In Matthew: Matthew 1:1-17
In Luke: Luke 3:23b-38
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
See: http://teracomp.net/matthew-1-2/
It’s interesting how Zerubbabel is of such importance in Ezra-Nehemiah, responsible for the difficult task of managing Jerusalem following their return from exile. Both accounts of the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke include Zerubbabel. There are some interesting differences in the genealogical accounts, as the NIV Study Bible notes include: “Although tracing a genealogy through the mother’s side was unusual, so was the virgin birth.” To say the least! You have to love experts!
True to his opening comments, “I too decided to write an orderly account for you” (Luke 1:3), Luke traces the family of Jesus back to Adam, beginning with an interesting verse: “He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23). “So it was thought” is a great phrase! We have the advantage of history for perspective, but this is still quite the stumbling block for many who don’t know Christ, who have distanced themselves from Christians because we, as a whole, cannot properly articulate the reason for the hope we enjoy.
Few would likely be convinced by understanding detailed genealogies, though some might. What I hope to learn from this is rather simplistic: God is a God of order. I pray that my lack of historical knowledge will not be a hindrance to those seeking to understand more about Jesus, the God-Man that actually walked on earth with many people. Each name of these lists are rich in heritage and worthy of greater understanding. Hopefully, I’ll learn more each time I ready the Bible, each time one of these names is referenced. Like many things, repetition helps!