Episode 38: Praying the Will of God

Episode 38 | December 7, 2021

Episode 38

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Today’s Episode

I don’t know about you, but I’m fully invested in the Christmas season. Today, we’re diving into a series of Christmas episodes, and to kick it off, we’re starting in the book of Matthew. Matthew spends most of the first chapter outlining the genealogy of Jesus. While a genealogy may not seem like the most show-stopping opener, the cultural and historical implications of this chapter are deeply impactful. 

The genealogy of Jesus is countercultural. It is rare to find women listed in genealogies and the women highlighted here are not classified by their squeaky clean lives or heritages. The effects of shame, prejudice, disobedience, loneliness all permeate the lives of the women in Jesus’ line. As we look at these women, we can’t help but see reflections of our own hearts and stories. And in that reflection, I pray we will see the all-encompassing salvation gift given to us through the life and death of Jesus. 

Don’t forget to sign up here for the Encountering God Online Bible study, starting January 13, 2022

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Scripture References

Matthew 1:1-6, 16

Genesis 29:31 (Leah)

Genesis 38:14 (Tamar)

Joshua 6:25 (Rahab)

Ruth 2:12 (Ruth)

2 Samuel 11:26 (Bathsheba)

Luke 1:30 (Mary)

Matthew 1:21

Main Points

  1. Leah – Unloved by Jacob and emotionally abandoned, God chose to use Leah in the lineage of Christ. 
  2. Tamar – Rejected and betrayed, God saw Tamar and her brokenness and brought blessing from it.
  3. Rahab – Unlikely and unassuming, a Gentile prostitute who had great faith and trusted in God lived among the Israelites. 
  4. Ruth – A woman bereft of her husband and her homeland, God provided for Ruth and gathered her into the lineage of Christ. 
  5. Bathsheba – Taken assumingly against her will from her husband and brought into a life of tragedy, God redeemed Bathsheba in the midst of loss. 
  6. Mary – Not wealthy or elite, God used a humble teenager to bring Jesus into the world. 

How do we Cultivate this in our Lives?

  • We receive Christ, our gift of salvation. We pray to experience His love and redemption as portrayed in the lives of these women.

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