People

There are some surprising people included in Jesus’ genealogy. Yesterday we considered several observations about Matthew’s list (Matthew 1:1-17). Today we will consider four women in Jesus’ lineage.

God was with John as he grew and “became strong in spirit.”

Mary concludes her prayer with the reminder that God had not forgotten His people, Israel. His promise to the nation’s ancestors was about to be fulfilled. The Messiah was on His way!

Mary’s great song of praise continued as she proclaimed the “mighty deeds” of God. God’s arm is a symbol of His power and action. His strength is not limited to the heavens. His might is seen as He reaches down and does His work among people on earth.

“The Lord saves.” That’s exactly what Jesus was sent to do. He would do great and powerful things. He would be God in the flesh, “the Son of the Most High.” He would rule as king and His kingdom would be an eternal one.

What an amazing scenario! The people chose to have a dangerous man back on the streets rather than have Jesus live. The innocent would die. The guilty went free. The same applies today. The spotless Lamb of God bore our sin in His body on the cross. He died in our place so we could be free forever.