father” of the future Isrealites who later took on his name to describe their territory — the southern kingdom of Judah — and their national/ethnic designation: “Jews”. […]
January 1, 2020
Jesus ‘ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part 5 But before moving on, there is something powerfully ironic in this genealogy. In contradistinction to almost all other Jewish records, Matthew’s includes women! Here are their stories. In Ge. 19:30-38 we read about Lot’s daughters. Lot, Abraham’s nephew had settled in Sodom which at that time was a fertile […]
December 25, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part Four But the common people, those illiterate, impressionable labourers, farmers, and shop-keepers, also had their say: “Could this be the Son of David?” (Mt. 12: 23) “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy o me!’” (Mt. 15:22) Perhaps the ultimate declaration, […]
December 18, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part Three This critical heritage was of huge import to later biblical writers. Listen to Peter, as he speaks to thousands in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:29-36: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here […]
December 11, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 2 This emphasis on genealogical purity was even harsher when it came to the centuries-long Jewish expectation of a future messiah. His pedigree had to go back all the way to Abraham, and, more specifically, he had to be a “son of David”. This is why Matthew starts his genealogy […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]
January 1, 2020
Jesus ‘ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part 5 But before moving on, there is something powerfully ironic in this genealogy. In contradistinction to almost all other Jewish records, Matthew’s includes women! Here are their stories. In Ge. 19:30-38 we read about Lot’s daughters. Lot, Abraham’s nephew had settled in Sodom which at that time was a fertile […]
December 25, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part Four But the common people, those illiterate, impressionable labourers, farmers, and shop-keepers, also had their say: “Could this be the Son of David?” (Mt. 12: 23) “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy o me!’” (Mt. 15:22) Perhaps the ultimate declaration, […]
December 18, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part Three This critical heritage was of huge import to later biblical writers. Listen to Peter, as he speaks to thousands in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:29-36: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here […]
December 11, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 2 This emphasis on genealogical purity was even harsher when it came to the centuries-long Jewish expectation of a future messiah. His pedigree had to go back all the way to Abraham, and, more specifically, he had to be a “son of David”. This is why Matthew starts his genealogy […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]
December 25, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part Four But the common people, those illiterate, impressionable labourers, farmers, and shop-keepers, also had their say: “Could this be the Son of David?” (Mt. 12: 23) “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy o me!’” (Mt. 15:22) Perhaps the ultimate declaration, […]
December 18, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part Three This critical heritage was of huge import to later biblical writers. Listen to Peter, as he speaks to thousands in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:29-36: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here […]
December 11, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 2 This emphasis on genealogical purity was even harsher when it came to the centuries-long Jewish expectation of a future messiah. His pedigree had to go back all the way to Abraham, and, more specifically, he had to be a “son of David”. This is why Matthew starts his genealogy […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]
December 18, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part Three This critical heritage was of huge import to later biblical writers. Listen to Peter, as he speaks to thousands in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:29-36: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here […]
December 11, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 2 This emphasis on genealogical purity was even harsher when it came to the centuries-long Jewish expectation of a future messiah. His pedigree had to go back all the way to Abraham, and, more specifically, he had to be a “son of David”. This is why Matthew starts his genealogy […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]
December 11, 2019
Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 2 This emphasis on genealogical purity was even harsher when it came to the centuries-long Jewish expectation of a future messiah. His pedigree had to go back all the way to Abraham, and, more specifically, he had to be a “son of David”. This is why Matthew starts his genealogy […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]
December 5, 2019
Jesus Ancestors (1:1-17) – Part 1 Nobody enjoys reading genealogies. That is, unless you’re a genealogist! The Bible has several, and most of us when confronted by one tend to roll our eyes and press the delete button. It seems irrelevant. But in Jesus’ day, genealogies were taken with great seriousness. A genealogy was see […]