MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Each Gospel writer presents Jesus in a unique way. Last week, we saw Him introduced by John as the eternal Word, light and life. Today we turn to Matthew’s Gospel, which begins not with a birth account, but with a list of names: Jesus’ genealogy through his earthly father, Joseph (Matthew1:1-17).
To modern readers, this might seem like a dull start, filled with seemingly irrelevant details. But throughout the Old Testament, especially 1 Chronicles, there’s an emphasis on genealogical detail. In a Jewish context, Matthew’s ancestry of Jesus serves vital purposes. It links Him to Israel’s history, affirms His identity as Messiah, and teaches lessons about God’s character.
One incident, soon after the birth of Jesus, is found in Matthew 2:1 and helps reveal the importance of Jesus’ lineage. Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem, seeking to worship a child who was “born King of the Jews”. Matthew tells us that the current king, and all of Jerusalem, were troubled - because Jewish belief was that the Messiah would come from the royal line of King David. Yet the current king, Herod, did not fit that qualification.
To establish Jesus’ credentials, Matthew began, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). For those in his audience, the Messiah had to descend from Abraham, the father of Israel, and from David, its greatest king. God spoke to Abraham and promised to bless him and make him a blessing (Genesis 12:2). God told Abraham his offspring would bring salvation to the world (Genesis 22:18). God chose the family of Abraham’s grandson Jacob - renamed Israel - and made them His people though love, patience, mercy, and many trials. “You are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Generations later, David became king and God promised him a Son to rule his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:12-17).
Matthew’s structure divides the genealogy in three groups of fourteen generations: Abraham to David (Matthew 1:2-6); David to the Babylonian exile (Matthew 1:6-11); and the exile to Jesus (Matthew 1:11-16). This numerical pattern (double seven, symbolizing completeness) underscores God’s sovereign plan through history, and provides compelling evidence for a Jewish believer.
Beyond proving Jesus’ credentials, the genealogy offers three secondary lessons that enrich our faith: God works in history; He loves all people; and God keeps His word. Rather than an “absentee landlord”, indifferent to human events, God through history has been deliverer and judge, faithful through humanity’s highs and lows. As a master weaver creating a tapestry, God threads His purpose through time.
The list of ancestors in Matthew illustrates a diverse, flawed family. It exhibits God’s inclusiveness with Gentiles such as Rahab the Canaanite harlot and Ruth the Moabitess (Matthew 1:5). Even more striking are the sinners, including David with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba (Matthew 1:6 and 2 Samuel chapter 11). Rather than presenting a sanitized list, the characters in the Matthew’s first chapter remind us that God redeems and uses the broken.
Third, God keeps His word. Unhurried centuries filled with impatient people elapsed between God’s promises to Abraham and David. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [David’s father]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).
Amid our own delays and missteps, Matthew’s careful listing encourages. Hebrews 10:23 reads, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” The last miraculous entry is two young people who lived obediently, whom we learn more about in the Christmas story: “Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16).
Other New Testament scriptures show that Jesus fulfilled the promises. Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 3, “Be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham” (verse 7). He continued in verse 29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Through Jesus, God intends to bless all who believe in His name. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). This is the second birth Jesus discussed with Nicodemus (John 3:1-14). Through Jesus, our family history can become one with His.
Anyone researching a personal genealogy will discover successes and failures, saints and sinners. Our hope is that each generation will be a little better - that we’ll have an opportunity to leave a mark on our family history. God made promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:2; 22:18). He chose Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6). He promised an everlasting kingdom to David (2 Samuel 7:12-17). Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and He told His followers, “’The kingdom of God is in your midst’” (Luke 17:21). We live as heirs of God’s promises, grounded in the genealogy, guided by the Spirit, and sharing with the world the hope of Jesus that shines through centuries.
