A Fascinating Genealogy

Last Sunday we took up the familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ from Matthew chapter 1 verses 18 through 25.

That's the place we usually begin when we open the Gospel of Matthew. But it's not the beginning, something else comes first, what comes first is the genealogy of Jesus Christ. First, in the Gospel of Matthew first in the New Testament Scripture very prominent placement by the spirit of God.

So today were going to look at a fascinating genealogy and learn something of the significance of this genealogy at the beginning of our New Testament Scriptures, but for many people.

I don't think those two words. Fascinating genealogy go together very often we think of genealogies we more likely think of words like tedious and boring and uninteresting.

Yet here we have one of the God has placed at the very beginning of the New Testament Scriptures, if it's your own genealogy you may have a little more interested in it than somebody else's. But I've discovered that even many Americans aren't that interested in their own genealogy.

It may be something about our heritage and the fact that we put put that sort of thing behind us when our forefathers left Europe to come to the shores. They had a rather negative opinion of of the bloodlines in and privileges that came by. By way of birth and so we may have a little less interest in genealogy is that even other people in this world yet again. Here it is at the very beginning of the book of Matthew the very beginning of the New Testament Scriptures. Obviously, God considers this to be important in God put it here so that we would look at it and not just skip over it as we are inclined to do what is it that makes this genealogy so important, and that's what we want to discover and, in short, is simply this, it is the genealogy of Jesus Christ our Savior. One or focusing on hopefully every day of the year and particularly during this Christmas season of the incarnation, and that alone should make this genealogy of great interest to every born-again believer. So gird up the loins of your mind wrestle some of these words, many of these names which are unfamiliar and let us consider together what God has for us. I'm going to examine this in four parts, beginning with the introduction found in verse one the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the opening statement says this is the book of the genealogy jib loss John Nessa Oates. It can be translated in various ways. The record of the origin. The book of the story. Byblos is most commonly translated book, but it does have other possible translations as well. The book of the genealogy the origins the beginning, the human origins of Jesus Christ. The main subject of this genealogy, though it has a lot of names of a lot of words and some of them are tongues tend to stumble over a bit but the main subject is clearly Jesus Christ, which makes this genealogy of interest to God's people. The book of the genealogy. The record of the origin of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is a very familiar term to us, but interestingly Matthew doesn't use that particular designation very often. But here he does for that reason deserves a little examination at least.

So we see first of all Jesus the human name. In Christ the messianic title of this one. Jesus that's what they called him at his birth. You shall call his name Jesus. The angel said both to Marianne Pedrosa because he shall save his people from their sin so just like everyone of us were given a name at our birth often, which was known prior to our birth. You don't usually want to wait till the child is born and say what shall we call it usually have that figured out ahead of time. These that's been my experience that was true of this one, but this is his human name when he was born to Mary this little baby was picked up in her arms and named Jesus as we know, Joseph, who was the legal father manifested his. He has the authority over his his responsibility for his adoption of this child by taking the father's place and officially giving this one is named.

His name is Jesus, but is also the Christ though in our practice today Christ is almost like the second name the middle name. My name is Gregory Noris. We generally think of Jesus name is Jesus Christ. That's not exactly the same Christ is actually the title and more.

More significantly, more accurately, the article goes before this name. It is Jesus the Christ Jesus the Messiah Jesus the anointed one.

Jesus, the sent one Jesus, the one that God sent into this world and so putting these two things together. You have a lot to this communicator. But as much is anything you have this number one Jesus he was human because he was born of woman in Christ, he is divine because he was sent from above his origin of his total being, certainly didn't begin in a virgin's womb.

It had no beginning and he came from heaven above anointed one, the sent one. But he wrapped himself in human flesh and was born in a manger and so this genealogy is significant both to the humanity of this one, and to the mission of this one, as we shall see on looking at the introduction.

We also noticed there are some very significant connection. Begin every name in the genealogy is a connection in every name in the genealogy could be studied carefully at every name of the genealogy can be found elsewhere in Scripture. Go back to the Old Testament to the primarily to the book of Chronicles, you can trace a genealogy that will tell you at least something more about every name that is found in this genealogy, but it is particularly significant in reference to two names and for that reason, these two names are put in the introduction is the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ who the son of David, son of Abraham. Two of the most significant names in that long list of names in this genealogy, the son of David, the son of Abraham consider them in reverse order son of Abraham. Abraham, of course, is the one that God called out of the of the Chaldees out of.

