Skeletons in the Closet

There are skeletons in the closet and then there are SKELETONS in the closet. Some people have skeletons in their past or in their family's past that they would like to keep in the back of the closet and then chain the door closed. Most people would not happily volunteer that Great-Great Aunt Susie murdered Great-Great Uncle George. We think that skeletons are for dark closets and are nobody's business, which majority of the time is correct. But not Jesus. Jesus allowed the entire world for the last 2000 years to see the bleakness and darkness of his earthly family tree. God put the specific people he wanted in the lineage of Jesus. He had a specific purpose for those people!

Recently I have started preparing my heart for Christmas. I have gotten so frustrated with myself the past few years for not rightly focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. This Christmas I decided to change all that and I have begun reading a book called "God in the Manger" by John MacArthur. God has been using it to really open my eyes to some pretty amazing things. I began reading through Matthew 1 and was very tempted to skip over all those names but I knew God had put each one of those names in there on purpose, so I read through them. As I read I began to see some interesting truths:

God Makes Beauty Out of Scum
When I think of scum it grosses me out. Scum stinks, it isn't pretty, it feels nasty and definitely is not something you want to bring home to use on your best china. So it is with Jesus' earthly family tree, it has liars, deceivers, promiscuous men, outcasts, people who played favorites, a murder, someone who, if we put it in modern terms, had an affair ( the Bibles calls it the sin of adultery) with one of his closest friend's wife, people who killed babies, and leaders who lead their people astray. When you boil it all down it looks like a bunch of scum. We might all wonder why in the world would God want all those people to be in the lineage of His precious Son's earthly family? Wouldn't He want the best of the best? Wouldn't He want perfect people, ones who never sin? Ah, but that is the beauty of this rugged 'ole narly family tree. Its stands as just another breath-taking portrait of the beauty of God's mercy. Not one of those skeletons in the Matthew 1 closet deserved to be a part of Jesus family tree. But just like them, you and I don't deserve God's mercy. We deserve to stay as skeletons in the closet of life dead, dry and unwanted. But that is what part of the beautiful picture of Christ being born of a virgin and becoming man is all about! He came to earth to take old dead skeletons, like you and me, and breathe life into them. He delights to put us in His beautiful robes of righteousness and cloth us in His grace and mercy. Could this be one of the many reasons God allowed each one of the skeletons in the Matthew 1 closet if not to remind us He came to save His people from their sins!!

Jesus' earthly family tree has stood as a reminder to me that God can still make something beautiful out of a mess. I love how Psalm 103 puts it "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth ALL thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies" Some days when I have just fallen short over and over again I start to believe Satan's lie that I've messed up too much and I can't be used for God. Its during those times that God draws me to himself and reminds me when I confess my sin he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse me! He is my Redeemer!

You might be thinking that you are too far gone, you have sinned and messed up too badly, or God will never forgive you of that particular thing you did, just remember Matthew 1 and Jesus' rugged ole narly earthly family tree.

Oh what a Savior!