Something Old, Something New: Part 1 - 'Ancestry'

This Sunday, Simon Lace brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC services. We encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.
 
The talk will be available via live stream at 9.30am on Sunday 4th December, on our YouTube channel.
 
Once you have listened, here are some questions to consider:

Readings:

Matthew chapter 1 (New Living Translation)

The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.


Genesis chapter 12 verses 1-3 (New Living Translation)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.


Genesis chapter 35 verse 11 (New Living Translation)

“Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!”


Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1-5 (New Living Translation)

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
    He will not judge by appearance
    nor make a decision based on hearsay.
 He will give justice to the poor
    and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
    and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
He will wear righteousness like a belt
    and truth like an undergarment.


2 Samuuel chapter 7 verses 8 and 16 (New Living Translation)

“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel…”
… ”Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.”



Prayer and Reflection:

Loving God, we praise and worship you, the God and Saviour of us all. Thank you that you entered into humanity and changed us forever. By Your Holy Spirit help us Lord to use the past to shape our lives now and in the future in ways that bring glory to Your Kingdom. Help us to be a blessing to our own families, our church family and families around the  world. We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.



Questions to Consider:

1. Have you ever looked into your own family history? Any surprises or interesting characters/stories there?
2. As you look back into your own life, who are the people who have had the greatest impact on you? Positive and negative, family, friends, colleagues. What have some of the big moments been – and how has that shaped you?
3. What difference do you think it makes to humanity that the Word became human and dwelt among us?
4. Is God utterly unchanging? If so, what do you make of the idea that Jesus was a real human being – was this human life (and suffering, and death) a new experience for God? What does this say to you about the closeness of God to humankind?
5. How does God becoming human and dying on the cross fit into God’s love for us? Why did God do it? If your answer has to do with salvation, ask yourself why God did it this way – was there no other way? Could God not just have forgiven us?
6. What does Jesus coming to earth as a human and dying say about God’s understanding of suffering, prayer and death?
7. What is the ‘big issue’ for you in your life right now? As you consider your place in your family tree, what is the best response to that issue?