Matthew: There’s A Place For You In God’s Story

Last summer when we were in Oregon, we got a chance to visit my mom in her new home.  She now lives in a very nice extended care facility and she really loves it there.  But as I was looking around at all the family photos on the walls something caught my eye. It was a family tree.  And a couple of things caught my attention.  First, on my dad’s side of the tree I looked at the branch that went back four generations to Sweden and Norway.  I’ve always known the Sundin name was of Swedish origin, so that was pretty cool. I’m part Viking.  Then I looked at my mom’s side and I found out I have a little Canadian ancestry going back to Quebec and Ontario.  But then I noticed on the Burns branch of my mom’s family tree that I’ve got some Scottish blood running through my veins.  And love that, because Scotland is the home of golf!  That was all kind of cool.  But I’m not one who’s too obsessed with learning much more about my ancestry. But discovering your roots is a big thing today. In fact, it’s become a big business. And there’s all kinds of companies out there ready to help you trace your roots.  There’s 23 & me; My Heritage DNA; AncestryDNA just to name a few. But what are people really looking for when they take one of these tests?

Some take these tests for pragmatic reasons, to see their family health history so they can reduce the risks of health problems. Others take these tests to discover their family’s history and preserve traditions.  And some just want to find out if there are heroes in the family tree.  But in a day where our culture is getting more fractured, crowded and constantly on the move, many are taking these tests to regain a sense of connectedness and identity in their lives.  There’s something secure about connecting with your roots. Because when you find your roots you find that you are connected to a story that began long ago.  And when you find connection to your family’s story, you may just find identity, stability and even purpose to your life.

That’s why I’m excited to introduce the Gospel of Matthew today.  For in the introduction to Matthew’s Gospel we’re going to look at Jesus’ family tree. And in so doing, we’re going to see how God made it possible for you to be connected to His story. So, if you brought your Bible, let me encourage you to find Matthew 1:1-17, where Matthew begins by showing us where Jesus fits into God’s Story.

1. God Chose Jesus as the Center of His Story

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1.   As Matthew introduces his Gospel account of Jesus, he wants to make sure we know three things:  First, that this gospel is going to focus on the story of Jesus, whose name literally means, “Yahweh saves.”  Matthew’s story of Jesus is the story of the Savior.  Second, Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is of the royal line of David and is the promised Messiah.  Jesus is the Promised King all Israel has been waiting for.  Matthew’s story of Jesus is the story of the King who ushers in the kingdom of God.   Matthew’s Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom. And thirdly, this story connects Jesus to Abraham as the one who has come to fulfill the blessing promised to Abraham.  Matthew’s story of Jesus is the story of Abraham’s blessing to the Nations fulfilled in Him.

Each designation given by Matthew show us how Jesus is the focal point of God’s story.  In the book of Genesis, God promised to send a Savior to redeem mankind. Jesus is that Savior.  Later in Genesis, when God called Abraham, He made him this promise: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

Jesus is the one who has come to bless the nations.  And finally, when David was King, God promised David that one of his descendants would establish a kingdom that would endure forever.  Here is that promise, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son.” 2 Samuel 7:12-14

Matthew announces that Jesus is the Savior, who ushers in God’s kingdom, and will bring blessing to the nations.  That’s why God chose Jesus as the Center of His story.  But now as Matthew unfolds Jesus’ family tree, we get to see how this tree affirms his royal identity; but we’ll also see the inclusive nature of Jesus’ ministry that shows why there’s a place for you in God’s story.  For what Matthew wants us to show us is this:

2. God Chose the Least Likely to Include in His Story: Again, look at verse one: God chose David. God chose a runt to include In His Story Listen to how Eugene Peterson tells the story of God’s selection of David as King.  God sent Samuel to Jesse to discover a king to anoint from Jesse’s sons. So, Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel.  Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.” Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?” “Well, yes, there’s the runt.  But he’s out tending the sheep.”  Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him.  We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”  Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health – bright eyed, good-looking.  God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him.  This is the one.” Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. David was the least likely of all Jesse’s sons.  Even Jesse didn’t think he had the stuff God was looking for.  Have you ever felt that way about yourself?  Overlooked, too small, insignificant – not good for much more than watching sheep?  Take heart.  God saw what Jesse didn’t see.  He saw a man after God’s heart, and God chose him to play a key part of the story through whom the Messiah would come.  Remember, man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.  So then, if God found a place for David in His story, chances are there’s a place for you.  God chose a runt to include in His story.

God chose an obscure race to include in His Story     Also from verse one, we see that God chose Abraham to be the Father of a new race through whom the blessing to the nations would come – the Jewish race.  In the New Testament, we are told to Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:6-9 God could have chosen an existing race through whom to bless the world, instead He chose Abraham to be the Father of a new people – the Jews, and through them to bring the good news of Jesus to the world.  But let’s consider Abraham for a moment. God calls him “the man of faith.” But if you look closer at his story, you would see a pretty insecure man who twice lied calling Sarah his sister to protect his hide.  Later he caved to Sarah’s suggestion to have her maid servant provide him with a child.  Yet, despite his failures, God was faithful to Abraham.  And maybe that’s the point.  If God could take a failure like Abraham and make him into the man of faith, then maybe God can do the same for you.

Not only that but God didn’t choose Abraham until he was 80 years old.  That means for many of us, our best years with God may still be ahead of us.  And not only that, but if God can use an obscure race to bring His blessing to the nations, then He can use an obscure community like ours to bring His blessing to the world. I love that Howard and Sharon served at Ocean Beach last winter.  I love how God doesn’t have limits on age, or race or gender in bringing His blessings to the world.  And that should give us hope.  God still includes obscure people in His story – and that means us.

