The first chapter of the New Testament opens with a genealogy (genesis in Greek). But, this isn’t just any family tree– it is the line of Jesus Christ.
Matthew highlights two key ancestors of Jesus, Abraham and David, because of the great promises made to them. God promised Abraham that He’d bless the whole world through his offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). God promised David that He’d have an heir who would reign on the throne of an everlasting kingdom (II Sam. 7:12-14).
Matthew starts his account with a powerful hook, describing Jesus as the son of David and the son of Abraham and, thus, as the fulfillment of the promises God had made.
From verses 2 through 16, we have the ancestry of Jesus, “So and so was the father of so and so,” it repeats. If you’re a Bible student, you will recognize many of the names and be able to recall their stories. But, many of them seem as simply names on the list.
- Note that Matthew lists three segments of 14 names (see verse 17). He groups them from Abraham to David, David to the captivity period, and the captivity period to the birth of Jesus. There were actually more people in the list than this. Matthew seems to be abbreviating the list for a special reason. Some have suggested that the Hebrew numeric value for David was 14. Thus, Matthew may be reinforcing that this is the kingly lineage.
- There are four women listed in the genealogy, three by name. They each have fascinating, eyebrow raising, stories recorded in the Old Testament. Tamar (v. 3) was mistreated by her father-in-law Judah, by whom she bore her son Perez. Rahab (v. 5) was a Canaanite prostitute who saved the lives of Israelite spies and was saved from destruction. She gave birth to a boy named Boaz. He grew up to redeem and marry the Moabite widow Ruth (v. 5). Also, Matthew records that David bore Solomon by the wife of Uriah (v. 6). Her name was Bathsheba, but Matthew reminds us of who she really belonged to.
Lessons to Learn:
God keeps His promises. It had been 2,000 years since God spoke to Abraham and 1,000 years since He had spoken to David. But, He was faithful. In Jesus, God fulfilled His word to both. God’s word is always sure.
The whole Bible is about Jesus. From beginning to the end, Jesus is in view. The Old Testament says, “The Christ is coming.” The gospels say, “He is here.” The rest of the New Testament declares, “He is coming again.”
We are thankful to share in consideration of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close at hand and evaluate what we say. We always want to go “back to the Bible” for what we teach.
To reach us with your questions and comments or to request a personal Bible study email us at #1155cc;">info@backtothebiblepodcast.com
