December 22, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

The Whakapapa of Jesus

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, this season of hope can so quickly run to fatigue: this season of yearning become fractured. Come, and make all things new.

Read 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 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.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“In order to understand ourselves as the people of God, we need to look back across the centuries to all that lies behind us. Memory is a crucial component of personal identity” (John R. Claypool, 1930-2005). What an immense privilege it is to be a part of the people of God!

For Maori (the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand), whakapapa means genealogy. It maps relationships so that history, knowledge, tikanga (custom), philosophies and spiritualities are organized, preserved and transmitted from one generation to the next. Recently, a prominent Maori speaker said Matthew 1:1-17 is his favorite Bible passage. For Maori, whakapapa is critical, as one is defined by ancestry. Similarly, for Hebrews this passage defines Jesus’ identity as a descendant of Abraham and David, and the promised Messiah.

The passage covers 2,000 years of salvation history. Its poetic structure and multiples of seven speak of a new creation and of fulfillment. The first panel begins with Israel’s origins in Abraham. It ends with “King David,” the prototypical king and progenitor of the Messiah. The second panel features Davidic kings while the third panel carries this on, although none of them reigned. This means Jesus’ father, Joseph, may have been the legitimate heir to the Davidic dynasty. Jesus’ story mirrors that of Moses, who was raised in a royal household and led the Exodus. Jesus will lead a new Exodus. The genealogy climaxes with Jacob and Joseph, recalling the patriarchs and hinting at God’s new work for his people.  

Jesus’ genealogy is startling, in that it includes Jacob, Judah and Tamar (who seduced Judah by posing as a prostitute); the Canaanite prostitute Rahab; Bathsheba (“Uriah’s wife”), the focus of David’s adultery and murder; and kings whose failure led to exile. Gentiles feature, including Abraham (4:9-12), Rahab and Ruth, anticipating the Gospel’s spread to all nations (28:18-20). For those with eyes to see, this genealogy cries out that the Messiah has come, and gives us all hope.

Apply

As we approach Christmas, reflect on your whakapapa. Who are you? How has God shaped your life?

Closing prayer

Sovereign Lord, You reign over history and work Your purposes out through sinful people. I am grateful to belong to Your family in the church of Jesus Christ.

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