To Us, A Son Is Given

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” Isaiah 11:1 (NIV)

“…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

Some families have treasured books filled with records of their ancestors: family trees, biographies, photographs, important documents, significant dates, and notable events. Matthew’s gospel introduces the story of Christ’s birth with verses that summarize such a family book. His summary highlights the two most important ancestors in the family history of Christ, along with all the promises associated with these names: David and Abraham.

The mention of David recalls a wealth of Old Testament passages promising that one from David’s royal line would ascend his throne forever. This future King would accomplish what David, the son of Jesse, and his other sons had never been able to do: rule and reign over the whole earth with justice, righteousness, and everlasting peace.

Then Matthew’s mention of Abraham pushes the family story even further back, setting the promises to David in the context of God’s original promise to Abraham to bless the entire world through him and his offspring. In this way, the curse that had entered the world through human sin in Genesis 3 would be reversed, and the blessing God had always intended for his creation would be restored (Genesis 1:22, 28; 2:3).

These interwoven stories, promises, longings, and more are all wrapped up in the mention of these two foundational ancestors at the introduction of the Christmas story. Remarkably, they were all fulfilled in the birth and life of Jesus Christ.