The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ: Episode 04

Rev. Sun Myung Moon: The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ
Chapter 1: Jesus’ Birth and Youth, The Genealogy of Jesus, Page 7-9

The genealogy of Jesus

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (Matthew 1:1-17)

 

Why was Jesus’ family tree described in such detail in the Bible? It reveals God’s effort to create an unstained lineage out of which Jesus could be born. The struggle of Esau and Jacob, the special situation of Joseph’s mother Rachel, and [the story of] Tamar are all significant. The Bible records some things that seem to be irregular, but it was necessary so that the satanic lineage could be liquidated, allowing a new ancestor to emerge.

Parents, Children and the World Centered upon Oneself
June 5, 1983

For a Son to be born on earth with this seed of God’s love and life, there first must exist a mother. And the mother cannot give birth to this child in a conventional way. Conception must happen through the formula of restoration. All the cooperation between mothers and sons in the Providence of Restoration is a preparation and a condition for the Son of God to be born with the seed of new life, free from satanic accusation. By making conditions to avoid Satan’s attacks, and by subordinating the firstborn son who represents evil, mother and son restore the love, life, and lineage that were taken over by Satan.

For example, Rebekah deceived her husband Isaac and her first son Esau, and helped her second son Jacob receive the blessing. (Genesis 27) God took the side of that mother and son, and although they used methods that at first glance seem unjust, God still blessed them for their actions.

In Adam’s family, Cain and Abel fought outside the womb. Their struggle resulted in the death of Abel, the second son. Then came Jacob. On the merits of the sacrifices of many godly people since the time of Abel, Jacob at last caught up to the level at which Satan first dominated humankind. Then Jacob dealt with his twin brother, Esau. At the ford of Jabbok, Jacob set up the condition of spiritual victory over the angel. (Genesis 32:28) And through winning over Esau (Genesis 33), who was in the position of the substantial body of the Archangel, Jacob consequently was blessed as the first victor in history, and was given the name “Israel.” But by then he was already in his fortieth year.

Satan sowed the seed of false love within the womb of Eve, which gave birth to evil life. Therefore, God needed to purify a mother’s womb from which the heavenly Son could be born. That purification period of separation from Satan had to begin at the time of conception and continue to age forty, so even though Jacob was victorious he did not meet that criteria. The great mother who assumed the responsibility to meet this condition was Tamar.

Tamar had married Er, the eldest son of Judah. (Genesis 38) But Er displeased God and he died. According to the custom of that time, Judah gave Tamar his second son, Onan, that they might bear a child for Er. But Onan, knowing that Tamar’s child would not be his own, spilled his semen on the ground. This was a sin in the eyes of God, for which Onan died. Then Tamar wanted Shelah, the third son of Judah, for a husband, but Judah did not give him to her. Judah thought that his two sons had died because of Tamar, so he was afraid that Shelah would die and end the family lineage. But Tamar had the conviction that she was to carry on the lineage of the chosen people.

View of the Principle of the Providential History of Salvation
April 16, 1996

Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and slept with Judah, her father-in-law. In doing this she prevailed in faith over her father-in-law and husband in order to pass on the lineage of God. It was a revolutionary, life-risking act on her part. From her womb, the elder and younger brother relationship was restored.

Total Calculation or Accounting of God’s Historical Providence
December 25, 1994

 

Two brothers, Perez and Zerah, were struggling inside Tamar’s womb. At the time of delivery the brother who was later named Zerah reached his hand out of his mother’s womb. In order to clearly mark who was first born, the midwife tied a red thread around his wrist … After the red thread was tied on, however, a great struggle took place in Tamar’s womb, in which Perez fiercely pulled Zerah back in and was born first himself! Thus, the name Perez means “he who pushed aside.”

The victory won by Jacob [younger] over Esau [elder] was consummated in the mother’s womb through Perez and Zerah. Now restoration was complete in that lineage and there was no room for Satan to exert any claim, even from the time of conception in the womb. That family tree continued uninterrupted for 2,000 years down through the birth of Jesus. As you can see, God prepared a foundation that was totally cleansed from the root, so that at an opportune time God could have a sinless Son out of that lineage, over whom Satan could have no claim … .

After 4,000 years of biblical history since the fall of Adam and Eve, the time finally arrived for the birth of the Messiah. It was Mary who was chosen to fulfill that most extraordinary dispensation in the sight of God. She was a culmination of all God’s work through 4,000 biblical years of history, and the pinnacle of this dispensation.

The Day of the Victory of Heaven
October 4, 1979