Jim Peters

The 12th Day of Christmas

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Matthew 1:1-17

This is the document containing Jesus’ family tree. He is the Christ (or the Messiah, which means the One who was smeared with oil and set apart for God). He was David’s descendant and David was Abraham’s descendant.

² Abraham was Isaac’s father. Isaac was Jacob’s father. Jacob was father to Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah was Perez and Zerah’s father and Tamar (was their mother). Perez was Hezron’s father and Hezron was Ram’s father. ⁴ Ram was Amminadab’s father.  Amminadab was Nahshon’s father and Nahshon was Salmon’s father. ⁵ Salmon was Boaz’s father and Rahab (was Boaz’s mother). Boaz was Obed’s father.  Obed was Jesse’s father and ⁶ Jesse was King David’s father. 

David was Solomon’s father and Uriah’s wife (was Solomon’s mother). ⁷ Solomon was Rehoboam’s father. Rehoboam was Abijah’s father. Abijah was Asa’s father. ⁸ Asa was Jehoshaphat’s father. Jehoshaphat was Joram’s father and Joram was Uzziah’s father. ⁹ Uzziah was Jotham’s father. Jotham was Ahaz’s father. Ahaz was Hezekiah’s father. ¹⁰ Hezekiah was Manasseh’s father. Manasseh was Amon’s father and Amon was Josiah’s father. ¹¹ Josiah was father to Jeconiah and his brothers and at that time they were forcibly taken to Babylon.

¹² After being forcibly taken to Babylon, Jeconiah became Shealtiel’s father. Shialtiel was Zerubbabel’s father. ¹³ Zerubbabel was Abihud’s father. Abiud was Eliakim’s father and Eliakim was Azor’s father. ¹⁴ Azor was Zadok’s father. Zadok was Achim’s father. Achim was Eliud’s father. ¹⁵ Eliud was Eliazar’s father.  Eleazar was Matthan’s father. Matthan was Jacob’s father and ¹⁶ Jacob was father to Joseph, Mary’s husband.  (Mary) gave birth to Jesus who was called “Christ” (which means the “anointed One” or the “One smeared with oil and set apart for God”).

¹⁷ Accordingly, the total (number of) generations were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David until they were forcibly taken to Babylon and fourteen generations from when they were forcibly taken to Babylon until Christ (came).[1]

---

[1] Christ – (“Christos” – Greek and “Messiah” – Hebrew) means “anointed one” or “one smeared with oil and set apart for God”

Application

Jesus title was “the One who is smeared with oil and set apart for God.”  That’s what Christ, or Christos, the Greek word, and Messiah, the Hebrew word, mean.  Jesus was called Christ.  We often use the term “Anointed One” and adopt such a religious tone about the word anointed.  However, it just means smeared with oil and particularly as a sacred act of setting apart for God’s purposes. 

So, Jesus was, by name, Christ, set apart for God’s purposes.  In a similar way, I am “anointed”, filled, baptised with Holy Spirit, and so I am set apart for God’s purposes.  Scripture says I am dead to self, that the “old man”, the old me, is put to death, that the flesh is crucified.  I am now to live for Christ.  This is the only prospect for gain in my life – to live my life wholly for Jesus.

It’s noteworthy that Matthew provides a list of the genealogy and divides it into three groups of fourteen.  This genealogy is not complete but seems to point to the deity of Christ through the meaning attached to the number fourteen.

Prayer

Father, please help me to live for you.  May your purposes be mine and your words be in my heart and flow from my mouth. 

Holy Spirit, smear me with your oil and set me apart to serve the Father in every area of my life.

I need your power to be the husband, father, friend and person that you want me to be.  I need your wisdom and your direction in every single area of my life.  O God, you are awesome and all powerful and I thank you for your intention to work in me.

IJN Amen

© & (P) IJN Publishing & Production 2009
All rights reserved – This material may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher