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Matthew Chapter One

 
The Genealogy Of Jesus Christ (1:1-17)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. We begin our study by reading the first seventeen verses of Matthew
 (Mt 1:1-17)
 
2. In 2 Ti 3:16-17, we are told that ALL scripture is profitable
 a. This includes such sections as the one we have just read
 b. Though some may consider it a dry, laborious genealogical table
 of names...
  1) It is profitable for doctrine
 2) It is profitable for instruction in righteousness
 
3. My objective will be to share some spiritual thoughts that can be
 gleaned from this scripture
 
[Since Matthew is the only one of the four gospel writers to begin his
gospel with a genealogical record of Jesus, let me first suggest a 
reason why...]
 
I. WHY MATTHEW BEGINS WITH THIS GENEALOGY
 
 A. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF HIS GOSPEL...
 1. It has been observed that:
 a. Matthew wrote for the Jews
 b. Mark wrote for the Romans
 c. Luke wrote for the Greeks
 d. John wrote for the church
 2. Matthew's gospel was designed to convince Jews that Jesus is
 the Messiah
 a. Fulfillment of Jewish prophecy is a recurring theme - e.g.,
 Mt 1:22-23; 2:4-6,14-15,17-18,23
 b. Genealogy was certainly important to the nation of Israel 
 - Gen 5, 10, 1 Chr 1-9
 
 B. TO SHOW THAT JESUS FULFILLS TWO MESSIANIC PREREQUISITES...
 1. The Messiah had to be a descendant of Abraham - cf. Gen 22:18
 2. The Messiah had to be a descendant of David - cf. Isa 11:1-2,
 10
 -- Mt 1:1 proclaims this to be true of Jesus, and Mt 1:2-17
 demonstrates it
 
[Whatever else Jesus may have done, if He was not a descendant of 
Abraham and David, He could not be the Messiah. So a gospel directed
especially to the Jews would naturally settle this issue before 
proceeding. Now let's note some...]
 
II. SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF THIS GENEALOGY
 
 A. THE WAY IT IS DIVIDED...
 1. Into three sections of fourteen names each - Mt 1:17
 a. Abraham to David
 b. David to the Babylonian captivity
 c. Babylonian captivity to Jesus
 -- This may have been to facilitate committing to memory
 2. Which may explain why some names were omitted
 a. Between Joram and Uzziah there were three kings (Ahaziah,
 Joash, & Amaziah) - cf. Mt 1:8
 b. But such omission was not unusual in Jewish genealogies; 
 minor figures were often deleted
 -- The main purpose was to establish essential connections,
 not minor details
 
 B. JESUS' "LEGAL" RIGHT TO DAVID'S THRONE IS ESTABLISHED...
 1. Not His "fleshly" right, for Matthew describes Jesus as the
 adopted son of Joseph
 2. Luke records the "fleshly" ancestry of Jesus in Lk 3:23-38
 a. A record of His ancestry from His mother's side
 b. Where He is shown to have descended from David through 
 Nathan, not Solomon
 -- A careful study of Lk 3 confirms this
 3. This helps to answer a puzzling dilemma found in the OT
 a. God promised that the Messiah would come from the loins of
 David
 b. But a descendant through Solomon, Jeconiah (Mt 1:11), was
 so wicked that God promised none of his descendants would
 rule on the throne of David - Jer 22:24-30
 c. How then would God fulfill His promise to David?
 1) By a descendant from a son other than Solomon
 2) Which Jesus was, having descended in the flesh from
 Nathan
 4. So Jesus is both "legal" and "fleshly" heir to the throne of
 David...
 a. "Legal" heir by virtue of His adoption by Joseph, 
 descendant of Solomon
 b. "Fleshly" heir by virtue of His birth by Mary, descendant
 of Nathan
 
 C. THE INSERTION OF FOUR MOTHER'S NAMES...
 1. They are unique, not only to be included in such a list, but
 in that:
 a. Three were tainted in regards to moral purity
 1) Tamar played a harlot
 2) Rahab was a harlot
 3) Bathsheba was an adulteress
 b. Ruth, though morally sweet and noble, mingled the royal
 blood line with Gentile blood!
 2. Why mention these four women? Perhaps to suggest...
 a. The relation of Christ to the stained and sinful?
 b. Jesus would be a King to show mercy and pity to harlots,
 and open His kingdom to include Gentiles?
 