As we learn elsewhere in Scripture. This is so clear in the book of Genesis, but it becomes clear in other parts of Scripture out of idolatrous workshop out of paganism out of the background of false worship in God called him Abraham to himself, revealed himself to Abraham called the amount of his birthplace and gives hometown told him to travel to a place that he had no no understanding of no no clarity about and in faith Abraham obeyed and God made promises to Abraham and God used Abraham to father a new nation course, knows the nation of Israel and often think of the nation of Israel as God's chosen people. That's true that's true God's chosen people, but as Scripture unfolds, we learned that even that designation has more than one layer to it and for one instance we looked at that last week where the angel told Joseph to call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. But clearly, that doesn't mean the nation of Israel because he didn't save all of them from their sins. Yesterday, a remnant, but he saved all of his people from their sins.

Those that were called those who were who were chosen to be his people from the foundation of the world and then called into union with him and the passing of time, but Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel, and so this tells us that Jesus comes to that nation. He comes from that line of descent. He comes from Abraham. In other words, Jesus is sitting humanity, a Jew, obviously, but some people seem to miss that her daughter understand the importance of it, but it's very important and furthermore it is also important because Jesus comes in fulfillment to promises that were made to Abraham and one of the most important ones I suppose is this what God said to Abraham in you shall all the nations of the year. Be blessed.

Yes I'm making a special nation out of you a a Jewish nation, as we call it sometimes out of view.

I am making you a nation that will be distinct from the other nations of the world, but the purpose for this is not simply to bestow blessings upon your progeny this nation. That's not the purpose of many of the Jews erroneously thought, but the purpose is to use you to bless all of the nations of the Laura and Jesus and his coming fulfills that promise to Abraham so this is genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham son of David and of course special promises were also made to David and they are fulfilled in Christ. But as much is anything what this indicates is that Jesus is heir to David's throne. David, the king had promises about a future king about an eternal King about a king in a kingdom that would never end and the fulfillment of those promises is found in this one. So we read about the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham and in this manner, the covenant and the new covenant are tied together.

I think there linked together. Sometimes we separate them, perhaps more than we should go there obviously are distinctions and important distinctions. But we also need to recognize that there is a connection you can't totally separate one from the other and the anon curator of the new covenant, namely Jesus Christ came in fulfillment to promises made in the old covenant, Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham. So that's what we learn in the introduction let's jump from the introduction to the conclusion in verse 17 so after giving this long list of name so all the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations and from David until the captivity in Babylon are 14 generations and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ knows that the definite article the Christ are 14 generations. This genealogy therefore is divided into three sections from Abraham to David from David to Babylonian captivity, and from Babel and could Babylonian captivity to the coming of Christ might think of it this way. Section 1. The kingdom established section 2 kingdom dissolved shut section 3 kingdom restored see that section 1. The kingdom established and that's the history of from the beginning of the nation, and Abraham all of the things in this just touched upon lightly by giving the names back by giving the genealogy, but all of the people in the events that God used, to bring in the kingdom.

Eventually we come to a place where there is actually a king.

So section 1 Abraham to David, the kingdom is established section number two David to Babylonian captivity. What happens, the kingdom falls apart the kingdom dissolves the kingdom is destroyed it against worse and worse. Of course it became divided right after Solomon northern kingdom in southern kingdom of things even went down from there until the northern kingdom first was dissolved and then the southern kingdom was dissolved in when they are carried away in the Babylonian captivity. There is no more kingdom there is no Jewish king, sitting upon a throne in Jerusalem. They don't rule Jerusalem.

In fact, the city has been destroyed the temple, has been destroyed. The kingdom is destroyed. That wonderful kingdom established in the first section is now been dissolved and destroyed in the second section, but thank God there is 1/3 section. What happens in that section. The kingdom is restored, but it doesn't seem obvious or apparent does, but the genealogy goes on and on and on and on until eventually. This promise is fulfilled the promise of a son to sit upon David's throne. And so here he is, his name is Jesus. He is the Christ sent by God and he's come to sit upon David's throne and the genealogy establishes that royal line and now we realize that with the coming of Jesus Christ. This kingdom once destroyed is now being reestablished and yet we look around capital. We don't see a throne we don't see that the Jews ruling upon their their territory of Israel we see the Romans who are there and we wonder what is going on here. This is the king. This is David's Royal son and this is the one who will establish the kingdom and were left puzzled or weak and we hear the words of Jesus when he was asked about the kingdom. He said the kingdom is not all that said, I'm not suggesting that that the spiritual kingdom within believers is all there is to promises of the kingdom, but we have to at least recognize that the kingdom is reestablished not in the way that we expected. It's an entirely different way. It is in a way that's invisible to the eyes of those who don't know the Scriptures won't believe them and it's a way that's even opaque to many of God's people.

That's not it. That Media here it is. Here it is.

If you have eyes to see it yes certainly there's more to come but we not listen to me. What I'm saying to you were not waiting for the kingdom to be established when the king came. It was established that has been established. We are waiting for greater fulfillment of it. There is more to come. We do pray accurately as Jesus taught us to break the life kingdom, it's not clear in its full development but please don't overlook the fact that nevertheless it is here in the last third of this genealogy is the restoration of the kingdom, but in a way that we did not expect and would not have anticipated, but that's the way God works so many times there is kingdom reestablished at the end of the third section, but in this conclusion there is unusual symmetry. 14. The world is that all the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations from David until the captivity in Babylon are 14 generations and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are 14 generations 1414 14.

Clearly there is intentional symmetry, intentional balance here, but it's hard to figure out exactly what that he is, and particularly why the number 14 is so significant that especially when we look at this more carefully.

We realize for Matthew to arrive at 14 and 14 and 14.

He had to do a little manipulation. He left a good many names out. Not all the names of the genealogy are here if he listed them all. It wouldn't of been 1414 14 it would've been numbers that were not symmetrical. That should bother us, either because the Jews would've understood what he was doing the actual wording of this genealogy is not really that so-and-so got so-and-so. It is more literally that so-and-so was the father of so-and-so and in Jewish understanding father can mean father can mean grandfather can be great grandfather it can be distant ancestor.

We talk that way. In biblical terms. We talk about Jesus being the son of David was David his immediate father or his grandfather or his great felt grandfathered up because way back farther than that David was his ancestor. He is in the line of David. There is a direct connection that's really what the wording of the genealogy indicates Jews would've understood that and now we can understand that as well. So Matthew is not being what should I say he's not being is not being difficulties not is not being unclear when he says 1414 14.

What he means is I have arranged this in in groups of 1414 14. I've done this deliberately, and anybody who pays attention would know that if you if you know the Old Testament chronologies you know immediately that I've left names out and I did that to make this beautiful balance is beautiful symmetry. 1414 14 does not, because that means there are exactly 14 generations in this section 14 of that one.

It means because I selected this number to be of special significance to what the problem is were not told what the significance is. And that's not one of the numbers. That usually comes up in our numerology are studying biblical numerology know something of the importance of the number three in the number six number seven that even 1214. What is that mean were not told, so I will offer of the things that I have read and considered as possibilities for the one that I think is most likely just have to leave it at that, because I don't know for sure.

Neither do you.

But it probably relates to the number of high priests and it turns out that from the first high priest Erin tell the high priest in the days when Solomon established the temple there were 14 and count them, go back and study the record and from the establishment of Solomon's Temple.

You can count exactly 14 high priest until the carrying away into Babylon to the last recorded high priest, and there are any more after that in the Old Testament that we come to the New Testament we read about this high priest of that high priest, but we also realize that those high priest were after the order of of Levi the were really more political appointments from Rome and they didn't serve dirt for a lifetime as loot Levitical high priest did. They served at the pleasure of Rome they get deposed and reimposed it back and forth so there was in the New Testament times as many as three or more high priests present alive will not all of them, the high priest, but this one. The former high priest and that's when the present. I priest and this woman.

