Just another nobody: BYU Podcast Devotional meditation

In this episode, Bob mentions the big names of course, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as David and Solomon, but also Jotham and Abihud. What's with those guys? How did they get on the list of genealogy at the very start of the Newer Testament? And what does that say to me about my life?

4-minute episodes in Season 2, it's the interim season. 

Transcript

Devotional #3:  Just another nobody

The Jesus Genealogy: What’s the point?

We read in chapter 1 of Matthew:
7 Abijah the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz.

Recently I was invited to speak at an international conference. It was an honour to receive the invitation and then the organizers sent me information about my hotel room and pick up at the airport and such. I felt really privileged. To be fair, I was coming from a long distance, but even so, when I looked at the promotional materials for the conference, I saw some big-name celebrities and said to myself, ‘you don’t belong on the same page with those people.’ 

It was not false humility. They really are big names. I want to go hear them speak, and hopefully will have a chance to do so during all the frenzy of typical conferences. 

Matthew begins his genealogy of Yeshua with some other big names. Big for all people of faith: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Those are the patriarchs. They are mentioned daily in global Jewish prayers. You can’t get bigger names than those. Then there’s Judah and some other biggies are listed, too like David and Ruth, Solomon and Mary. These are serious celebrities. 

But also there are dozens of lesser names, names like Joram and Jothan. Ahaz and Abihud. Unless you take some time away from the biggies, you might miss those men, and their participation in the heilsgeschichte (Holy history) of the Jewish people. 

These people really had lives, lives of value and particular relationships with the Lord. Their lives counted and they are listed in the yichus, the genealogy, the heritage of the Messiah. That’s no little thing. 

And neither is your life. You count for much in God’s kingdom. Luke’s story includes this line: “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (1.35 KJV)

What will be born in us, what is coming from our relationship with the Lord will be called the Son of God. Isn’t that encouraging?

Thanks for joining me for this episode 3 of the interim season 2 of the Bobs Your Uncle podcast. Remember, when things seem bleak or uncertain, look up to God, he’s in his heaven, and Bob’s your uncle. Shalom from Sydney.