Matthew – God’s Purpose, God’s Laws
God’s Word begins with God. God was there at the beginning of all. Genesis means the beginning, the first. “In the beginning God created”…(Genesis 1:1) Jesus was there at the beginning with Him. We must wrap our heads around these facts before reading another word. God’s plan to save us was not an afterthought, invented as He went along creating and watching His people multiply physically, do harm to each other while disobeying God. God is sovereign. God is above all His creation. God knows us well.
God’s Son, Jesus, was not just a player in the drama of life’s history. Jesus was also at the beginning of it all. Jesus, part of God, did what God directed, in heaven and on earth. The Plan to save God’s people was in place from the beginning. Jesus’ arrival on earth was perfectly timed. Jesus’ departure back to heaven, after defeating death and rising from death to resurrection of life for all of us was perfectly planned and timed. Jesus went to hell and back for you and I. It was the love of God, from the beginning, that made all this happen for all of His created humanity who would turn to Him, repent and be saved.
To point to Jesus and The Plan’s execution to bring God’s people back to Himself, we will begin with Matthew, the first gospel in our Bibles, as a beginning point for our Daily Manna with Our Mugs meditations each morning. However, it would be beneficial to read a chapter a day in the Old Testament, as well, beginning with Geneses…the, well, beginning.
Matthew, as a good Jewish man would, begins with the biological genealogy of the coming of God’s Son, Jesus in the form of a tiny human born to a virgin engaged to be married to a devout Jewish man who stands in as God’s Son’s earthly father. Jesus would also be known as their Savior. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus, God’s Son, tears down the walls between God’s created and Himself by being the perfect sacrifice for our sin. Jesus, is their/our only hope. So, let us make our way through Matthew with these thoughts ever present in our minds. God’s Son and Plan were always in place. God knows us. God knew we (humanity) would need to be redeemed and brought back to Him. God provided a Savior to the world. His name is Jesus, the Christ.
Matthew 1, New King James Version
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ1 The book of the genealogy[a] of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her [b]who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot [c]Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot [d]Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot [e]Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being [f]a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is [g]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name [h]Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and [i]did not know her till she had brought forth her[j] firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Dear Heavenly Father,How can we say thank you for all the ways you provide for us. You are our rescue, hope and life. You are the daily Bread of Life that nourishes our souls. You are our Savior and Lord. Transform us as we learn. May Your Holy Spirit wash over us, cleanse us and mature us as You guide our every thought and action.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 