King of Kings: An Advent Plan by New Life ChurchSample

SECTION TWO: PRE-BIRTH OF JESUS

We don’t have to be Bible scholars to see that Jesus’ family tree had a few people who aren’t what you’d expect in the line of a king. Judah was a natural leader but also used that strength for harm when we sold his brother Joseph into slavery. Ruth was an incredibly faithful and loyal woman, but as a Moabite widow she was both a foreigner to Israel and a reminder of ancestors who didn’t remain faithful to the Lord. King Josiah restored the temple and the law of the Lord to his kingdom, but was only eight years old when he took the throne. 

No one in the line was perfect or who we might expect to be there, but each person was included in the process of bringing a holy Savior to the world.

Your background doesn’t disqualify you from the Kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus came in the manner He did—born to an average girl, nestled in a manger—in many ways to show the world that, like the prophet Samuel was told when he anointed David as king, He also wasn’t the typical expectation of a king. God isn’t looking for the typical person, or even popular, most unique, or most talented person. He’s looking for a willing heart. 

Application: Think about what you consider to be your greatest disqualification from God’s Kingdom, then ask Him to show you His perspective on it. What does your weakness look like in the light of Jesus? Our prayer is that you would begin to see the strength of His grace in your life and its power to redeem all things! 

Note: The number 14 was special in Hebrew culture, which the author knew, so he left out some generations in the list to make a point of three different sections of 14 generations. This would have been obvious to readers in the author’s time, but you can read more about how and why here.