Matthew 1:1
The Genealogy of Jesus (Part 1)

  1. The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ
    1. The Scope of This Heading
      1. Matthew directly and deliberately recalls to our minds a similar phrase in the Old Testament.
        1. A similar phrase heads each new section in the book of Genesis
        2. Gen 2:4 - These are the generations (This is the genealogy) of the heavens and the earth.
        3. Gen 5:1 - The genealogy of Adam
        4. Gen 6:9 - The genealogy of Noah
        5. The Sons of Noah, Shem, Terah (father of Abraham), Ishmael (short), Isaac, Esau (short), Jacob
        6. Thus Genesis follows the story of God's dealings with his people, of his choosing some and not others.
        7. It follows the unchosen lines (Ishmael, Esau) briefly
        8. And the chosen ones it follows in detail, recording how God advances his plans.
      2. Each section "these are the generations of" or "this is the genealogy of"
      3. Matthew picks up this language as though to say, another section of the history of God's people is about to be written.
      4. he consciously roots the story of Jesus in the story of Genesis, insisting this is all part of the same plan.
      5. And it is the last stage
      6. As such, this heading governs the whole book.
    2. The Significance of This Genealogy
      1. Specific phrase occurs in Genesis 5:1 - "This is the book of the genealogy of Adam."
        1. I.e. once God had created Adam, this is what happened.
        2. And we have a genealogy following, a genealogy flowing out of Adam, the first man.
        3. Adam begot Seth and Seth begot Enosh and so on down to Enoch who walked with God and so on down to Noah, who, his father hoped, would give rest from their toil in the ground which God had cursed.
        4. The genealogy presses forward; it looks ahead.
        5. It yearns for someone - the seed of the woman - just around the bend.
        6. It will not be complete until he arrives.
      2. Now we have a repetition of this phrase in Matthew 1:1, the only other place in Scripture
        1. But what follows is not a genealogy flowing out of Christ, like the one flowing out of Adam.
        2. Rather, we have a genealogy that flows into Christ, strains forward to that one that the genealogy of Adam yearned for.
        3. And it finds him! It culminates in him!
        4. At last the true Noah, the rest-giver has come.
        5. At last the true Enoch, the one who walks with God has arrived.
        6. The last Adam has come into the world.
        7. From the first Adam came that line of offspring in Genesis 5, and with that came the repeated phrase "And so he died."
        8. But this line of offspring culminates in Christ who by the end of this book has been raised to everlasting life.
      3. Away with genealogies! We need them no longer
        1. The true goal of all those carefully recorded lineages has arrived.
        2. The one for whose birth alone they were kept has come.
        3. Oh how the Jews valued their genealogy! How proud they were if they could trace their line back in unbroken descent to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
        4. As though it mattered who they were descended from. As though these genealogies pointed to them!
        5. Well might Paul warn Titus "But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless."
      4. If the people have come to Christ and still don't understand that genealogies are about him, they will waste your time with all kinds of foolish disputes. Avoid those disputes and point them to Christ.
  2. The Messiah
    1. It's a bold statement
      1. We Are Used to This Name
        1. It's as though his first name is Jesus and his last name is Christ
        2. So we are not startled by this bold statement
      2. The man born Jesus, he is the Messiah
        1. He is the one annointed by God above all others to bring in the new age, the age of salvation
        2. He is the one who will make the lame to walk and the blind to see
        3. He is the one who will save his people from their sins.
      3. So again we get this sense that Jesus is the culmination of redemptive history
      4. All history has groaned and shuddered in childbirth waiting for the genealogy that would produce him
      5. Because when the Messiah comes he will finish the work of God on behalf of his people and usher in a new age that has nothing to do with sin.
    2. Matthew uses the word sparingly
      1. Because we're used to the name, we don't notice how little Matthew uses it. He saves the word - Christ, Messiah - for dramatic effect
      2. He tells you in the first verse, so you will know what the whole story is about - without this knowledge you will miss the point and suppose he was merely a good teacher rather than the sum of everything God has to say to and do for his people
      3. He tells you in verse 16, summing up the genealogy: "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
      4. And again in verse 17: "17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations."
      5. And again in verse 18: "18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows."
      6. And, finally, once more in 2:4 when Herod asks where the Christ (the Messiah) will be born.
      7. He's rubbing it in so you won't forget. This story is about God's anointed one.
      8. Then he drops the word for 9 chapters.
      9. It comes up again in Matthew 11: "And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 4Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5"The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
      10. He confirms that he is the Messiah by pointing out that he does what the Messiah was supposed to do.
      11. But the culmination of this, the high point of the story doesn't come until the next use of the word in chapter 16
        1. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
        2. In 16 chapters, Matthew uses the word only 7 times, 4 of them grouped right up front.
        3. So this revelation, when it comes, has a dramatic punch.
        4. We were told up front, right here
        5. We're just waiting for the disciples to figure it out
  3. Son of David
    1. The Davidic Covenant
      1. Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, "My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. 8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood in my sight on the earth. 9 See, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.' 11 Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, so that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed. (1 Chr 22:6-13)
      2. Solomon failed
      3. Thus will Matthew emphasize those sayings of Jesus that show he did observe God's statutes and ordinances
        1. To J the B - permit it for it is necessary for me to fulfill all righteousness
        2. I did not come to abolish the law and the prophets
      4. He will do what all previous sons of David could not
      5. So the people of God looked to some future Son of David to come and reign as king forever.
      6. At the outset, Matthew announces Jesus as the true Davidic King, the recipient of that covenant.
    2. He is Called this most in Matthew
      1. Phrase occurs 10x (versus 3 in Mark and 4 in Luke)
        1. Here
        2. Joseph is called "Son of David" by the angel who announces to him that Mary will bear the Christ
        3. 9.27 - Two blind men cry out "Son of David, have mercy on us!" They express their faith thus that he is the Messiah, the anointed one of God who will sit on David's throne and protect his people from all things, even blindness. Others who are ill do this as well.
        4. 12.23 - Others aren't so sure. He does miracles and they say, "Could this be the Son of David?" Meaning not, is he really descended from David, but is this the Son of David we've been waiting for? Matthew affirms with his first breath, yes it is.
        5. 21.9 - When he enters Jerusalem in triumph, they cry out "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"
      2. This in particular is Matthew's burden to assert.
      3. The Son of David has arrived.
      4. The man of peace is here
      5. The builder of God's temple is ready
      6. The everlasting reign throne is about to be established.
      7. The story is of the Messiah.
      8. Here then is your king, your Messiah, not by being born into his kingdom by a natural birth but by being brought into his kingdom through faith.
  4. Son of Abraham
    1. The true seed of Abraham
      1. Isaac failed
      2. Jacob failed
      3. Jacob's children failed
      4. Israel failed
    2. And therefore the true Israel
      1. To call someone a son of Abraham is to call him as well a son of Isaac and Jacob.
      2. He alone deserves this name
      3. 2:13ff. - Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
      4. Hos 1:11 - WHEN Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense to idols.
      5. Matthew says, so what? Christ is the true Israel, the true Seed of Abraham. This is talking about him.
      6. Israel's exodus from Egypt, that's about Christ.
      7. 2:16ff. - 16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

        18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,
        Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
        Rachel weeping for her children,
        Refusing to be comforted,
        Because they are no more."
      8. He will inherit all the promises and blessings of God
      9. What does it matter whether you are descended from Abe according to the flesh?
      10. Only find yourself in Christ by faith and you are in him who alone is the true seed.
      11. he alone has inherited the promises

[Matthew Sermons] [Sermons and Studies] [Main Menu]