But that’s not all, for as you read through the list of people in Jesus’ linage, you come to all the kings that are part of his story.  Some were good kings, but many were wicked.  Which leads to my next observation, and that is this: God chose an evil rascal to include in His Story  God chose Manasseh. In verse 10 we are told that Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh and Manasseh was the father of Amon.  Manasseh was one of the worst scoundrels in Jesus’ family tree.  So, what made Manasseh so bad?

• Manasseh led Judah into the sin of idol worship He was called to lead Judah in the worship of Yahweh, but rejected Him and instead, embraced the pagan gods of the culture around him.
• Manasseh did many detestable things
• Manasseh murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled with innocent blood. 

If you were to look back into your family tree, chances are pretty soon you’d find a bad apple.  Jesus had more than a few bad apples in his family tree.  But God chose to include Manasseh as part of Jesus heritage.  Why?  Because his story didn’t end with his despicable deeds, but with his repentance.  In 2 Chronicles we learn of Manasseh’s repentance: In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so, He brought him back to Jerusalem and to His kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. 2 Chronicles 33:12-13   If anything Manasseh deserved death for his murderous and idolatrous ways, but God not only spared Manasseh but restored him to his place in God’s story.  And soon after Manasseh restored the altar and the worship of God in Jerusalem.  And when I see what God did for him, it gives me hope to think what God can do for the worst among us.  If God can take an evil man like Manasseh and give him a do-over, what might he be able to do with you?  What might he be able to do with a rebellious son or daughter?  I love that Manasseh’s story is included in God’s story, because it shows us that even the worst among us can have a second chance with God.  It shows us God’s mercy.  And God’s mercy is one of the themes we will see int his Gospel over and over again.  Jesus magnifies mercy over religion.  Jesus magnifies mercy over sacrifice.  Mercy is at the heart of God coming to us in Jesus.  But if you think that’s encouraging, it gets even better as we look at the last category of characters God chose to include in His story:

God chose questionable outsiders to include in His Story     God chose to include the following outsiders to be part of the line of Jesus:

Tamar, an Aramean seductress             Rahab, a Canaanite Prostitute                                                                                           Ruth, a Moabite Widow                         Uriah’s wife (Bathsheba), a Hittite Adulterer

These have three things in common as part of God’s story.  First, each one is a Gentile and considered an outsider to God’s people.  Second, each one is a woman, and in almost every Jewish genealogy, women are never listed.  And third, each one illustrates the goodness of God’s grace by being included in God’s Story.

Allow me to illustrate God’s grace through Ruth’s story.  Unlike the other three women, Ruth’s story is not marked by sexual immorality.  But how she gets connected to God’s story goes back to a famine in the land of Israel.  During that time a Jew by the name of Elimelek is looking for greener pastures and sees Moab as a place to care for his family.  So, he takes his wife Naomi and their two sons to Moab.  While there, his sons take Moabite women as wives: Oprah and Ruth. So, it looks like they have no intention of ever returning to Israel because the law made it very clear that Moabites had no place in Israel:  No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you… Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live. Deuteronomy 23:3-6  Moabites were not welcome Israel.  Enter Ruth.  She is a Moabite. What happens is this:  First, her father-in-law, Elimelek dies.  Then both his sons die.  One of those sons was married to Ruth.  So Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, decides to go back to Israel and tries to convince both  daughters-in-law to stay in Moab.  “There’s nothing for you in Israel.”  Oprah stays. But Ruth won’t leave Naomi’s side.  She wants to go with Naomi to Israel, saying, “I want your people to be my people, and your God to be my God.”  So, she goes with Naomi KNOWING she has little chance at a better life.  She chooses to step into God’s story even though there’s nothing in it for her but her love for Naomi and Naomi’s God. But then God includes Ruth in His story by granting her favor in Boaz’ eyes.  Boaz becomes her kinsman redeemer, takes her as his wife, and she becomes the great grandmother of King David.  God chose Ruth, a clear outsider to be part of His story. That’s grace.  And what her story and the story of every other outsider God chose to include in His story tells us just what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about.  And that is this:

There is a Place for You in His Story! You see Matthew wrote this genealogy to tell us that anyone can find a place in God’s story. You may be the overlooked runt of the litter, like David; or a three-time loser, like Abraham.  You may have a disgraceful past, like Manasseh; or shameful history like Tamar, Rahab or Bathsheba.  But that’s why God chose Jesus to be the center of His story.  So that we would see that no one is outside the mercy and grace of God that’s found in Jesus.

That’s what Matthew’s gospel is all about.  It’s about a redeemer, God’s Son, Jesus, the King who has come into the world to bring you home to God.  He has come to forgive your sins, to wipe away your past, to give you a new start and to connect you to God’s family. That’s the good news Matthew wants us to hear.  That’s what the ancestry of Jesus is all about.  God wants to include the least likely people in His story.  And Jesus has made the way.

So let me encourage you today.   There is a place for you in God’s Story.  There’s a place for your family, your friends, your neighbors and even the nations in God’s Story. And God has made it very clear how you enter in.  Jesus himself announced it this way: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

To repent, simply means to turn away from your sin and the rule of self and turn to Jesus.  Put your faith in Jesus and follow Him.  For He has made a way to include you in His story for eternity.  So I’m going to give you an opportunity to put your faith in Jesus today.  You see, some of you have always believed if you are religious enough – that is the way to God.  Some of you have always believed that it’s your good works that make a way to God. But it was Jesus who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

That’s why Jesus came into the world – to make a way to include you in His family.  There’s a place for You in God’s Story, The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near in Jesus. Repent and believe the good news!