December 4
Covenant God
Matthew 1:1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham
This genealogy of Jesus that Matthew provides at the very opening of the New Testament is like a prism refracting light and giving us the different perspectives of who Jesus is. And so, by this Matthew helps us to see here that God is a God of covenant, and that the arrival of Jesus is itself a demonstration of God’s covenant keeping character.
The first covenant God established with His people after bringing them out of Egypt was the Ten Commandments. Bringing them out of the Egyptian captivity, by the way, was God’s first demonstration that He is a Redeemer of His people.
This is quite a part of the “Christmas Story” because Joseph, Mary, and Baby had to flee to Egypt before being called out from there. (We should note here that we lose the significance of this if we take on José Feliciano and the myth of the Cherry Tree Carol. He had them walking in a garden green, the Scripture has them fleeing for their lives to Egypt.)
In that first covenant God basically said to the people, “I am your God, you are my people, and this is how you are going to live and how we are going to get along together.” Based on what God had done for them they will now live in loyalty and obedience and the reward is going to be blessing. A life of fidelity and faithfulness to God is the result of an appropriate response to what God has done for us. This is why we should not be struggling over living for Jesus every day.
The purpose of the Exodus was not just freedom but an inheritance. The inheritance we have come to know as the “promised land.” Here is a quick summary to remind us. Joshua led them across the Jordan to possess the land and usher in a period of warfare to drive out the inhabitants and lay claim to the land. After Joshua there were the Judges. During all this time they were famous for violating the covenant and showing disloyalty to God. Then came Samuel the final Judge. During whose time they demanded a King, 1 Samuel 8 – 12, Samuel felt it was a rejection of God. God decided to use it for His own purpose and Saul became King, he failed and then David became king.
We know a lot about David, but his biggest achievement was that he delivered for God’s people what they were striving after for a long time – the whole land that had been promised to Abraham.
So, with David the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled. Abraham’s offspring had indeed become a great nation. They had possessed the land promised to Abraham and they were in right relationship with God enjoying His blessing and protection.
The covenant making and covenant keeping God then made a personal covenant with David. God tied His purpose for Israel to His promise to the house of David – a son, and heir, a great name, a special relationship with a royal dimension, 2 Samuel 7.
Matthew’s genealogy traces the lineage of Jesus through the line of kings that ruled Judah to show His royalty up until He was called by Pontius Pilate “King of the Jews.”
Therefore, to understand the real significance of the birth of Jesus is to recognise that God is a covenant-keeping God who will keep His promises for generations. He sets in place a means for redemption and seeks relationship with the redeemed. The redeemed can depend on Him for blessing and an inheritance.
We used to sing Isaiah 51:11: “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
All of that is drowned out these days with the incessant noise of jingle bells!
Think on these things:
- What do you do at Christmas to help you keep focused on God’s redemption plan in Jesus?
- If you decorate for Christmas, is there a way that you could tell the biblical story of Christmas through your decorations?
- How could you use all of the activity around Christmas as an opportunity for sharing the Gospel story?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would be able to enjoy this season with family and friends and yet remain focused on the meaning of the birth of Jesus.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex