Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” Colossians 3:16
We all know what Christmas is but do you really know what happened preceding the first Noel and what it all meant? If we knew the history maybe then we would realize how much meaning there is in the Christmas holiday beyond shopping, candy canes and Santa Claus!
Let's begin looking at Christ's birth (Christ-mas) and what led up to it. The next few blog posts will be about our relationship to God as a people, his promise to us and his plan to bring it all together.
First, a list of the lineage of Christ.
THE LINEAGE FROM ADAM TO JESUS
According to the Gospel of Luke
(thought to be Mother Mary’s lineage)
(*→ Denote begot or fathered)
(Covenant with God was made with Abraham)
God created Adam. Then, from Adam came Seth then….
Seth→Enosh→Kenan→Mahalalel→Jared→Enoch→Methuselah→Lamech→Noah→Shem→Arphaxad→Cainan→Shelah→Eber→Peleg→Reu→Serug→Nahor→Terah→ABRAHAM→Isacc→Jacob→Judah→Perez→Hezron→Arni→Admin→Amminadab→Nahshon→Salmon→Boaz→Obed→Jesse→David→Nathan→Mattatha→Menna→Melea→Eliakim→Jonam→Joseph→Judah→Simeon→Levi→Matthat→Jorim→Eliezer→Joshua→Er→Elmadam→Cosam→Addi→Melki→Neri→Shealtiel→Zerubbabel→Rhesa→Joanan→Joda→Josech→Semein→Mattathias→Maath→Naggai→Esli→Nahum→Amos→Mattathias→Joseph→Jannai→Melki→Levi→Matthat→Heli→Joseph----→Jesus
THE LINEAGE OF JESUS
According to the Gospel of Matthew
(thought to be father Joseph’s lineage from Abraham)
Abraham→Isaac→Jacob→Judah→Perez→Hezron→Ram→Amminadab→Nahshon→Salmon→Boaz (whose mother was Rahab)→Boaz (whose mother was Ruth)→Obed→Jesse→David→Solomon→Rehoboam→Adijah→Asa→Johoshaphat→Jehoram→Uzziah→Jotham→Ahaz→Hezekiah→Manasseh→Amon→Josiah→Jeconiah→Shealtiel→Zurubbabel→Abihud→Eliakim→Azor→Zadok→Akim→Elihud→Eleazar→Mattan→Jacob→Joseph (husband of Mary)---→Jesus
WHAT?!?!?
Now all that tedious text was just to say that no matter what path you chose to trace how Jesus came to me the Messiah, it still makes sense. It was God's perfect plan-his covenant with Abraham for us all. He promised that his descendant would one day be the redemption for the nations.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation.
This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” - Genesis 17:1-8
