I am a retired pastor currently living in the Nashville, Tn. area and we attend First Church, Bro. Ron Becton pastor. We are putting our sermons and Bible studies on the web. We have been doing this for five years and have more than 3 million visits on it.
We would like to share some of our studies and writings with all the people on Everyone Apostolic.
My wife, Mary Lee, has Bible Quizzing questions on almost every verse in the Bible and would like to share this also.
James & Mary Lee Thornton The Genealogy Of Jesus Christ
By, James L. Thornton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Contents~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Introduction
2. The Christian Religion Centers In A
Personality
3. Jesus Is Man Of Very Man
4. This Genealogy Tells About His Ancestry
5. Jesus Tells About His Family
6. How We Become Part Of His Family
7. A Member Of The Heavenly Family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Introduction:
Matthew 1:1 “The book
of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
It is appropriate
that the New Testament should begin with this verse. The genealogy of Jesus is
given twice in the Gospels. Matthew 1:2-16, 15
verses, Luke 3:23-38, 16 verse. Probably few
have really read it. It is dry, uninteresting reading—names not easy to
pronounce. There must be a reason for this Genealogy being given twice.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:”
We can easily
understand this about the
1. 23rd Psalm,
2. 53rd of Isaiah.
4. 13th of 1 Corinthians
5. 15th of 1 Corinthians
6. 5th, 6th, 7th, of Matthew
But Paul says it must
apply to all scriptures. This Genealogy was not written to make the book
longer. The Apostle John wrote about fewer than 20 days of Jesus’ life. But
John tells us why he wrote, John 20:31 “But
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
We introduce this
study to prove Why The Genealogy Of Jesus Was
Written:
2. The Christian Religion Centers In A Personality:
The Christian
religion is not just a creed, not just a code of morals; it is not just a
ritual. It centers in a personal relationship between
mankind and God.
God could not save us
from the other side of the Universe. He did not send an ambassador or an angel.
No, He came down from His glory and “took upon Himself the form of a Servant
and was made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:7)
Yet the power of His
Godhead was constantly demonstrated. He had a miraculous birth. Born of a
Virgin, He could have come with convincing power. He could have descended with
His Throne in great Glory and Wonder. But all of this is reserved for the End
of Time, Judgment. But He came in the stillness of
the night.
Jesus could have
chosen to be born in a Palace surrounded by and attended by splendor. Instead
He was born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling cloth and laid in a Manger,
attended by Shepherds. “The Son of Man
came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom
for many.” (Matthew 20:28).
3. Jesus Is Man Of Very Man:
It is written to tell
us He is man of very man and God of very God. The weakness of flesh was
expressed many times. Hunger, Thirst, Weary, Lonely. This was God’s way of
entering into a fellowship with mankind. He became one of us. He walked,
talked, ate and suffered with Mankind.
4. This Genealogy Tells About His Ancestry:
The Genealogy is
written to tell us of His Ancestry. Jesus was of Noble Ancestry, born of a long
line of Kings and Prophets. Adam, Methuselah, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
David, Solomon, names of honor, names to be proud of. Some names not so
honorable, Rahab, Bathsheba, Ahaz, Manasseh and Amon. This is common to all
mankind.
The length of the
table marks the fullness of time. Matthew counts the Generations from Abraham,
42 Generations. Luke counts back to Adam which was the Son of God, 77
Generations (Luke
3:38). The Name of Jesus marks the end of the Family Name. Through Jesus
there is a New Family Line, A New Name. His Name is Jesus.
We want to prove that
there are more names, and more generations, on this side of His birth and death
than there are on the other side.
Isaiah 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for he was cut off out of the
land of the living: for the transgression of my People was he stricken.
9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in His death: because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in
His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put
Him to Grief; when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see
His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in His Hand.
Three things we want
to take note of out of these verses from Isaiah.
“Who shall declare
His Generation?”
“He was cut off out
of the land of the living.”
“He shall see His
seed.”
5. Jesus Tells About His Family:
Those of His day
never understood His mission, not even His own family.
Matthew 12:46. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his
mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and
thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48. But he answered and said unto him that told him,
Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his
disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Mark 3:34. And
he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother
and my brethren!
35. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same
is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Blood is thicker than
water. It becomes a mystical bond; there is no bond stronger than blood kin. The
Blood of Jesus Christ has a nature of a direct perception, beyond the ordinary
range of human experience. It has a reality beyond the comprehension of human
reason. It has a power beyond natural understanding.
We talk about the
Blood of Jesus Christ, we sing about it, we preach about it.
One preacher said He
had heard about the Blood so much that it just made him sick. Then I heard
another one, who heard him, preached on “The Nauseating Blood Of Jesus Christ.”
Peter called it, “The Precious Blood.” We have His Blood applied to our souls
by water baptism in His Name, in the New Birth Experience.
6. How we Become Part Of His Family:
We take on His Name
in Water Baptism. We become part of His Family “Of whom the whole Family in
Heaven and Earth is named. (Ephesians 3:15)
Ephesians 5:30. “For we are members of his body, of
his flesh, and of his bones.”
Apostle John said in 1 John 3:2. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:17. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together.
Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 1:4, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”
“Who shall declare
His Generation?”
“He was cut off out
of the Land of the Living”
“He shall see His
Seed.”
6. A Member Of The Heavenly Family:
Everyone who has His
blood applied to their heart and soul become a member of the family of God.
Do you declare (make
known publicly) His generation?
Are you one of His
seeds? There are millions who are.
Do you look upon Him
as your near kinsman?
If not, why not
become a part of the largest family in the universe?
We hope you received
some benefit from this study on the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, and will read
the other studies on our web site.
Write to us Godsgrazingfield@att.net
By, James L. Thornton