Guided by Christ Blog

  DAY TWENTY-ONE (week three; nativity) I have been avoiding this advent for the past couple of nights because I was afraid of catching up on all of the days I had missed. I was really embarrassed as I had this commitment (which others were joining me in) and I had dropped the ball completely during my sickness. A bit ago I called my mom, saying, “I have all of these days to do and I feel like I can’t do any of them-” and she said, “Just get it done for today.” I responded, “Just one? What about catching up?” “You don’t have to, just do today’s.” My brain was quickly rerouted, though quite sad because I had an elaborate day-by-day study of the entire nativity. So, for just today, let’s read Luke 1:26-29, 38; “ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! Th...

  DAY THIRTEEN (week two; lineage) Today we will look at the rest of Jesus’s biological line- the one through Mary, found in Luke 3:23-38; David Nathan Mattatha Menan Melea Eliakim Jonan Joseph Judah Simeon Levi Matthat Jorim Eliezer Jose Er Elimodam Cosam Addi Melchi Neri Shealtiel* Zerubbabel* Rhesa Joannas Judah Joseph Semei Mattathiah Maath Naggai Esli Nahum Amos Mattathias Joseph Janna Meichi Levi Matthat Heli Joseph Wait a second, we did Joseph's line yesterday. Why did Mary’s end with Joseph? Well, this is something debated in the Christian community. After my own research, I can be sure that Luke is writing about Mary’s line here, yet he simply used her husband's name because of tradition. Luke says “Now Jesus …. being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,” in 3:23, whereas Matthew says “Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born,” in 1:16. T...

  DAY TWELVE (week two; lineage) These lineages have all been father to son, so how do we end up at Jesus if Joseph isn’t biologically His father? Well, this lineage splits at David between two of his sons; Nathan and Solomon. Nathan, after many generations, leads to Mary. (That line will be covered on Day Thirteen.) Solomon, after many generations, leads to Joseph. So there is a biological line, but we will be looking at the legal (Joseph) line. David Solomon Rehoboam Abijah Asaph Jehoshaphat Joram Ahaziah Joash Amaziah Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Manasseh Amon Josiah Jeconiah Shealtiel* Zerubbabel* Abiud Eliakim Azor Zadok Achim Eliud Eleazer Matthan Jacob Joseph  These are the generations leading to the adoptive father of Jesus. I’ve starred* Shealtiel and Zerubbabel as at these two men the line converges again, before splitting. (They are also in Mary’s lineage.) This line can be read in Matthew 1:2-16. Jose...

  DAY ELEVEN (week two; lineage) For day eleven, I would like to look at a covenant God made with King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13; “‘When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.’” (NASB) God promises a King to David that will reign forever; Jesus! There are many other prophecies concerning who Jesus would come from, but this is the last we will look at in this advent.  Though King David is one of those “greats” we read about in the Bible, he was not a great king in his own strength. In fact, he had many mistakes that make it seem as if he didn’t deserve his crown- that’s because he didn’t! God used Him because David was a man after God’s heart, not because he was perfect. This is a trend we see throughout Jesus’s family, and really everyone God chooses. We are sinful...

  DAY TEN (week two; lineage)  Jacob/Israel went on to have 12 sons (and at least two daughters), and Judah was one of them. The Tribe of Judah descended from him. Let’s look at a prophecy about him in Genesis 49:10; “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (NASB) This says that his descendants will be royalty or lead somehow (the scepter, ruler's staff), and that “Whom it belongs” (a title; Shiloh) will receive this leadership. This prophecy was fulfilled in two people; once by David, and completely by Jesus. David was a great king who descended from Judah, yet the name Shiloh specifically referred to the Messiah. Let’s look at the family tree from Judah to David. Judah Perez Hezron Ram Amminadab Nahshon Salmon Boaz  Obed Jesse David This prophecy was 640 years before David was born, and it took 10 generations for him to be...

  DAY NINE (week two; lineage) Yesterday we went from the first man- Adam, to our common ancestor- Noah, to the father of many nations- Abraham. Abraham's firstborn, Ishmael, was born from Hagar (Egyptian slave of Sarah), and he was cursed to be against everyone, and to have everyone against him (Genesis 16:12). Yet His second son, Isaac, was a promise fulfilled by God that Sarah would have a son. From Isaac came Jacob, and his children made up the beginning of Israel.  So to continue our line from yesterday; Abram/Abraham Isaac Jacob/Israel Judah Just to clarify, this is a very simplified version of their family tree; Abraham has 8 sons, and possibly more if he had daughters! This is simply following who led to Jesus. Jacob’s name means “heel-grabber, trickster, supplanter”. He was a twin, born directly after Esau, and he came out holding his brother’s heel. Later on, Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, by pretending to be Esau to get the firstborn’s blessing. T...