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Celebrating Advent - Lesson 3 by Pastor Kevin

Sing: Go Tell It On The Mountain


Reading: Matthew 1:2-6a

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.

Summary: This portion of the genealogy records David to Jesus. What is interesting again is how this section sets up the next episode that Matthew records. Admittedly, this is a boring section of Scripture for kids (and if most adults are honest, for them too). However, there are benefits for reading it. Even Matthew 1 is God's Word and he is telling us these things for an important reason. We are about to hear the announcement from the angel that Joseph and Mary should name their child Jesus because he is going to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). This section highlights the way Jesus completes the family that God promised to Abraham...and it is a sinful family. It is filled with exile and deportation (verse 12), murder, rape, adultery, and prostitution. Obviously, these are not kid friendly themes. However, in general terms you can help your child understand that the family that Jesus inherits is not a perfect family. Far from it. And if the likes of Jesus' family tree can find forgiveness in Christ, anyone can!

Activity: Look at a family photo album (or your camera roll on your phone). You may want to pull out pictures that you took of family get togethers with relatives. Take a few minutes to look at the pictures.

Questions/Responses:
Do you notice something about the pictures?  When you look at all the pictures that mom or dad take what do they all usually have in common? Let them think a little, then tell them that we usually take pictures of happy times that we want to remember!

Ask, can you think of the last few times you got into trouble? Can you think of a time when you were fighting with your brother or sister or when mom or dad were very angry with you? What about a time when you lied and you were discovered? Do we have any pictures of those times? Why not?  No. We don't take pictures about times we sin and get in trouble, they are not happy memories.

Well, do you know who Uriah was? Who his wife was? It was the man that David sinned against. He stole his wife from him!! This is very bad. 

Why does this genealogy tell us about this when it doesn't have to? It doesn't tell us how the other sons were born but it tells us how Solomon was born and it wasn't a nice memory. Why? God wants us to know that his people were sinful and they needed a Savior.

We also hear about Israel's deportation to Babylon. What is this? This is when Israel fell under the rule of Babylon and they destroyed the temple.

Again, another unhappy memory about how God's people sinned and were punished. Why do we hear about this? Again, it is because God wants us to know that this family has a lot of sin that it needs healing from. God wants us to know that unless someone comes to save these people, they cannot save themselves from their sins. 

The beauty of this genealogy is that it also tells all sinful people that anyone can be in God's family if they trust in Jesus. God's family isn't for people who are healthy, but those who are sick (See Luke 5:31-32).

Prayer and Ending


Father in heaven, we praise you for your awesome plan to build a family in Jesus. Thank you that all we have to do is to admit that you are God and believe that you can save us from our sins and we are your children. Help us to keep believing in you and trusting that you are our Father who loves us dearly. AMEN!

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