[Whether this was Matthew's intention here, he does illustrate later
that Christ extended mercy to the morally repugnant and would enlarge
His kingdom to include all nations.
 
Finally, let's consider...]
 
III. LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS GENEALOGY
 
 A. GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS WORD...
 1. He made promises...
 a. To Abraham
 b. To David
 c. Through Isaiah
 ...and the coming of Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham,
 fulfilled that promise!
 2. We can therefore have confidence that God will keep His word!
 a. E.g., the promise of His Son's final coming - cf. Ac 1:9
 b. There is no need to lose heart!
 1) The duration between this promise and its fulfillment
 has barely reached the time between the promise made to
 Abraham and its fulfillment!
 2) I.e., 2000 years passed, but God still kept His promise
 to Abraham
  3) Likewise He will keep His promise to us!
 
 B. GODLINESS IS NOT INHERITED...
 1. Many godly fathers have had ungodly sons!
 a. Solomon had Rehoboam
 b. Hezekiah had Manasseh
 c. Josiah had Jeconiah
 2. As it has been said, "God has no grandchildren"
 a. Being a child of God does not insure that your children 
 will be God's children!
 b. As parents, let us...
 1) Be diligent to raise our children in the "nurture and 
  admonition of the Lord"
 2) Not lose heart when our children stray (even Manasseh
 eventually repented)
 
 C. THE GREATNESS OF OUR LORD'S MERCY AND COMPASSION...
 1. Jesus humbled Himself when He came to this earth in the 
 likeness of men - cf. Ph 2:5-8
 2. He did this for our sakes!
 a. To taste death for everyone - He 2:9
 b. To help bring us to glory - He 2:10
 c. To deliver us from the fear and power of death - He 2:14-15
  d. To become our merciful and faithful High Priest - He 2:
 16-18
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. All this and much more, Jesus did by becoming what the first 
 seventeen verses of Matthew's gospel proclaims: "...the Son of 
 David, the Son of Abraham"
 
2. This genealogy of Jesus Christ...
 a. Establishes the right of Jesus to be the Messiah
 b. Reminds us of God's mercy
 1) In the lives of Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba
 2) In our own lives by fulfilling His promise to send Son to die
  for our sins
 
Have you received the mercy God offers through "Jesus Christ...the
Son of David, the Son of Abraham"?

Jesus And Immanuel (1:18-25)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In Mt 1:18-25, we have Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus...
 a. Matthew tells the story with a focus on Joseph
 b. Whereas Luke centers on Mary
 
2. Noble qualities of Joseph are certainly seen in this passage...
 a. His tender consideration for Mary
 b. His willingness to bear ridicule
 -- Little else is known of him, for it is his adopted son who is the
 primary interest in Matthew's gospel
 
3. The word "gospel" means "good news", and hints of just how good that
 news is occurs in this passage...
 a. Especially when one contemplates the names by which the son of 
  Mary was to be called
 b. Such names as "Jesus" and "Immanuel"
 
4. In this lesson, we shall consider more closely these two names...
 a. One which describes His OFFICE (what was He to do?)
 b. One which describes His NATURE (who was He?)
 
[First we note that in his dream, the angel of the Lord tells Joseph
concerning the child to be born of Mary...]
 
I. "YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS"
 
 A. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THIS NAME...
 1. A very common Jewish name, often given in memory of Joshua 
 (the Hebrew form of the name, Jesus)
 2. It is interesting to compare these two figures of history
 a. Joshua led the nation of Israel into the promised land 
 (Canaan)
 b. Jesus leads the people of God into the Promised Land 
 (Heaven)
 
 B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS NAME...
 1. Jesus (Joshua) means "God is Savior"
 2. The son of Mary was rightfully called that, because "He will
 save His people from their sins" - Mt 1:21
 3. This Jesus would do by saving them...
 a. From the GUILT of sin
 1) By offering His blood as the atonement for their sins 
 - cf. Ro 5:8-9a
 2) When one is washed by the blood of Jesus, He truly is
 their Savior
 b. From the POWER of sin
 1) By sending His sanctifying Spirit to help His people 
 break sin's dominion
 2) Paul writes of this in Ro 8:1-2,12-14
 c. From the CONSEQUENCE of sin
 1) I.e., the wrath of God to come
 2) