This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Matthew 1:1 NIV
Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus. He does this to establish the historicity of Jesus as the Messiah, the promised Savior. Matthew’s listing of the ancestral lineage of Christ was uniquely important in demonstrating the authenticity of the claim of Jesus as the Messiah to the Jewish community. This is because the Hebrew people understood from scripture that the Messiah would descend from Abraham. Specifically, he would descend through the house of David.
Both Matthew and Luke give genealogical accounts for Jesus. Matthew begins with Abraham and Luke details Jesus’ ancestry from Adam the first man. These genealogies are identical from Abraham to David but differ thereafter. Many scholars assert that these differences represent a genealogy for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph who raised the virgin born Christ as the husband of Mary. With this explanation, the majority assert Luke’s genealogy as derived from Jesus’ mother Mary and Matthew’s genealogy as representing the line through Joseph.
Made Sure Forever
In either event, genealogies were important to the Jewish people. To establish an understanding of Jesus as King of Kings, the Jewish and even Samaritan people would reasonably expect that Jesus descended from Abraham through the house of David. This is exactly what Matthew asserts in the very first verse of his gospel account. In total, Matthew counts fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the exile in Babylon to the birth of Christ.
Matthew’s mention of Abraham and David are significant for these reasons. In Genesis 22:18 God made a promise to Abraham saying, “All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice. WEB” Jesus fulfills this promise as the Savior of repentant sinners. Also, in 2 Samuel 7:16 God made a covenant with David saying, “Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever. WEB” Matthew demonstrates that Jesus, as a descendant of David, fulfills this covenant promise as the Messiah.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the hope derived from your holy word. Thank you for the men and women who testify to your faithfulness. Give me wisdom to share the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. Guide my steps to live my life in your service. In Jesus name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Spirit of Gentleness
