Jesus Son of David – Part 2

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Jesus Son of David – Part 2

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

“David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.” (Matthew 1:6 NIV)

What was so bad about David’s reputation?  Well, he had committed adultery with the wife of Uriah the Hittite—one of his soldiers—while Uriah was out fighting for him, and then tried to cover up the resulting pregnancy; but when that didn’t work, he had Uriah sent /to the front line with orders to leave him out there to be killed.  That was David’s recompense to one of his fighting men

for his loyalty and courage—a courage //that stood in stark contrast /to the cowardice of David, who had compounded his sin of adultery /by becoming a murderer.  Though David later did repent, there were consequences /to his sin //that everyone had to live with.

Didn’t the writer of the gospel know this story?  Isn’t this reason enough to conveniently gloss over the name of David instead of highlighting it in the family tree?  Better yet, why would God put in the Bible that episode in David’s life /in the first place, so that we would be reminded of it /upon reading the genealogy of Jesus?  Every day of David’s life isn’t in the Bible, so why include that whole sordid affair?

* Definition of gloss - shine or lustre on a smooth surface, a superficially attractive appearance or impression.

Ah, but God put it in /that you and I might be encouraged; that we might know that where sin did abound, grace did even more abound; that we might rejoice /in the fact //that Jesus came to help people like David, like you and me, who have broken down and failed God.  He wasn’t embarrassed to link himself with David, because he wanted us all to know that he didn’t come for a perfect world.  He came for people //who mess up, but whom he loves despite those mess-ups.  He came because he wants to cleanse those very people and give them a new start.

Perhaps you have messed up and your conscience is tormenting you, so that you can’t even sleep.  Perhaps the enemy has come and told you that you’ve gone too far, that you knew better, and that God no longer has any use for you. 

Don’t you see that’s why he inspired Matthew to write the first verse of the entire New Testament: “Jesus the son of David, son of Abraham”?  Because that’s what the story of David was all about.  To finish the story, God sent a prophet to call David on his sin, and David repented and wrote Psalm 51: “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” 

Guess what?  God did forgive and cleanse him!  And do you know how David is known today?  He is known as having been a man after God’s own heart.  Amazing, isn’t it?  Can you believe that the Lord can wipe out the record against you and give you a new start, just as he did with David?  Because if you believe, all things are possible!

If you have never received Jesus as your Savior, accepting his atoning sacrifice on the cross for your sins, you can do so today.  You’ll have eternal life and restored relationship with God, standing righteous before him /because of the blood of Jesus //that was shed for you.  And if you’re a believer, but you feel far away from God /because you’ve messed up /since you became a Christian, there’s good news for you /just as there was for David, because God’s Word says that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Jesus son of David, son of Abraham… Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Read Matthew 1:6-17.