Mat 1:1-17; The Family Tree of the Messiah.
length: 60:26 - taught on Oct, 31 2023
Class Outline:
Tuesday October 31, 2023
God made promises long ago that the Savior of the world would be born in the line of certain people. I suppose this is one of the ways that was given to us to identify Him, though the people themselves, His ancestors, are far less than perfect, nor for many of them, remotely admirable.
Keep the entire unit (chapters 1-4; qualifications of the King and preparation of His ministry) in view when studying each sub-unit (genealogy, virgin birth, flight to Egypt, etc.).
Main unit is 1:1-4:22 (ish - the point that large crowds are following Him throughout Galilee.)
A Jew who was told that Jesus was the Messiah would ask, “Is he a son of Abraham from the house of David?”
Role of 1:1-17 in the book?
Reveal that Jesus is qualified as Messiah and King by birth.
Virgin birth is hinted at (then directly stated).
Inclusion of women and Gentiles and allusion to sin broaden the scope of the salvation of the Messiah outside the religious opinions of the day.
Where Matthew’s genealogy fits into his Gospel. The plan which God fostered in the creation of mankind, all of human history, is to be completed by on Man, the Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
The first words:
biblos geneseos - “the book of the genealogy of…”
This refers to our Lord’s family tree. This subscription is formed with the Septuagint version of the Book of Genesis in mind, for the identical phrase is in GEN 2:4 and 5:1.
This is the book of the generations of Adam.
“Son of David Son of Abraham,” there is a definite purpose in inverting the names. Jesus restricted His ministry entirely to Israel (10:5-7), but after His rejection, emphasis fell on the universal character of the offer of salvation (Gentiles).
The emphasis falls on royalty and then on universality.
There is a decidedly Jewish character to this lineage - Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers (Judah singled out). 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez (beat his brother out of the womb) was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king.
David is the 14th name.
The number of David’s name = 14.
MAT 1:6b-11
David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah (“Bathsheba” is not here. It is literally “of her of Uriah”). 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
Mention of 14 (vs. 17) draws attention to David.
“Uriah” draws attention to David’s sin.
After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
“by whom Jesus was born” - only passive use of verb = hints at virgin birth and uniqueness of Christ to the others.
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations (14 names; 13 generations); from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
The divisions are significant.
In David the family rose to royal power … At the captivity it lost it again. Christ regained it. Matthew traces the faithful purpose of God in fulfilling His promise despite the rebellion of His people.
Role of 1:1-17 in the book?
Reveal that Jesus is qualified as Messiah and King by birth.
No man is anything (we are nothing) save Jesus who is called the Christ.
Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed?
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4 What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Our value comes from God in the form of the new life, and that life has value in that it is God’s life. We see in that life the virtues we are to extol, but none of them are ours.
This genealogy reveals that life is not in any man, but had to come from outside of this world to enter this world through a virgin birth.
Order of David and then Abraham: Son of David Son of Abraham, there is a definite purpose in inverting the names. The promises given to David were restricted to Jewish, national, being royal in character (2SA 7:12-17; Psa 89).
"I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant,
4 I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations." Selah.
The promises given to Abraham were more comprehensive, being personal, national, and universal (GEN 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:13-21; 17:1-8; 22:16-19).
Abrahamic covenant: All the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed in Abraham.
Judah is singled out from his brothers.
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Judah and his brothers (vs. 2) is comparable to verse 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
Judah and his brothers are partakers of the promise (Abrahamic covenant) while Jeconiah and his brothers eclipse the promise by being deported from the land of promise.
Perez (not Zerah): Matthew follows the genealogy of Ruth.
Deletions.
There are a number of names not included. Matthew intended to include only 14 names in each division (perhaps to point to David whose name = 14). The purpose of his genealogy is theological and not chronological.
Divisions significant.
The names of the women are not included in Matthew’s counting.
Women - it is generally acknowledged that women are seldom included in Jewish genealogies, which are usually patrilineal.
They represent God’s grace along with Magi, centurion, Canaanite woman. Tamar and Rahab are guilty of scandalous sexual union. All Gentiles (Bathsheba being the wife of Uriah).
Matthew traces the faithful purpose of God in fulfilling His promise despite the rebellion of His people.
Comparison with Luke’s genealogy: There does not seem to be a satisfying solution (after centuries of trying).
- There are over 60 persons mentioned by Luke who are not in Matthew’s.
- Luke does not have the neat 3x14 structure of Matthew.
- Luke’s is not at the beginning of his Gospel.
- Luke also uses the genitive “A is the son of B,” rather than “A begat B.”
- Luke puts Nathan after David, whereas Matthew puts Solomon.
- From this point the genealogies diverge totally until they converge briefly with Shealtiel and Zerubbabel. Then they diverge again until Joseph.
- Old commentators have suggested that Matthew gives Joseph’s genealogy, while Luke gives Mary’s. While it is possible that Mary is a descendant of David (LUK 1:32), she is not mentioned in the genealogy.
- Luke’s genealogy is sandwiched between His baptism and temptation. At baptism: “This is My Son…” Then the genealogy - He is the Son. Then the temptation - “If You are the Son…”
None of us are anything. Christ alone is everything. I hope you can see that in His genealogy and I hope even more that you learn how to live free of pride and in humble obedience in your King and Savior, which is the only path to fulfillment and happiness.
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