The Consultant vs. The King

Most of us are very comfortable with a "Consultant Jesus." We like the idea of a Savior who sits across the desk from us, looks at the spreadsheets of our lives, and offers some really solid "best practices" for our marriages, our finances, and our anxiety. We treat the Red Letters like a TED Talk—inspirational, optional, and aimed at helping us live our "best life."

But as we open the Gospel of Matthew, we aren’t meeting a life coach. We are meeting a King. The difference between an advisor and a king is simple: An advisor needs your agreement; a king only needs your presence. An advisor offers a suggestion; a king issues a decree.

The Legal Brief of Grace

Matthew, the tax collector, was a man of ledgers and legalities. He starts with an audit of history. He spends seventeen verses tracing a bloodline through 42 generations to prove that the Man from Nazareth has the legal, covenantal, and prophetic right to the throne.

He Highlights the Covenants:

  • Abraham Covenant (Genesis 12:3): Proving Jesus is the blessing to all nations.

  • David Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16): Proving Jesus is the Heir to the eternal throne.

He Highlights the Scandal:

The bloodline is messy. It’s real. It includes Tamar (deception), Rahab (a prostitute), Ruth (an outsider), and Bathsheba (the reminder of David’s sin). Jesus doesn't just come for the scandalous; He comes from them. The table of our King is full of people who aren’t "good"—they are redeemed.

The "Jeconiah Loophole"

Matthew includes a technical "checkmate" for the Jewish reader. In Jeremiah 22:30, God placed a curse on King Jeconiah, stating no physical descendant of his would sit on the throne. Joseph was a descendant of Jeconiah.

This is why the Virgin Birth matters. Legally, Jesus is Joseph’s son (inheriting the right to the throne), but He is not his biological descendant (avoiding the blood curse). God orchestrated all of history to culminate in the arrival of Jesus at the right time, with the right lineage, to accomplish what He determined to accomplish.

Reflection: Why are you here?

We often pick churches the way we pick restaurants—based on what we get out of the experience. But if Jesus is King, "Why are you here?" has a deeper answer. Maybe you aren’t here to be "advised" on how to have a better week; maybe you’re here to be realigned with the purposes of a Sovereign who owns the very breath in your lungs.

  • Origin Check: Do you define yourself by your family baggage or by your adoption into the line of Grace?

  • Mission Check: If Jesus came to "save" and "be with," does your life reflect a mission of reconciliation?

  • Presence Check: Is your "Why" centered on surviving the week, or on the reality of Immanuel—God with us?

Discussion Questions

  1. Consultant vs. King: In what areas of your life are you currently treating Jesus like a "Consultant" (asking for advice) rather than a "King" (obeying a decree)?

  2. The Messy Lineage: Looking at the names Matthew included (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth), how does Jesus’s family tree change the way you view your own "scandals" or past mistakes?

  3. The Technical Proof: How does the "Jeconiah Loophole" and the legal precision of the genealogy change your perspective on God’s sovereignty? Does it make you trust His timing more?

  4. Preference vs. Presence: If we stop choosing our faith experiences based on "preference" (music, comfort, convenience), what does true surrender to the King look like in your daily life?

  5. The "Because He Said So" Life: Which of the King’s promises do you need to cling to this week? (e.g., "I don't have to worry because the King said so.")