Matthew 1

1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:  2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David.  David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of JeconiahF1 and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.  12After the exile to Babylon:  Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

 

I used to read through that passage like it was a list of names…almost skipping it to get to the “important part” that I thought God had for me.  But today, as I was driving to work….I thought of that list differently…..

 

In that list is brokenness.  It is a story of men not being all that God had called them to be.

 

In that list is sin and disobedience.  People going in a different direction and suffering the consequences of their choices.

 

In that list is imperfection.  It is not the story of people living out the call on their lives—-just the opposite.  In every case, God does something to redeem their life.

 

But at the end of that list is Jesus.  The Messiah.  The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

 

And He, at the end of all of those lives, shows up……where He was supposed to be, when He was supposed to be there, doing what He was called to do, how He was called to do it, and representing PERFECTLY who He is supposed to represent.

 

You see…..there is a plan.  And that plan is perfect.  And that plan is written by a PERFECT GOD.  In the midst of all of that brokenness—-God showed up.

 

And so it is with you.  He will show up.  And you are the result of the perfect plan.

 

He has written the genealogy over your life just the same…..42 generations back…..and just like that genealogy over Jesus—it’s not pretty.  There is sin and brokenness and imperfection.

 

But that makes no difference.

 

What makes the difference is what is written at the end of the story…….

 

Because if the end of your story has Jesus in it……it will make the entire story work.

 

So don’t get caught up in what doesn’t work.  Don’t get caught up in how many times you made a mistake.  Don’t get caught up in your past or curses that may have been spoken over you…..or done to you…..or the pain that you can’t out of your head.  Get caught up in having Jesus start to put His life over your story.  Because if He is at the end of your story—-your life will begin to work right now.

 

How do you get Jesus in the end of your story?

You have Him start writing it now.

It will be the best decision you have ever made.

 

Father,

Come now.  I trust Your plan over my life.  I trust that Jesus can redeem my life.  I trust Your leadership over my life.

I don’t know how I am going to do it……or what I will do to do it…..or when or even where…….

But I know who will do it.

You will do it.

And even if I don’t do it perfectly……You will.

You are the Alpha and the Omega.

The Author.

The lover of my soul.

The redeemer of brokenness.

The teacher.

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Create in me a new heart, Father, and renew a right spirit within me.  Keep me close to your presence…..for You, and You alone, hold the keys to eternal life.

 

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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Coach J