Life Recovery Bible - Flipbook - Page 10
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RECOVERY THEMES
The Power of the Resurrection: Sometimes we look for the power to recover within ourselves. We don’t want
to depend on a power that is outside of us. But the power within us can be only as strong as we are, and we
have already recognized that we are powerless. In the Gospels God demonstrated his power in many ways,
but the ultimate example was in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his victory over sin and death, Jesus
established his credentials as king and his power and authority over all evil. That’s the kind of power we
need in recovery. It is available to us when we turn our lives over to him.
The Importance of Hope: Without hope we are miserable; hope is the driving force behind all recovery. If we
had no hope, there would be no possibility of recovery. Understanding who Jesus is gives each of us a hope
that can transcend even our deepest despair. In the Gospel of Matthew, we see and hear the message of
hope that is available to everyone, not just to a select group of people. Jesus’ resurrection forms the basis of
our hope because in it God demonstrated his power over death.
The Dangers of Denial: Often people say that if they could just see a miracle, they would believe. But as we
see in Matthew, many people denied the truth about Jesus despite the miracles he did for them. Our denial
system is well entrenched. God can handle our doubts and fears, but cynicism and unbelief shut us off from
his transforming power. Let us be like the disciples, who stood in awe on the Mount of Transfiguration and
wondered what kind of man Jesus was. That kind of openness facilitates the recovery process.
God’s Kingdom—A Model for Recovery: Jesus came to earth to inaugurate his Kingdom. His complete rule,
however, will be realized only when he returns. His Kingdom will be made up of all those who, in faith, have
turned their lives over to God and sought to follow him. We begin the recovery process by believing in him.
But living as children of the King requires moment-by-moment acts of faith and trust. Recovery works the
same way. Just as in this life we never fully enter into God’s Kingdom, we never really finish recovery. We look
forward to that day when we will see Jesus face to face and know that our recovery is complete—in him.
CHAPTER 1
The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus
the Messiah, a descendant of David and of
Abraham*:
2
3
4
5
Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his
brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah
(whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.*
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose
mother was Rahab).
6
7
8
9
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose
mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon
(whose mother was Bathsheba,
the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of
Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.*
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father
of Jehoram.*
Jehoram was the father* of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
1:1 Greek Jesus the Messiah, Son of David and son of Abraham.
1:3 Greek Aram, a variant spelling of Ram; also in 1:4.
See 1 Chr 2:9-10. 1:7 Greek Asaph, a variant spelling of Asa; also in 1:8. See 1 Chr 3:10. 1:8a Greek Joram, a variant
spelling of Jehoram; also in 1:8b. See 1 Kgs 22:50 and note at 1 Chr 3:11. 1:8b Or ancestor; also in 1:11.
1:1-16 The family tree of Jesus, the sinless God-man, was far from perfect. Judah fathered Perez
with his daughter-in-law Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute (1:3; see Genesis 38); Salmon married Rahab, a former prostitute in Jericho (1:5; see Joshua 6); and David had an adulterous affair
with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba (1:6; see 2 Samuel 11). Throughout history God has used imperfect
people to work his will. He was more concerned about the attitude of their hearts than about the
mistakes they had made. God is never frustrated by our past mistakes. This should give us hope.
God can give us a productive future no matter how bad our past has been. For a new start, we
must admit our sins and commit our lives to God.
