Jesus With Us: Live Like Jesus, Love Like JesusSample

Woven Grace

Family. For better or for worse, we all come from families. We are each descended from ancestors and part of an extensive family history and family tree. Matthew 1 shows us the genealogy of Jesus Christ, and, boy, does He have an extensive family history! It is full of ups and downs and interesting characters.

We can learn a lot from a family tree, and Jesus’s tree is no exception. It shows that Christ is a descendant of Abraham and David, and as such He fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’s lineage, using the phrase “Son of David” ten times to describe Jesus. The apostle Paul’s description of Abraham as the “Father of our faith” in Romans 4:1 similarly reminds us of Jesus’s heritage among God’s chosen people.

Like most families, Jesus’s family history is marked by both scandal and incredible tales of transformation. Grace is woven throughout the genealogy of Jesus. God used every single person in this family tree, over the course of time, to change the world. Regardless of who they were and what mistakes they made, God allowed something incredible to come out of them.

God can use each one of us in incredible ways too. He looks beyond all our brokenness and all the areas in which the world says we are insufficient, and He knows our potential, even when no one else seems to. As we walk each day with Jesus, He can show us how His Grace truly is sufficient. When you put your faith in God, He can transform anything.

What names do you recognize from Jesus’s family tree in the first chapter of Matthew? Do any of the names surprise you?

How does it feel to know that people who made mistakes are part of Jesus’s lineage?

Dear God, thank You for showing us Your transformative Power and Grace through Christ’s genealogy. We can be broken, and You can use us all the same. Thank You for Your never-ending belief in us and our capabilities. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.