Series Introduction: The Gospel of Matthew is filled with a wealth of wisdom. In this short series, Rob Buckingham unpacks a few gems to encourage your faith.
Further Reading: Matthew 1:16-17 “…and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. ‘
Reflection: Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to write a genealogy? They’re not exactly riveting reading.
In Bible days, genealogies took their name from the first person listed – in this case, Abraham. But the genealogy in Matthew 1 is named “the genealogy of Jesus Christ” – the person listed last – and herein lays an amazing truth: God often saves the best for last!
Consider 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” – the one that is listed last. When Jesus turned water into wine, he saved the best for last (see John 2:10; Matt 19:30).
One of my not-so-pleasant memories of school was being picked last for sport. But life has an exciting way of reversing things. Maybe you sometimes feel left out, but God can turn things around. He often saves the best for last!
Prayer: Lord, I am so encouraged by your Word today. I relax in your presence and trust you with my life, fully believing you can turn everything around.