Daily Advent Reading

This is our Digital Advent Calendar for 2023. We would hope you could join in daily during the season of Advent. Every day’s Advent Gift box will have a new Scripture to read and reflect on. Every Thursday there will be a Children’s Ministry Activity for you and your children. Every Tuesday there will be a question for adults to enjoy and engage on our Facebook page.

Matthew 1:1-17

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 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.

Devotional

It certainly will never be mistaken for the most exciting part of reading the Bible, but the genealogies can actually teach us a lot.

The message that pokes it’s head out of this long list of names is that Jesus is God’s saving King. Fourteen generations where the structure is thought by some scholars to offer a to be a numerical shout out to the name of David (Jesus’ kingly nature). Matthew’s reference to Abraham establishes Jesus as the fulfillment of the full Abrahamic promise to be a blessing to all nations. The reference to the Babylonian exile establishes that Jesus is the Redeemer from this new exodus, or exile. 

And throughout the narrative (each name stands for a story, remember), there are interwoven some highly surprising and unusual figures that tell us that Jesus is God’s saving King. And the women are woven right into the main controversy. Though women couldn’t offer legal testimony in that day, and these are no ordinary women, but there they are. There is also a wicked king who repents and is saved. Matthew pulls no punches when he starts to introduce this King, this saving King, this Jesus, who is the Christ.

Prayer

Loving and gracious God, Remind us of our need for You. Stir up memory and regret to show us our faults. Break down our reliance on religion, morality, and reputation. This Christmas helps us to wholly trust in Your name. Amen.