The immaculateness of Jesus Christ is beyond question. He remained completely sinless throughout his existence as a human being. Wouldn’t it then be expected that Jesus’ human lineage would also be flawless? That’s not the case, nor should it be.
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The son of David
Jesus Christ remained sinless as a human being. He became a man to powerfully demonstrate that sins in this world can be overcome. That He was born of the flesh of sin (Romans 8:3) was an absolute requirement. Born of the flesh, but not inclined to sin. Jesus Christ is also called the “Son of David” based on His human lineage. Already announced in Isaiah 11:1 and partially confirmed in Matthew 1.
Shouldn’t we then assume that Jesus’ lineage is also spotless? No, in fact it is not the case at all. And as things stand, this shouldn’t be the case.
A Moabite woman
The wife of the Judean Boaz, Ruth, can be found in the lineage of Jesus. In fact, she was not an Israelite, but a pagan from the Moabites. A descendant of Moab, a son of Lot. Conceived in the “Sodom manner” with the older daughter of Lot (Genesis 19). Lot also seduced the younger daughter with alcohol and she gave birth to Ben-Ammi, the father of the Ammonites.
A prostitute
Boaz, the husband of Ruth the Moabite, was a son of Salmon and his wife Rahab. Salmon lived at the time when Israel brought down the walls of Jericho. Rahab lived there in a shelter within the extremely thick city wall. Her “profession” was prostitution.
Anything but immaculate
In the lineage of Jesus there is a “real” pagan and even a prostitute. Immaculateness looks different.
However, these circumstances make it clear that no one is generally excluded from God’s way of salvation. Jesus Christ died not only for His chosen people, but for all of humanity. This also makes it clear that the gates are open to both serious sinners and pagans.
Ruth, the Moabite, met Boaz in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). The timing of the early harvest alone is a whole package of symbolism that was topped by Ruth herself, Ruth 1:16:
“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:“
A pagan who professes to be the people of God and wants to follow Him wherever it may go. Ruth is even referred to as the “mother of the house of David.”
The prostitute Rahab, who lived in Jericho, believed the spies of the people of Israel and even helped them escape after their discovery. Rahab believed in the God of the people of Israel, and this faith saved her life, Joshua 2:11:
“And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.“
A requirement
The fact that Jesus’ lineage is not exactly spotless makes it clear that He was a true man, born of sinful flesh. This is an absolute requirement for God’s justice to be evident in his path of salvation.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, came from the tribe of Judah and was also a descendant of David. So in sinful flesh, as Paul also testifies in Romans 8:3:
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:“
However, Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and received the Spirit of God again at his baptism. He came from sinful flesh, but was not inclined to sin. Jesus Christ could have fallen, and Satan tried. The justice of God made it necessary for Jesus Christ to come to earth in this way. Only in this way could Jesus Christ prove that normal people can overcome sin despite all temptations. This happens by God’s power if people only want it. Galatians 3:29:
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Therefore: sinner? Pagan? Atheist? It doesn’t matter!
Jesus Christ has opened his doors to everyone. The decision is up to each person!
By the way: The Roman Catholic Church denies that Jesus Christ came from sinful flesh, as described in Romans 8:3. This is done in subtle, clever ways. The concept of Mary’s immaculateness. According to the Roman Church, she was without “original sin” and therefore spotless and therefore had no sinful flesh. John had something to say about this:
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2 John 1:7
The Church of Rome itself has proven this – here
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
