Interlude and Harmony-Advent 6, 2021

If you look at the genealogies of Jesus as recorded in Matthew and Luke, there are some lingering questions about why they differ and theories about why that is the case. I don’t want to focus on that. I want to think about Interlude and point out some interesting similarities that the Interlude makes clear. The Interlude displays a beautiful harmony that is easily overlooked.

The Tanakh which is the Jewish Bible containing the Torah (T), the Nevi’im (N) which are the prophets, and the Ketuvim (K) which are the historical writings (the acronym becoming Tanakh) outlines some specific requirements for who the Messiah must be.

He must be a descendent of Abraham (Genesis 22:18). The next patriarch who is identified in Messianic prophecy is Jacob (Numbers 24:17), assuming Isaac, the legitimate son as the child of promise to Abraham and Sarah. Of Jacob’s sons Judah (Genesis 49:10). Skip some time and Jesse appears (Isaiah 11:1) and his famous youngest son David (2 Samuel 7:13-16). After King David, there is another listed requirement in prophecy for the Messiah: Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:22-23).

Wait, you might be thinking, what happened to the rest of the royal line? Interlude. Exactly. And Zerubbabel was no king. He was a governor whose family tree included royalty, but the royal line had ended …that is…until the Interlude was over and the advent of Messiah.

Both Mary’s (biological and birth) and Joseph’s (legal as adopted) genealogy have Abraham (Matthew 1:1-2, Luke 3:34). They both have Jacob (Matthew 1:2, Luke 3:34) and Judah (Matthew 1:3, Luke 3:33). They both have Jesse (Matthew 1:6, Luke 3:32) and they both have Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12-13, Luke 3:27).

Whether you look from Mary’s or Joseph’s legal adoptive recorded genealogies, Jesus fits the Messiah perfectly in the royal line post-Interlude to be born “King of the Jews.”

Questions for further thought:

Today, I’ve used a lot of Scripture verses. I’d encourage you to read back through them and ask yourself whether any other person could have met all those requirements on both his birth mother and legal genealogies. What is the one difference between Jesus and Joseph’s natural born sons, Jesus’ brothers?

Ask yourself why it is important that there is harmony and precision on all the requirements for the Messiah. There are differences, yes, and theories to reconcile them abound. But on the points that matter (the Messianic requirements) the whole of Scripture and the Interlude demonstrate that it’s not a strict human transmission of royalty from father to son. That is what a strict genealogy would suggest and would apply equally to Jesus’ brothers, yes?

Instead, through the virgin birth, God skips generations spiritually to show that God is Father, and He has chosen His Son Jesus Christ as both Priest and King which we will soon see is important. Not two Messianic figures (a Priest and a King) as some thought, but the two offices in perfect harmony in the Interlude.

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Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.