- araratchurch
- Dec 4, 2023
- 4 min read
“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah. Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.”
Matthew 1:1-17 NLT
Yes, I know, reading the “begets” can be laborious; and yes, I have been known to skip over these sections throughout the Bible. But—especially when we are looking at the line through which Jesus came—we must pay close attention.
Indeed, you will see in Jesus’ genealogy all kinds of people, some famous for being very good, some, not so much. But it isn’t about those people; it was and is about God’s promise to David, that the Messiah, the King of kings, would come through him.
Here are a couple of examples of prophetic words signaling that the Messiah would be from the house of David:
“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.”
Isaiah 11:1-5 NLT
““For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.”
Jeremiah 23:5-6 NLT
Note, the Jeremiah passage references a time yet to come!
As well, taking up further in the passage from Isaiah 11, we see reference to the Second Coming of Jesus when He will rule and reign over all the Earth. And, take note, this is still fulfilling the promise to David:
“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.”
Isaiah 11:6-10 NLT
Make no mistake, the Lord honors David, a man who consistently sought after the heart of God even from a tender age. And, though he sometimes failed miserably, he never failed to be humble before the Lord and make things right with Him.
Now imagine, as much as David found favor in the eyes of the Lord, truly, the awesome feature in this scenario is God’s unwavering commitment to the promises He makes.
For today meditate on our faithful God Who keeps promises through all generations. Additionally, think about how important it is for us to stay humble before the Lord and to trust that what He has said, He will do!
Finally, let us also consider that God is still working on keeping that promise to David; He will send Jesus back to rule and reign forever.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Dec 2, 2023
- 2 min read
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT
The coming of the Messiah seemed to have taken many people by surprise. Indeed, even those who were well acquainted with the Old Testament prophecies—the Jewish leaders—refused to recognize Who Jesus was.
The reality is, the Lord really wants His people to know what He is planning. We only fail to know, when we don’t take the time to search His word and to listen to the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the prophet Amos tells us:
“Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7 NLT
Interestingly, our opening scripture, although often quoted, is seldom examined within its context. Just before this passage we see these verses:
“Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.”
Isaiah 9:1-2 NLT
When Jesus began His public ministry, He did so in Galilee. As well, we see verification that this was the fulfilling of the above prophecy in Matthew’s Gospel:
“When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.””
Matthew 4:12-16 NLT
For today and tomorrow meditate on the fact that the Lord weaves the story of the future through the events of the past. Consider how the appearance of Christ was woven through all the Old Testament prophecies.
Additionally, consider what we are seeing today that was described prophetically in the Old and New Testaments concerning the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. Are you paying attention?
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Dec 2, 2023
- 3 min read
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
John 1:1-5, 10-14 NLT
For these days leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ, please join Ararat Church in our own Advent adventure. On each of these 25 days we will take one portion of the true Christmas story as seen in the Holy scriptures. We will consider these passages with limited commentary as this is a time for personal reflection and preparation.
Now, the method of observance of Advent varies from Western to Eastern observances, with even the days of observance varying. However, originally, they all had a common purpose.
The term “Advent” comes from a Latin word meaning “coming.” Traditionally this was a period of time used for preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ as well as preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Indeed, the liturgical meaning of the Advent season referred to the dual “coming” of Jesus.
Sadly, for the most part, many Christians have neglected the latter emphasis on preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Perhaps that is why even the other purpose of the observance of Advent has also been lost: preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s birth.
Now, we generally think of the preparation for a celebration as involving the logistics of the celebration: attire, food, decor, gifts, music, venue, and so on.
However, the Advent season is meant to be a time of preparation of the heart for the celebration of the birth of Christ, as well as preparation for the Second Advent (the Second Coming). We consider: Do I understand what Christ did by coming to dwell among us? As well: Do I believe that He is physically coming back to dwell with us forever?
We begin today with a passage from the book of John which gives a concise—but complete—overview of what the celebration of Christmas is about: The Word became flesh.
Jesus said:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NLT
For today meditate on the fact that the Power through which all things have been created, condescended into a mortal body to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. As well, meditate upon whether or not you have true expectancy in terms of the Lord’s Second Coming.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!