Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy and faithful God, thank you for keeping your promises and sending Jesus. Thank you for taking care of your people Israel through their long and often difficult history. Your faithfulness to your Word gives me assurance that you will send Jesus back to bring victory to all of your people, just as you have promised. In the name of Jesus, son of Abraham, son of David, and your Son, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

This is the family history of Jesus Christ. He came from the family of David and 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. (Their 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. (Boaz' mother was Rahab.) Boaz was the father of Obed. (Obed's mother was Ruth.) Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon. (Solomon's mother had been Uriah's wife.) 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 grandfather of Jehoiachin and his brothers. (This was during the time that the {Jewish} people were taken to Babylon {to be slaves}.) After they were taken to Babylon: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the grandfather 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 Achim. Achim 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. Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus is called the Christ. So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. And there were fourteen generations from David until the time when the people were taken to Babylon. And there were fourteen generations from the time when thepeople were taken to Babylon until Christ was born.

Related Scripture Readings

But when the right time came, God sent his Son. God's Son was born from a woman. God's Son lived under the law. God did this so that he could buy the freedom of the people who were under the law. God's purpose was to make us his children. You are God's children. That is why God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. The Spirit cries out, "Abba, Father."

God made promises to Abraham and his Descendant. The Scripture does not say, "and to your descendants." (That would mean many people.) But it says, "and to your Descendant." (That means only one person; that person is Christ.)

So people get God's promise by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham's people can have that promise. The promise is not only for those people that live under the law {of Moses}. The promise is for any person that lives with faith like Abraham. Abraham is the father of us all.