Matthew 1:1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Why does Matthew open up his gospel account with these words? How do David and Abraham summarize the importance of Christ’s birth?
As you might remember, Abraham and David were the two of Jesus’ fathers with which God made a covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant promised an offspring to Abraham that would bless the whole world. And the Davidic Covenant promised to David’s family an eternal son-ship and an eternal throne.
2 Samuel 7:14;16. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son...And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.
These promises to David didn’t change the fact that God’s people would continue to wait for the advent of their savior, but it sure changed HOW they would wait. Not just as God’s servants, but as God’s sons. His heirs.
And Christian, in Christ, we wait with this same promise placed upon our hearts. We wait as sons and daughters, the children of God. We wait for a glorious inheritance as fellow heirs with Christ.
Romans 8:14-17. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Have you been around any children this holiday season? Have you seen how kids wait for the coming of Christmas? Is it with dread and fear? Probably not. More likely they are awaiting the advent of Christmas with great anticipation, hope and happiness. Why? Because they are someone’s children. They are somebody’s heir. Because they have an Abba. A daddy. A mommy.
No, being God’s adopted sons and daughters doesn’t make life any less difficult. Yes, we will suffer with Christ as Paul says in Romans 8. But we don’t fall back into fear. We move forward as sons. We cry out to our Abba like David did throughout the Psalms. We wait through every season of life with the hope of the glory of God. The hope of a shared inheritance with Jesus. We wait with the eternal hope that only the Spirit of Son-ship can give. The hope of our union with Christ.
Questions.
Have you been waiting for Christ’s return as a son? A daughter? Or something else? How do children wait for Christmas? Is this how you’ve been looking forward to Christ’s second advent? What do you need to cry out to your Abba about today? Will you?
To Live is Christ 