Next I priest of this woman on the high priest that got deposed with it's going to be brought back almost like those of you who know the history, almost like some of the points of Rome, there were more than one at a time, which shouldn't be if they were what room claims for them to be, but we will get into that at this time, but there is unusual symmetry and it has significance and will find out more about that when we get to heaven, but now I must hurry on section number 3 yard or number three is an overview of the entire genealogy. Let me just touch on a few things. This genealogy what is a record well. It records historical figures real people real history all the names can be confirmed from Old Testament record. That's what it records what is it again as we seen. It begins with Abraham not handle not actually you'll find another genealogy in Luke chapter 3.

There goes the opposite direction in Matthew's genealogy starts the ancient in his case, Abraham moves forward up to the birth of Jesus Christ and looks genealogy. It starts with the birth of Jesus Christ and moves backward all it has a little bit different emphasis. It shows that Jesus Christ is born of Adam, but not really because we'll get into that in a moment, but the humanity. The human side of Jesus is he's part of the human race. In fact, as we know from Scripture.

He turns out to be the second at not only genealogy is an interesting one. I've never attempted to preach from that.

When I preached never attempted to preach from that one because there are some elements in that that are puzzling that I haven't got figured out yet so over lunch today I'm going to ask my brother Renato Giuliani to fill me in on that explain I did a scholarly help they were that. But the point here is that it starts with Abraham not Adam and he begins therefore with the founding of the nation of Israel because that's the focus here. Jesus was a Jew and he fulfill promises made to Abraham and to others in the nation of Israel. That's where begins where it is, of course, is Jesus Christ.

He's the reason for this record is the reason for the nation of Israel.

If we have eyes to see it.

In other words, the only reason there is a nation of Israel is because they produced Jesus the Christ. That was their whole purpose it wasn't for that. There didn't need to be a nation of his that's why God called Abraham. That's why God establish this nation.

That's why God separated his nation from the other peoples of the world attracting that nation keeping that nation from from dissolving and from there line being being so deluded and spoiled and are intermingled with the pagan peoples of the world.

There was no no line left. God did all that to bring Jesus into the world and the sad thing about it is that the majority of the Jews missed their reason for existing. Here they are so proud of being Jews so proud of their heritage to Abraham and the only reason that there is a special promise to Abraham in a special nation from Abraham is to bring this one into the world that's their only reason for being Jews. That's the only reason they have any reason to be proud of being Jews and most of the misted completely, you say, what a shame what what a bunch of knuckleheads. Yes, just like a lot of people in our day is reason for existence is to bring honor and glory to God and up until now you're missing it. Your knucklehead and worse. If you don't come to terms with why you're here, why are you in this world. Why did God give you life. Why has God brought you into contact with the gospel and with Christian people.

What is your reason for being.

It is to love Christ, to believe in Christ to Christ to serve Christ if you don't fulfill that purpose. You're not fulfilling the purpose for which God created you any more than the Jews who don't recognize Jesus Christ fulfilling the purpose for which God created the Jewish nation but this genealogy is here to trace David's Royal line from Abraham to David from David to Christ. It's interesting it's it's it's very focused on that. It doesn't record the other sons of Jacob. For example, only Judah verse two Abraham begat Isaac Isaac begot Jacob. Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. We make a lot of the 12 tribes of Israel. Matthew just skips over that here Judah is Judas, the one that's important for the line. Jesus is born of the tribe of Judah. David comes from the tribe of Judah Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah, and so Judah and his brothers.

You know what, what's her name signal was those old what's the names Benjamin and Ephraim and Manasseh, and so forth.

You know about them. But what motivates as far as this is concerned.

Verse three Judah begat Perez Perez begat Ezra has room to get RAM. In other words, the ghost or Judah goes on from there. That's what's important is no record of the other sons of Jacob.

No mention of Saul the first, King of Israel site. Let's part of Israel's history that's important. Like why did I get left out, because that's not important for this genealogy. That's not important for the bringing of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ in common. The line of salt. Jesus Christ is good to sit upon the throne of Saul Jesus Christ came in the line of David. So genealogy focuses on number four. Let's finally consider some notable features of this genealogy and I start with a significant wording of verse 16 and Jacob begot Joseph that if if the same pattern were followed that we have read throughout this entire genealogy from from the beginning down to this point we should read next. And Joseph begot Jesus doesn't say that if you did, that would be wrong if they did, that would be untrue. The wording is very carefully guarded. Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus was called Christ see how carefully the Holy Spirit who is inspiring. Matthew words this so that will understand exactly what's going on here.

