Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: LUKE #7 - 3:21-38)
B. 3:21-38 THREE-FOLD WITNESS TO JESUS
1. 3:21-22 THE DESCENT OF THE SPIRIT UPON CHRIST
E-GEne-to de, en to bap-tisTHEnai[907] HApan-ta ton laON,
Now it came to pass, when the whole people were :baptized,
kai IeSOU bap-tisTHENtos, kai pro-seu-choMEnou [4336], a-ne-ochTHEnai [455]ton ou-raNON,
that Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
kai ka-taBEnai [2597]to PNEUma to HAgi-on so-ma-tiKO[4984],
22 and the Holy :Spirit descended in bodily form,
hos pe-ri-steRAN [4058],ep' auTON, kai phoNEN [5456]ex ou-raNOU geNESthai,
as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out heaven,
Su ei ho huiOS mou ho a-ga-peTOS [27]; en soi euDOke-sa [2108].
You are my :Son the beloved; in you I am well pleased.
2. 3:23-38 GENEALOGY OF JESUS THROUGH MARY (NATHAN)
Kai auTOS en ho IeSOUS, arCHOme-nos [756], hoSEI eTON [2094]triAkon-ta,
And Jesus himself, when he began, was about thirty years old,
on huiOS (hos e-noMIze-to [3543]) IoSEPH, tou E-LEI,
being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, of :Helei,
tou MatTHAT, tou LeuEI, tou MelCHEI, tou IanNAI, tou IoSEPH,
24of :Matthat, of :Levi, of :Melchei, of :Jannai, of :Joseph,
tou Mat-taTHIou, tou A-MOS, tou NaOUM, tou EsLEI, tou NagGAI,
25of :Mattathias, of :Amos, of :Nahum, of :Eslei, of :Naggai,
tou MaATH, tou Mat-taTHIou, tou Se-meEIN, tou IoSECH, tou IoDA,
26of :Maath, of :Mattathias, of :Semeein, of :Josech, of :Joda,
tou Io-aNAN, tou 'ReSA, tou Zo-roBAbel, tou Sa-la-thiEL, tou NeREI,
27of :Joanan, of :Rhesa, of :Zorobabel, of :Salathiel, of :Nerei,
tou MelCHEI, tou AdDEI, tou KoSAM, tou El-maDAM, tou Er,
28 of :Melchei, of :Addei, of :Cosam, of :Elmadam, of :Er,
tou IeSOU, tou E-liEzer, tou IoREIM, tou MathTHAT, tou LeuEI,
29of :Jesus, of :Eliezer, of :Joreim, of :Maththat, of :Levi,
tou Su-meON, tou IOUda, tou IoSEPH, tou IoNAM, tou E-li-aKEIM,
30of :Symeon, of :Judah, of :Joseph, of :Jonam, of :Eliakeim,
tou Me-leA, tou MenNA, tou Mat-taTHA, tou NaTHAM, tou DauID,
31 of :Melea, of :Menna, of :Mattatha, of :Natham, of :David,
tou IesSAI, tou IoBED, tou BoOS, tou SaLA, tou Na-asSON,
32of :Jessai, of :Iobed, of :Boos, of :Sala, of :Naasson,
tou AdMEIN, tou ArNEI, tou EsROM, tou PhaRES, tou IOUda,
33of :Admein, of :Arnei, of :Hezron, of :Phares, of :Judah,
tou IaKOB, tou I-saAK, tou A-braAM, tou THAra, tou NaCHOR,
34of :Jacob, of :Isaac, of :Abraham, of :Thara, of :Nachor,
tou SeROUCH, tou 'RaGAU, tou PhaLEK, tou E-BER, tou SaLA,
35 of :Seruch, of :Ragau, of :Phalek, of :Eber, of :Sala,
tou KaiNAM, tou Ar-phaXAD, tou Sem, tou NOe, tou LAmech,
36of :Cainam, of :Arphaxad, of :Shem, of :Noah, of :Lamech,
tou Ma-thouSAla, tou E-NOCH, tou IaRET, tou Ma-le-leEL, tou KaiNAM,
37of :Mathusalah, of :Enoch, of :Jaret, of :Maleleel, of :Cainam,
tou E-NOS, tou Seth, tou A-DAM, tou TheOU.
38of :Enos, of :Seth, of :Adam, of :God.
NOTE: A man invited a friend to his church on a Sunday evening to hear his pastor, whom he highly regarded. To his consternation, his pastor that night preached from Genesis on genealogies. The rest of the sermon he was unable to take in because of his disappointment. But then - to his utter amazement - he saw his friend go forward and make a full decision for Christ as both Lord and Savior!
“Whatever possessed you to do that?” he was asked by the one who invited him. “Well”, he said, “as your pastor went through name after name, I noted that they alldied. And I thought - and I'mgoing to die too! And I'm not ready to meet my God; so I obeyed my strong conviction and did the right thing!”
And what of the genealogy of Mary before us now? It is the thirdwitness concerning God's approval of His Son. The Holy Spirit as a dove confirmed the sign promised to John the Baptist. The voice from Heaven from the Father was a second most powerful witness! But the genealogy of Mary is the third - and also most powerful witness.
Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph, Jesus step-father through Solomon - a line that was rejected for David's final throne. But Mary came through Nathan, a line through David that the Lord approved. His humanity through Mary gave Him every right to succeed to the Throne of David for all eternity over Israel - and over all nations as King of kings and Lord of lords, whether today any of the above see God's three-fold approval or not.
So - whatever one may think of genealogies - and even skip their reading - God has so arranged them that they have greatsignificance.
One point more - consider the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-12. If one skips these - he will miss 4:9-10, and the extraordinary insights that come from the the story of Jabezof the tribe of Judah. J.A.W.