The serpent slithered out of the garden, tongue zipping in and out of his mouth. A smirk crept across his scaly lips. His plan had worked. Sure, his Maker had promised to crush him. But he had nothing to fear because now that the man and woman had succumbed to the lies, he was free to go about the Earth however he wanted.
Yes, he thought. He had won.
But he was wrong.
Because God also had a plan. One to restore hope, renew faith, and grant freedom. He offered eternal life—but He needed a way to give it. Thankfully, He knew exactly how to destroy Satan. But it required giving up His Son.
Could He do it?
As He looked upon the two sad humans—His creation, once declared good, now broken—His heart swelled. Yes. Soon, it would be finished.
And God prepared the world.
Through Abraham. Through David. Through Rahab, Solomon, Bathsheba, Ruth, and Joseph. Saints and sinners, this was who His Son would be born to.
Yes. Soon, it would be finished.
God crafted the lives of so many people. Gave them promises that seemed huge.
I will give you a nation.
You will father a king. And your descendent is the King of the Universe.
I will save you from death—but more than that, I’ll save you from your sins. If only you believe.
Yes, all of these promises. Soon. But not yet.
He planned every intricate detail. Nazarene? Yes. Hunted by the king? Why not? Worshiped as a child by shepherds, wise men, and sheep? Sure. Born in a stable? Yes, because He is humble and lowly.
But why would God go through all of this? He could have admitted defeat and walked out. He could have done anything.
And He chose to let Roman soldiers crucify His Son.
The Importance of Context
Most people ignore the genealogies in the Bible. They’re boring, hard to read, and don’t seem necessary.
Matthew starts by giving readers Christ’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1), making it easy to want to skip over. But we can’t—not if we want the full context.
The entire first chapter provides context for Jesus’ birth. Forty-two generations of ancestors from different professions, backgrounds, and locations. It gives insight into Mary and Joseph. It also reveals Jesus’ purpose, which was to fulfill prophecy.
God’s Plan
Genesis 3:15 tells of God’s plans to crush Satan—to deliver death itself a death blow. All through the generations. He had compassion for the people (Matthew 9:36) and had to do something even though we’re imperfect.
His Promise
Despite humanity’s pitfalls, there’s still a chance for us—a chance at life and a chance at redemption.
All because God cared. So He made a promise—and you can see evidence of it throughout Scripture (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 53:5, Zechariah 9:9).
God never breaks His promises. And He didn’t that time, either.
The Messiah
The name “Jesus” means something such as “Yahweh saves.” It’s a perfect name for the Messiah, who would save fickle humanity. All His planning and pain fulfilled the promise that we could be safe. But we’re only safe because Christ took our penalty on His shoulders when He breathed His last on a wooden cross.
It was finished.
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