This is a legal line of Jesus because he is the adopted son of Joseph, and Joseph is in the line of David. If the if Israel had a king at this time I I think it's pretty clear. Joseph would've been the king. Can you imagine that this this man in the carpenter shop making farming utensils and furniture. If Israel had a kingdom he'd be the CAC.

They know he's not but he adopted Jesus as his legal son, but he's not the biological father of Jesus is short. Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, born of a virgin born without paternity without human fraternity of any kind.

Therefore, without inheriting the sinfulness it comes down from Adam regeneration, father to son via side, father to son, father to son, but this one is board. Without that sinful nature. He is the sinless one. He is virgin born to avoid that Adamic pollution that every other individual in the world has inherited but not this one because Joseph is the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. Fuller explanation of what this means.

Joseph was the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus follows in the account. We looked at last Sunday of the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows, and there you have the account of the virgin conception and birth significant wording. Verse 16 and then some significant inclusions and I don't don't have as much time for these, as I would like but surprisingly, to those who know anything about genealogies there are for women in this genealogy and that's not normal in our day and time you have people lobbying to have half-and-half that's not the way they did it and they were tracing from father to son from father to son from father to son. The royal line. And yet there is a special special detour four times to include for women in all four of these have significant problems. Three of them are clearly gentiles and possibly all 43 had serious moral failures in the other one had had her own problems at a significant ancestral impediment yet they're all included in the genealogy of Christ. Contrary to customary expectations would normally women would not be listed at all and they certainly wouldn't have been considered significant in here they are.

They are included and they are significant and oh what lessons we can learn so let's look quickly at each of these notable for number one. Taymor Taymor. We read in verse three Judah begot Perez and Sarah those were twin that were born to Taymor.

It turned out Perez was the older interesting story there, but we don't have time for much Judah begat Perez and and Sarah bike Taymor goes on from there. It was Taymor. You can read about this in Genesis 38. It's a sordid tale.

Judah, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the forefather of the tribe of Judah.

Judah acquired what appears to be a Canaanite woman to become his wife. That was the first recorded this indiscretion by Judah we get the impression from what we read the probably his life was full of of indiscretions, but that's the first one that we see it's pretty obvious to his wife were born three sons and as they grew older it became Judah's responsibility to find that why so what did he do he went to his wife's family to his wife's community to his wife's people back to the people of Canaan and picked out a wife for his oldest Taymor was her name and she married the oldest and God killed in because of his sinfulness. What's she's a little real quick so according to the custom of that day a lot of love right married. She became the wife of the second son and almost immediately, God killed him to judgment for sin. Now she's been widowed twice now, the third son is a really old enough yet to have a wife, but the expectation is that when he's old enough, you'll be given his brothers widow to be his wife.

That was the custom of the day and so she waits and she's never given to him to wife. Time goes by and it's clear she has been shunted to the sideline. What you do some you know she did when they were Judah was in the area. She dressed yourself as a prostitute and he took the bait that tells you something about the character of Judah, and he went into her and she conceived and turns out she had twins some time went by and the report came to Judah your daughter-in-law is pregnant she's not married she's pregnant. He says bring her out burner so they can have the public trial and she says I forgot this part of the story but she says I'm pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. She had taken Judah's staff and some things that identified him to hold until he sent payment schools, prostitutes get paid and they didn't have the payment so she settled give me those things until you send the payment and then she disappeared so that we sent the payment. They couldn't find her and she kept these things because I think she knew exactly what you so she said I'm I'm pregnant by the man to whom these blog and now Judah's uncovered auto. These belong to me and interestingly I find this one of the most fascinating statements in Scripture.

He says she has been more righteous than I do. I can't find a whole lot of righteousness when in either of them here, but he acknowledges that he has been exceedingly sinful because he didn't keep his promise. He didn't and so she gives birth to twins and their Judah is sons in the first one is recorded here in the genealogy of Jesus Taymor Rahab you know who she was the when the Jews came into the promised land. They first came to Jericho, you know the story of Jericho. They sent spies into Jericho and the spies went to a prostitute by the name of Rahab and got some information from her and in the mysterious way that only God can do. He somehow caused Rahab to want to take sides with the Jews instead of with her own people. Now these are clearly the enemies of the people they clearly come to destroy Jericho. And why would she do that. There's no explanation except the work of the Spirit of God in their heart, so she take sides with Israel.

