Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – A dozen years ago a Wycliffe Bible Translator got some local help and began translating Matthew.

To avoid confusion, he skipped the list of names in Matt 1.

He was disappointed that no helper professed faith in Christ.

Eventually, they had to go back to chapter 1.

By the time they got to the fourth, fifth and sixth begat, he saw the men getting excited.

Their faces lit up!

They stopped him and said, “You mean this Abraham was a real person?

David was a real person?

Jesus was real?

These are not just stories you white men have made up, that these are real people?”

And he said, “Yes!”

They said, “Well, we get it now!

We understand this.

We know our ancestors back 50 generations.

You have been telling us the truth about this man Jesus – that he had ancestors who were real people.

God really did these things.”

The power of a genealogy.

Luke does the same for Theophilus.

He places Jesus in the human race.

But this is no ordinary human.

He is in the list, but also above the list.

Every other person in the list shares humanity’s worst nightmare – all are sinners.

He alone is not.

He is on the list, but He is also the Savior of the list.

Without Him the list is eternally condemned.

With Him, acceptance by God becomes possible.

But it will be costly.

Sin requires payment – by the sinner or by a perfect substitute.

Luke purposely places the genealogy between the baptism of Christ, where He identifies with sinful mankind – and the temptation of chapter 4 where He succeeds where the first Adam failed.

He is perfectly suited to fulfill His mission --to seek and to save the lost.

Matthew 1 also has a genealogy of Christ, with notable differences.

In Matthew, the list starts with Abraham and works forward to Christ, showing Him as King of the Jews.

Luke starts with Jesus and works backwards, all the way to Adam, showing the humanity of Christ and the universal nature of the gospel.

It’s not just for Jews, but for everyone – all the way to Adam.

Matthew gives Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, his legal father – Luke through Mary – His biological lineage.

He says in Lu 3:30, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.”

Luke details Jesus’ virgin birth.

But he was raised by Joseph who was “supposed” by most people to be his true father.

Joseph’s father is Jacob per Matt 1:16.

So, who is the Heli?

The Jewish Talmud says he’s Mary’s father.

So, some place the entire phrase “being the son as was supposed of Joseph” in parenthesis, positioning Jesus as son (actually grandson) of Heli, Mary’s father.

The word “son” is not actually used before Heli – it simply says “of Heli”.

It is also possible that Heli adopted Joseph if he had no sons.

The genealogy affirms His credentials to seek and to save the lost.”

But while He is part of list, His mission in history is nothing less than to restore that list, plus the 150 billion other people who have lived, to what was lost when Adam sinned –back to conformity with the will of God.

This genealogy tells us who He is and why He is qualifies for His mission.

The key phrase here is “son of” – 76 times!

Can’t look at all, but I want us to review 4 of those to see different aspects of Jesus’ fitness for His mission.

*I.

Son of David (Ruler for God)*

V. 31 – “son of David.”

God made a covenant with King David around 1,000 BC in II Sam 7:16, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.

Your throne shall be established forever.”

Clearly, this did not happen right away.

Israel’s penchant for idolatry led to captivity in Babylon within 400 years leaving no kingdom and no king.

Kingdom over?! Well, not so fast.

God renews His promises to Daniel, a Hebrew leader in the captivity.

One particularly noteworthy prophecy is Daniel 7:13) “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days (God the Father) and was presented before him.

14) And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

God is still planning a Davidic kingship – but through a single king!

One like a “son of man”, thus human.

Fast forward 600 years.

(God is never in a hurry?!).

How can a man reign forever?

In Luke 1:32-33 Gabriel tells Mary of Jesus, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

How can a man reign forever?

He is a God-man -- Jesus, the ultimate son of David who fulfills all the promises.

Which is exactly what the disciples of Jesus expected of Messiah, but which did not happen yet.

Why?

Because in His first coming, the nation rejected their own Messiah.

They failed on a key point.

They did not see that God’s kingdom starts inside – in repentant hearts.

Thus in His first coming, Jesus died for the sins of the world, and began His kingdom rule inwardly for all who will believe.

At His 2nd coming, He will establish political rule forever just as promised.

You can read all about it in Rev 19-20.

Meantime, we become advance kingdom members now by submission to His lordship.

Col 1:13, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Everyone here this morning is part of the kingdom of God or part of the kingdom of darkness.

No in-between.

Jesus will one day rule a renovated world of heaven and earth.

And all who give Him their hearts now – inwardly – will participate in His rule outwardly then.

Are you in? Have you bowed to this greater son of David as your king?

Phil 2:10-11 tells of a day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

But only those who confessed Him as Lord in this life will rule with Him then.

Son of David.

*II.

Son of Abraham (Revelation of God) (v.

34)*

God made a covenant with Abraham.

It promised land and descendants.

Gen 22:17-18, “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.

And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Abraham was just another Gentile until God chose him to be the first Jew.

God created a nation out of nothing, but because Israel was rightly called God’s chosen people, there is a pervasive misconception that they were chosen to be particularly blessed by God – that they were held close to His heart while other peoples were let go.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Look at Gen 22:18 again: “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”

Israel was not chosen just so Israel could be blessed; Israel was chosen to bless all nations.

That was their mission.

Ancient people remade God in their image.