Embracing A Shameful Past

Congregation: Short North
Series: Matthew - Advent 2016
Speaker: Nick Nye
Scripture Text: Matthew 1:1-17

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Scripture

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:1-17

Discussion Questions
    1. What does Jesus’ genealogy tell us about God’s people?
    2. Pastor Nick pointed out that while we don’t see any apologies from Matthew about those in Jesus’ genealogy that could be seen as shameful, we all find ourselves looking down on people or groups. Who do you look down on? People of a certain race/ethnicity? Gender? Age? Geographic region? Political persuasion?
    3. Jesus’ family was dysfunctional – there were prostitutes, murderers, terrible leaders, and outcasts throughout – and includes all kinds of people: men & women, rich & poor, ethnic insiders & outsiders, moral & immoral … Does that sound like a family that you would want to join? Does our community (our family) look like that?
    4. What does Jesus’ genealogy tell us about God?
    5. It is pretty clear in this opening section of Matthew that the things God values are very different from the things that we value. Where do you see that most clearly? How has our community been shaped by our own values instead of by God’s?
    6. Holidays and time with family can often be difficult times of anxiety, hurry, and stress. Pastor Nick pointed out that Matthew ends his genealogy of Christ by pointing back to Genesis 1 and showing us how Jesus is our perfect Sabbath rest. Do we live in that kind of rest? What could it look like for our work, family, and community lives to preach a Gospel of perfect rest in Christ?