The New Testament opens up with a bombshell declaration, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). The explosive truth is that, from Abraham to David, and now to Jesus, God's plan of salvation unfolds with Jesus as the culmination of all the covenants, promises, and prophecies.
By calling Him the "Messiah" (or Christ), Matthew declares that Jesus is the anointed King, the long-awaited fulfillment of God's restored rule of righteousness. By tracing Jesus' lineage back to David, Matthew identifies Jesus as the King of kings and the one who would finally establish God’s eternal kingdom.
But Matthew doesn’t stop with David, instead he traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to Abraham, through whom God made the covenant promise to bless all nations. In doing so, Matthew places Jesus at the center of God’s larger plan. In one short sentence, Matthew makes Jesus the focal point of God’s entire redemptive plan for all humanity!
God's kingdom is the means by which the covenant promises to bless all nations will be fulfilled. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross opens the way for salvation to all who believe, enabling them to become citizens of His kingdom and partakers of its blessings. It is through Jesus as the anointed King that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation are now invited into God's family.
As believers, it’s easy to become shortsighted and think of Jesus only from the limited perspective of our individual lives. As a result, we can miss the bigger picture of God’s kingdom, His redemptive plan for the world, and the profound implications it has for our lives. It’s tempting to approach life thinking that we are the ones with the plan and we are inviting God to join us.
Here is the important truth we need to remember — we are not inviting God into our lives, He is inviting us into His kingdom.
To accept God's invitation means submitting to the reality of His sovereign rule over our lives. It involves living as citizens of heaven and not this world. It requires us to embrace God’s values and priorities and reject those of the culture in which we are immersed. It also means accepting God’s charge to go out as His ambassadors to fulfill His mission in the world.
The question is, “Have you fully embraced God’s invitation?”
By calling Him the "Messiah" (or Christ), Matthew declares that Jesus is the anointed King, the long-awaited fulfillment of God's restored rule of righteousness. By tracing Jesus' lineage back to David, Matthew identifies Jesus as the King of kings and the one who would finally establish God’s eternal kingdom.
But Matthew doesn’t stop with David, instead he traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to Abraham, through whom God made the covenant promise to bless all nations. In doing so, Matthew places Jesus at the center of God’s larger plan. In one short sentence, Matthew makes Jesus the focal point of God’s entire redemptive plan for all humanity!
God's kingdom is the means by which the covenant promises to bless all nations will be fulfilled. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross opens the way for salvation to all who believe, enabling them to become citizens of His kingdom and partakers of its blessings. It is through Jesus as the anointed King that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation are now invited into God's family.
As believers, it’s easy to become shortsighted and think of Jesus only from the limited perspective of our individual lives. As a result, we can miss the bigger picture of God’s kingdom, His redemptive plan for the world, and the profound implications it has for our lives. It’s tempting to approach life thinking that we are the ones with the plan and we are inviting God to join us.
Here is the important truth we need to remember — we are not inviting God into our lives, He is inviting us into His kingdom.
To accept God's invitation means submitting to the reality of His sovereign rule over our lives. It involves living as citizens of heaven and not this world. It requires us to embrace God’s values and priorities and reject those of the culture in which we are immersed. It also means accepting God’s charge to go out as His ambassadors to fulfill His mission in the world.
The question is, “Have you fully embraced God’s invitation?”
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