She hides the spies and helps them out and elicits a promise from them that for this they will spare her life and that of her family when they come to attack Jericho, and they keep their promise and she is spared in the course she has no more, no more nation to be a part of. They destroyed her personality and her heard nation and so she comes into the nation of Israel and becomes what is at the great-great-grandmother of David verse five salmon begat Boaz by Rahab. You know, Boaz is he's the godly man in the book of Ruth.

You say how did that happen. His mother had been a prostitute. Jericho yes, but you see with the grace of God can do.

He forgave her. He cleansed her.

He changed her and evidently made her into a godly mother who raised a godly son by the name of Boaz who was the third woman, Ruth, she shows up here someone begat Boaz verse five by Rahab Boaz begot open-ended by Ruth and overhead begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king you know the book of Ruth. That's a long story, and all I point out is that Ruth came into the nation of Israel again through through means that were not prescribed by God.

My lawn was a Killian, I forget which of the two were her husband should've been marrying a Gentile. Anyway, they married. This Moabite woman did in the Moabites had their own special problems. According to Deuteronomy 23 in Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord goes on to explain why and she said that line in the time comes when her mother-in-law ever. Her husband's dad to her. Her husband's brother's dad, her husband's brother married Orpha and orca has no desire to go back to go to Israel with her mother-in-law. She stays with her people. But again, for some unexplainable reason Ruth desires to stick with her mother-in-law and go to a land where she's never been to a people she does not know complete strangers to hurt but she does so because she has come to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and this is the people that worship Jehovah and I need to be with them and she goes with them and she marries Boaz. She's in the line of David and then finally is Bathsheba. Verse five and Jesse begot David the king and David, the king begot Solomon with her, who had been the wife of Uriah. She's not even name so shameful, so shameful is the story of how she got into this line that adultery of David with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah Uriah the you know what he was. Was he a Jew, no Uriah the Hittite, but who would come into the nation of Israel. Apparently, worship the God of Israel, was loyal and faithful to David and David was such a scoundrel that he killed him to try to cover his sin. Bathsheba shows up her first child died as a judgment there. Sent butter seconds son was Solomon. Out of all the sons of Dave and he had a bunch of of all the sons of David God show Solomon the son of Bathsheba to sit upon the throne will again wrap this up. When we learn from all of this to things all emphasizing closing number one. The sinfulness of humanity. Number two the grace of God sinfulness of humanity. You can't find any really outstanding people anywhere in this genealogy even including the principal ones Abraham and David Abraham was a stinker. In some ways and David was certainly a center in some ways and so many of them in this line were sinful in recorded ways they're all sinful scoundrels like me and like you like all of us. God there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins drawn from think about that, drawn from Emmanuel's. What is Emmanuel mean God with us. God drawn from Emmanuel's is Emmanuel, God, have veins, yes, yes, in the incarnation drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flag lose all their guilty standing. Thank God the dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there may I though file ASCII wash all my sins away. I got to thinking about that phrase this week, in a way that I had really thought about it before I have formally without giving a lot of thought thought something like this. There may I even should I be as vile as seed. Of course I'm not self-righteous rascal that I am, that's not what he say there may I though I am as vile Lucy because I am so are you and everyone's there.

May I even though I was vile. Lucy even though I like II like the apostle Paul and the chief of sinners.

There may I violently see wash all sin away sinfulness of humanity grace of God the grace of God brought glory out of the shame of Kmart that brought glory out of the shame of Rahab that brought grace out of the, the prohibition that was upon the law.

The, the, a race that the nation which Ruth came the grace of God that brought glory out of the shame of Bathsheba and of so many others. The grace of God who is able to cleanse our sins and to make us new and to bring honor and glory to his son and that's why Jesus came and that's why we need him and that's why we better run to him as fast as we can and bow before his cross and lay hold of him. God help us to do it show. Lord God help us to take the sinners place and to see ourselves as vile, wicked sinners, that we may receive such wondrous grace. We pray in Jesus name