Sunday of the Holy Fathers, before the Nativity of Christ. Gospel: Matt. 1:1-25
How well do you know your spiritual heritage? Genealogies are very important. They give us our roots and help us to understand our heritage. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people, through the line of David, King of Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the direct descendant of Abraham and David and the rightful heir to David’s throne. God, in his mercy, fulfilled his promises to Abraham and to David that he would send a Savior and a King to rule over the house of Israel and to deliver them from their enemies. When Jacob blessed his sons, he foretold that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Gen. 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God’s fulfillment in raising up his anointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He is the hope not only for the people of the Old Covenant but for all nations. He is the Savior of the world. In him, we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your spiritual genealogy, and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the sovereign King and Lord of your life? And do you believe that God will fulfill every promise he has made? The prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke words of hope in a hopeless situation for Israel. The Davidic dynasty was corrupt and unfit for a Messianic King. Apostates like King Ahaz (2 Kings 16) and weaklings like Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38) occupied the throne of David. How could God be faithful to his promise to raise up a righteous King who would rule forever over the house of David? The prophets trusted that God could somehow “raise up a righteous shoot” from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah 2:11). Like the prophets, we are called “in hope to believe against hope” (Romans 4:18) that God can and will fulfill all his promises.
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