God’s Story:
The Jews believed that the long-awaited Messiah would be a human king who would rescue them from their Roman oppressors and establish a new earthly kingdom. They have waited a very long time for this promised Messiah. Jesus, the promised King, will come to earth to inaugurate the kingdom of heaven, which I have been planning to reveal since the Garden of Eden. He will disclose the essence of true faith: belief in him provides access to the kingdom.

Your Story:
How far back can you trace your family tree? You may have discovered everything about your history or you may know little about your ancestors. The Jews needed to know Jesus’ lineage in order to believe that he was the “real deal,” the one whom God promised throughout the Old Testament, so Matthew opened his recollections of Jesus’ life with Jesus’ genealogy.

Read Matthew 1:1-17

How many of these names do you recognize from the Old Testament? How do their stories fit into Jesus’ story? And remember, God wants you to receive Jesus as your Messiah, if you haven’t already done so, so that God’s story can become your story.