“And Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Matthew 1:16
Anglican minister J.C. Ryle, 1816-1900:
“Learn … from this list of names, the sinfulness and corruption of human nature. Observe how many godly parents … had wicked and ungodly sons…. Grace does not run in families. It needs something more than good examples and good advice to make us children of God. Those who are born again are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, … but of God (John 1:13).
“Praying parents should pray night and day, that their children may be born of the Spirit. Learn … how great is the mercy and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think how defiled and unclean our nature is; and then think what a condescension it was in Him to be … made in the likeness of men.
“Some of the names … remind us of shameful and sad histories…. We see here that no one who partakes of human nature can be beyond the reach of Christ’s sympathy and compassion. Our sins may have been as dark and great as those of any whom Matthew names. But they cannot shut us out of heaven, if we repent and believe the gospel.”
“Learn … from this list of names, the sinfulness and corruption of human nature. Observe how many godly parents … had wicked and ungodly sons…. Grace does not run in families. It needs something more than good examples and good advice to make us children of God. Those who are born again are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, … but of God (John 1:13).
“Praying parents should pray night and day, that their children may be born of the Spirit. Learn … how great is the mercy and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think how defiled and unclean our nature is; and then think what a condescension it was in Him to be … made in the likeness of men.
“Some of the names … remind us of shameful and sad histories…. We see here that no one who partakes of human nature can be beyond the reach of Christ’s sympathy and compassion. Our sins may have been as dark and great as those of any whom Matthew names. But they cannot shut us out of heaven, if we repent and believe the gospel.”
Scripture Focus
Matthew 1:1-17
Insight
“O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free/ Thine own from Satan’s tyranny.” (ed. J. M. Neale, 1851)
Bible In A Year
- Amos 1-3
- Proverbs 17
- 1 John 1-2