January 1, 2011 - Matthew 1

Welcome, brothers and sisters, to the One Year New Testament Blog.

Reading the New Testament from cover to cover in a year can be a solitary, at times challenging experience. To provide incentive for myself and others, I have created this blog. It is open to all, and especially to those who have resolved to read the New Testament through for 2011. Your thoughts are welcome! Until I have refined this blog to receive posts from others, I encourage you to share them in the "comments" section.

Speaking for myself, as one of many participants, I expect to keep my comments brief and to the point. If you're looking for exhaustive, learned commentary - you won't get it from me! But if you enjoy sharing and receiving with a fellow trekker on the year-long journey through the New Testament, you may find this blog helpful. If you do, please share it with other regular readers of God's word.

Thanks to BibleGateway.com, you can read today's chapter here .

Today's thoughts on Matthew 1 -

Our favorite Christmas card this year came from Arnold and Paula  Baizley. It says:

"If our greatest need have been information,
God would have sent an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.

 But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a savior."

I thought of this card as I read the genealogy of Jesus. Frankly, it is a mixed bag. There are some sorry characters there. A very quick count shows at least three actual or would-be murderers: Judah (would have killed Joseph), David (had Uriah killed), and Manasseh (sacrificed his own son to a false god). Jacob the trickster, Solomon the compromiser, the list goes on and on. It is true that like the sinner writing this post, most of the forefathers of Jesus had some godly qualities. But none had redeeming qualities - else they would not have needed a savior. And hallelujah, WHAT a savior!

Lord Jesus, through 2011 I look forward to learning of you and from you and through you as I work out your great salvation for me.  

Guy Page
Cambridge VT