Book of Common Prayer
Christ the seed, Christ the mediator
15 My brothers and sisters, let me use a human illustration. When someone makes a covenanted will, nobody sets it aside or adds to it. 16 Well, the promises were made “to Abraham and his seed,” that is, his family. It doesn’t say “his seeds,” as though referring to several families, but indicates a single family by saying “and to your seed,” meaning the Messiah.
17 This is what I mean. God made this covenanted will; the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, can’t undermine it and make the promise null and void. 18 If the inheritance came through the law, it would no longer be by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the family should come to whom it had been promised. It was laid down by angels, at the hand of a mediator. 20 He, however, is not the mediator of the “one”—but God is one!
21 Is the law then against God’s promises? Of course not! No, if a law had been given that could have given life, then covenant membership really would have been by the law. 22 But the Bible shut up everything together under the power of sin, so that the promise—which comes by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah—might be given to those who believe.
67 John’s father Zechariah was filled with the holy spirit, and spoke this prophecy:
68 “Blessed be the Lord, Israel’s God!
He’s come to his people and bought them their freedom.
69 He’s raised up a horn of salvation for us
in David’s house, the house of his servant,
70 just as he promised, through the mouths of his prophets,
the holy ones, speaking from ages of old:
71 salvation from our enemies, rescue from hatred,
72 mercy to our ancestors, keeping his holy covenant.
73 He swore an oath to Abraham our father,
74 to give us deliverance from fear and from foes,
so we might worship him, 75 holy and righteous
before his face to the end of our days.
76 You, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest One,
You’ll go before the Lord, preparing his way,
77 letting his people know of salvation,
through the forgiveness of all their sins.
78 The heart of our God is full of mercy,
that’s why his daylight has dawned from on high,
79 bringing light to the dark, as we sat in death’s shadow,
guiding our feet in the path of peace.”
80 The child grew, and became powerful in the spirit. He lived in the wilderness until the day when he was revealed to Israel.
Jesus’ genealogy
1 The book of the family tree of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac of Jacob, Jacob of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah of Peres and Zara (by Tamar), Peres of Esrom, Esrom of Aram, 4 Aram of Aminadab, Aminadab of Naason, Naason of Salmon, 5 Salmon of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz of Obed (by Ruth), Obed of Jesse, 6 and Jesse of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah), 7 Solomon of Rehoboam, Rehoboam of Abijah, Abijah of Asaph, 8 Asaph of Jehosaphat, Jehosaphat of Joram, Joram of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah of Joatham, Joatham of Ahaz, Ahaz of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah of Manasseh, Manasseh of Amoz, Amoz of Josiah, 11 Josiah of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the exile in Babylon.
12 After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah became the father of Salathiel, Salathiel of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel of Abioud, Abioud of Eliakim, Eliakim of Azor, 14 Azor of Sadok, Sadok of Achim, Achim of Elioud, 15 Elioud of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, Matthan of Jacob, 16 and Jacob of Joseph the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called “Messiah.”
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David add up to fourteen; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; and from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.