Jesus' Generation
SERMON STARTER
Who’s in YOUR generations?
My generations go back to before the Civil War. They signed up with the Mississippi volunteers in the Rebel Army.
Lois’ great-great grandfather was a Castilian Spaniard who sought his fortune in Mexico and was an officer in the Mexican Army. When he retired Mexico honored him with land in what is now Western Oklahoma. On her father’s side of the family, there is some Cherokee Indian blood.
Last year My second cousin on my father’s side contacted me through “Ancestor.com.” She is the grand daughter of my father’s oldest uncle on my dad’s side of the family. It has been incredible to learn about the family lineage and the family secrets.
I ask again, who is in your generations?
When I was a young adolescent I made resolutions again and again to read the Bible. I’d start with Matthew and end up getting bored and frustrated with the genealogies; this one “begat” this one and that one “begat” that one.
Today I call them the “Begat-itudes.” I didn’t understand how important it was that Matthew included the lineage of Jesus at the beginning of his gospel.
Matthew’s was probably the oldest and first written of the narrative accounts of Jesus’ life. The Monastic illuminists of the dark and middle ages portrayed Matthew’s view of Jesus as the King. They symbolized His Kingship with a crown. Matthew calls Him the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” the “Root of David,” the Lawgiver,” and/or simply “King Jesus.”
Jesus was the cosmic alien and the “genes,” or “first of a kind.”
He is the human/divine God/Man. Never before or since has there been anyone like Him.
That’s why Matthew sees it as important to cite His lineage. It is the lineage of a King who has come to establish His Throne. I’d like to thank Jack Hayford who inspired me with his original teaching on this subject.
Sheepfold Ministries - April 14, 2007
Pastor Phil Roland
Jesus' Generation
"Jesus was not afraid to be identified in his generations with us, let us not be afraid to be identified with Him." Pastor Phil Roland
"We who have been sanctified by Jesus, now have the same Father He has. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers." (TLB) Hebrews 2:11
BACKGROUND:
Matthew Is the Oldest Gospel and sees Christ as KING
“The King is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven”
Calls Jesus Four Names:
1) Lion of the Tribe of Judah
2) Root of David
3) King Jesus
4) Lawgiver
GREEK =GE-NOS = "Genesis" - "Birth of something or Someone"
THREE REASONS FOR THE DETAILS OF JESUS’ GENEALOGY:
1) Cultural Hebrew Phenomenon –Roots more important than who you are
2) A King Must Have Credentials
3) Resist the Satanic Lie about Jesus’ Origins – “Illegitimate Son of a Roman Soldier” – Genealogy offers a powerful defense
I. MARY'S GENERATION - (No Biblical Genealogy)
HEBREW = MA-RA= "Mary" "Sadness/Bitterness"
"Afflict, as with a whip or branch"
A. Jesus’ Davidic Lineage
1. Assumed to be from David’s Lineage – Luke 1:31-33
"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,
and shall call His name JESUS. "He will be great, and will be called
the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of
His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of His kingdom there will be no end."
2. Joseph was of David’s Lineage – Luke 2:4
“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he
was of the house and lineage of David.”
B. Mary was of Levitic Descent - Luke 1:5; 1:36
1. Elizabeth was Mary’s Cousin – Her Husband was a Levite
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
2. Mary and Elizabeth’s mothers were sisters
C. Hebrew Thinking: Woman’s Lineage not important
1. With God the woman is important, too!
2. Jesus’ legal human father, Joseph, in only a foster father
“And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also,
that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35
3. Joseph supplied Jesus legal requirement for a human father
II. JOSEPH / JESUS' GENERATION
A. Abraham - Genesis 17:1-4
”When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said
to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. "And I will make
My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Then
Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: "As for Me, behold,
My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.”
1. God made a Covenantal Agreement, sealed in blood
2. The covenant began with Abraham
3. The covenant completed in Jesus, sealed w/His own blood
B. Jacob - Matt. 1:2
“Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.”
1. Touched by an angel, gets a new name: “Israel”
2. Matthew calls him by his “old name:” Conniving Cheat
3. Messiah’s lineage identifies w/human weakness – Heb. 4:15
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
C. Reaboam – Son of Solomon - Matt. 1:7
“Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.”
1. Fool – Lost 80% of his father’s kingdom in 6 months
2. Brash, Inexperienced Immature
3. Ignored Core of mature advisors – A Simple Minded Fool
D. Manasa - Matt. 1:10
“Hezeiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.”
1. Ruled 55 years – Longest in Israel’s history
2. Vicious, Ungodly – Murdered Isaiah – Sawn in half
E. Rahab - Matt. 1:5; Hebrews 11:31
“Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,”
1. Harlot of Jericho – (Prostitute)
2. She hid Israel’s spies / spoke in faith to them - Joshua 2:9
"I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has
fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted
because of you.”
3. She is also listed in Hebrews 11:31’s “Role-Call of Faith”
“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe,
when she had received the spies with peace.”
F. Tamar - Matt. 1:3
“Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron
begot Ram.”
1. Levitical Law Requirement
2. Judah, her father-in-law is to provide for her a son
3. Judah breaks his vow and gives his son to another
4. Tamar, disguised as a prostitute, tricks Judah into
conceiving a son with her
5. Son’s name is Phares, 3rd Grandson removed from Abraham
6. Tamar, like Abraham and Sarah, grew weary from waiting
and decided to “help God along with His Promises”
7. Compromises her own integrity
G. Bathsheba - Matt. 1:6
“and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had
been the wife of Uriah.” (Bathsheba)
1. Wife of David / Mother of Solomon
2. She is exploited by David’s Power and Authority
3. Adulterous, has Complicity in a Murder
4. David confronted by Nathan, the Prophet – 2 Samuel 12:7
“Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!”
5. David Repents
H. Ruth - Matt. 1:5
“Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,”
1. She was a Moabitess, Idolater, Satanist
2. Chemosh, the Moabite god, was a “fallen angel”
3. Ruth is the 2nd Gentile (Goyan) introduced into the Jesus
Generation, Rahab was the First
III. OUR GENERATION AND THE JESUS GENERATION
“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.” Matthew 1:17
A. SUMMARY:
1. Fourteen Generation from Abraham to David
2. Fourteen Generations from Solomon to Babylonic
Exile/Jechonia
3. Fourteen Generations from Salathiel to Jesus
B. We (You/I) are part of the "Fourteenth" Generation!
1. Contemporary Analogy – Full Media Coverage
2. God’s Plan involves working with people
3. His Plan is to be worked FOR mankind, THROUGH mankind
4. God’s plan is to redeem mankind through human frailty
5. He’s not ashamed to call us “Brothers” – Hebrews 2:11
“Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of
the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”
C. We are the Jesus’ Generation!