“In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line” (Romans 1:3)
There is a secret to the birth of Christ that few know about. It is the story of the man who would be king. In the last days of the kingdom of Judah an evil king named Jeconiah reigned on the throne of David. The prophet Jeremiah pronounced a prophecy of judgment against this evil king. The prophecy was that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of David. And indeed, the prophecy came true. After the reign of Jeconiah, Israel went into captivity in Babylon. From that point, there were no longer any kings in Israel.
But then what happened to the royal line? As the years passed, the line faded into obscurity. However, there was always promised a true royal Heir from David’s throne – the Messiah. The Messiah could only be born into the royal house of David, not into the house of a relative of the royal Heir. So, just how was that to be if there were no more heirs?
That is where the great mystery is revealed. God did indeed have an heir, but that heir was only known to God himself. To find out who it was, we must fast forward to the time of Christ’s birth. There was in the nation of Judea a poor Jewish peasant, a godly man, who lived his life in obscurity. This concealed peasant was in reality – the man who would be king of Israel. Or should I say would have been king of Israel. He was of the line of David, but because of the curse of Jeconiah he could not become king. He was called Yosef. We know him as Joseph. And he found himself betrothed to Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus. In recording the genealogy of Christ in Matthew chapter 1, we find him called “Joseph, son of David.” Joseph was still a true king in the house of David, though the curse had prevented him from reigning.
But what then happened to the curse of Jeconiah when it came to the Messiah? How could Jesus Christ be King of Israel in the line of David if there was a curse? Even on the cross the leading priests and teachers of the law who mocked him, called him, “The King of Israel”. How was Jesus Christ going to be placed as King in the line of David, when there were to be no more kings from his line? And what about the curse. Would that be removed in order to place Christ as King in the line of David? Because God always has a plan, he always has an answer to every dilemma. And his answer was a simple on – The King of Kings would be born through a virgin birth. Jesus Christ was protected from the human physical line of Jeconiah because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Both the curse given by Jeremiah, and the promised Messiah coming through the line of David were accomplished.
Joseph – the man who would be king, but never was. Jesus Christ – the King of all Kings, perfectly placed in the line of King David. God is indeed impeccable in all that he does. He provided a way for his Son to receive his rightful place as King of Israel. And he will provide a way for you and me to receive everything he has for us.
Darlene