Matthew 1:1-17
 

Matthew knows it is one thing to claim something is true and it is another to prove it. Matthew is not trying to convince the Jews Jesus is the Messiah, he has declared He is the Messiah. What is it that makes Matthew take a no back down stand when it comes to who Jesus is? Remember Matthew is a Jew, hated by the Jews. He was a tax collector for the Roman Empire, one of the lowest forms of life in the eyes of Jews. He knows the requirements necessary to claim the right to the throne that has been vacant since the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The claimant to the throne must prove he is a descendant of Abraham and David. He also knows the only acceptable evidence is a genealogy. In the first verse of the record of the genealogy of Jesus identifies Jesus as a descendant of David and Abraham.

By linking Jesus to David and Abraham Matthew is claiming Jesus is the fulfillment of two promises. God told David, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

In this promise God is setting a lineage that will be used to verify Jesus is the Promised Messiah. The one who is the Promised Messiah must be a descendant of Solomon. Solomon is the one who built a house for the name of God.  The word “forever” refers to an indefinite time, without interruption. From the Babylonian Captivity to the birth of Jesus there was no descendant of Solomon seated on the throne of Israel.  

What is Matthew telling the people of his day, what is he telling this generation. Jesus is the descendant that shall come forth from David. Jesus is the one God said He would establish His kingdom and throne forever. Jesus is one like a son of man Daniel saw coming before the Ancient of Days and an everlasting kingdom and throne given to Him. Jesus is the one that will bruise the head of the serpent. Jesus is the one who will build a house for the name of God. The house Solomon built fell following his death and has remained a fallen house to this day. However, the house Jesus is building will stand forever. Jesus is building His house on a solid rock and He is the rock

The second promise that was fulfilled was the promise to Abraham that in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The promise is recorded in Genesis chapter twelve verse thirteen.

Matthew’s genealogy proves God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, and David. Thoughtless, ungodly people and church members should remember this lesson. Whatever they may think, God will keep His word. If they do not repent, they will surely perish. True believers in Jesus should remember this lesson, and take comfort. Their Father in heaven will be true to all His promises.

Note the number of godly parents in this genealogy that had wicked and ungodly sons. This should teach us humbling lessons. They had all pious fathers. However, they were all wicked men. Grace does not run in families. It needs something more than good examples and good advice to make us children of God, to make our children and grandchildren children of God. Those who are born again are not born of blood, or of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Praying parents should pray night and day, that their children might be born of the Spirit. However, it is only when they humble themselves, repent and believes in Jesus do they become the children of God.
 

Some of the names in the genealogy of Jesus are never mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. However, at the end of all comes the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though He is the eternal God, He humbled Himself to become man, in order to provide salvation for sinners. When we read the genealogy of Jesus, even if we cannot pronounce all the names, we should praise our Lord and thank Him; no one is beyond the reach of Christ's sympathy and compassion. Our sins may be as black and great as the people in the genealogy of Jesus, they cannot shut us out of heaven, if we repent, believe in Jesus and the gospel. If Jesus was not ashamed to be born of a woman, whose lineage contained such names as those listed in His genealogy He will not be ashamed to call us brethren, and to give us eternal life.

In His coming to earth Jesus fulfilled prophecy and Israel's expectation.

Fulfilling Prophecy

Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew opened the genealogy of Jesus with the statement, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). Verse 18 begins the record of the conception of Jesus, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” In our society, this is no problem. However, in Joseph’s society it was a big problem. Espoused means Mary for all intent and purpose was married to Joseph. The custom of the day required an interval of one year of betrothal before the bride could take residence in her husband’s house and the consummate of the marriage. The breaking of the betrothal required a legal divorce. During this interval, Mary was found with child.

Joseph being a righteous man, a strict observer of the law, and not wanting to disgrace Mary wanted to give her a bill of divorce privately. However, an angel of the Lord assured Joseph there is no reason for him to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The child conceived in Mary is by the power of the Holy Ghost and not by the power of nature. It was necessary that the child conceived in Mary be by the power of the Holy Ghost and not the power of nature, that He might escape the corruption and pollution of it.

Note the angel did not tell Joseph the child would deliver His people from the yoke of the Gentile; He would save them from their sins. Those whom Christ saves He saves from their sins, from the guilt of sin by the merit of His death, from the dominion of sin by the Spirit of His grace, He does not save them from the yoke of an oppressing people, such as the Jews were under when Jesus was born. Jesus came to purchase with His blood His people’s freedom from sin and not the freedom to continue in their sins.

There are two reasons why the conception of Jesus was by the Holy Ghost, His nature had to be spotless, pure, and without any stain of sin. If the conception of Jesus was the result of an unfaithful act by Mary, rape, or the breaking of the betrothal requirements, as His enemies claim, Jesus was not the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, He is not the Mediator between God and man, the only Mediator. Regardless of man’s opinions, God and man are brought together in the person of Jesus, since He partakes of the nature of both.

Why is it important Matthew include in His Gospel the account of the conception of Jesus? Matthew answers the question in verses twenty-two and twenty-three, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

According to many skeptics, no one ever called Jesus by the name "Immanuel", which suggests a failed prophecy. In their view, because Matthew quoted from Isaiah the phrase “shall call his name” we should understand “Immanuel” to be taken literally since other biblical passages use names literally. However, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Matthew wrote the account of the genealogy of Jesus. The question is who we are going to believe, Matthew or skeptics. 

Joseph sets an example we need to follow when the Lord speaks to us, he “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him” (Matthew 1:24).

Although what the angel of the Lord told Joseph was contrary to everything he believed, was taught, and his intentions to protect himself from the consequences of the pregnancy of Mary, he took her as his wife. When did he obey the command to take Mary as his wife, he did it immediately, and without questioning.

It is true, in this present age extraordinary direction like this do not generally occur in our lives. However, God still has ways of making known His will for our lives. We may question and be concerned as Joseph was when he faced the greatest decision he will be asked to make. When faced with the decisions we must make that will have a great impact on our lives and the lives of those nearest to us we need to do what Joseph did, he trusted in the word of the Lord. When we trust in the word of the Lord, we have nothing to fear.

Through faith and obedience Joseph became a man honored above all men. He was given the honor of being the guardian of the Son of God.

Although Joseph solemnized the marriage with Mary, his espoused wife, he kept her a virgin “til she brought forth her first-born son” (Matthew 1:25). Much has been said and written concerning the perpetual virginity of Mary: Jerome was very angry with Helvidius for denying it. Others claim when it is said, “And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son” that after the birth of Jesus Joseph lived with Mary according to the law, that deals with a second wife (see Exodus 21:10).

There is no Biblical evidence to support the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary.

Did Jesus ever actually sit on the throne God said would come forth from David? Although He presented Himself as the Messiah on the day that Gabriel had predicted, Jesus never sat on the throne. Now He is sitting on His Father’s Throne in heaven. The question is will He ever sit on that throne? Of course He will. This same Jesus the apostles watched ascended into the clouds will come back to earth in the same way, and it may be sooner than we think.

Are you ready for His coming?