Episode 119: Matthew Chapter 1

We are going to change things up a little in this new season, instead of changing translations every week, we are going to stick with the Message for the whole season. I am also going to read the introduction to the book of Matthew from the Message before I read the first chapter of the book. I will do the same for the other books too. I am also going to be adding more bonus episodes, more guest readers and guest conversations about following Jesus. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me. We are back at Matthew chapter 1, so lets dive in…
There are three things that strike me in this first chapter of Matthew, first is the fulfillment of God’s promises. This is seen through the genealogy of Jesus. God made promises to these men and women that are fulfilled in Jesus. The second thing is obedience. I mean it oozes out of the genealogy with people like Abraham, Ruth and David to name a few. Then Joseph obeys God and takes Mary to be his wife. The third is that there are five women mentioned in this genealogy. As a dad of two daughters and a girl dog, I find this inclusive nature of the Gospel fascinating, that it is for everyone, even the foreigner and the prostitute. God’s kingdom is now and it is for everybody.