Title: The Christmas Family Text: Matthew 1:1-17 Introduction Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent today. We are continuing our focus on The Christ of Christmas. You all are invited back to celebrate our Lessons and Carol service tonight to cap our Christmas season. As we look into the birth of Christ, we will see that the genealogy of Christ has some special characters. There is a scene from the Disney movie The Lion King, where the king s advisor was expressing his disappointment over one of the king s relatives well there is one in every family, two in mine, actually. Let us now look at just a few special characters in the Genealogy in the Line of Christ (Read Matthew 1): Abraham (Verse 1). Lied about his wife. Genesis 12:11-13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. Jacob (Verse 2). Deceived father for his inheritance. Genesis 27:15-17 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 1
Thamar (Verse 3). She was an unwed mother. Genesis 38:24-26 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. Rachab (Rahab) (Verse 5). She was a harlot. Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. Ruth (Verse 5). She was a Moabite. (See the Book of Ruth). Deuteronomy 23:3-4 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. David and Bathsheba (Verse 6). They both sinned in adultery, he committed murder, and then found restoration. 2 Samuel 12:9, 24 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him. 2
The Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery (See Matthew 5:27-28 and John 8:1-11). John 8:10-11 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Manasses (Manasseh) (Verse 10). He was a terrible king. 2 Kings 21:1-2 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. Mary (Verse 16). A single parent. (See Luke 1 and 2). Joseph was minded to dismiss her privately. Mary braved the single parent stigma in obedience to the Lord. The Church Family is made up of all of us folks who broke all of God s Commandments. Then through Jesus Christ, we have been adopted in God s Family. It is up to us to accept what God brings into the family unit. The greatest compliment is to love what you love and to value what other s value. Again, as we read through history, from Adam on, we find one recurring theme- Imperfect people. Let us look at who started it all. Luke 3:23, 38 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. 3
Adam- the entrance of the original sin of pride and rebellion against God s plan of living (Genesis 3). Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Second Adam- Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45, 47, 57 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ we experience restoration to be set in His family. Romans 5:14-15, 19-21 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure (example) of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 4
Closing: Psalm 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Invitation: For Salvation- to be placed in God s Family. Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) To Treasure your Family. Ephesians 4:3, Amplified Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. Let Us Pray. 5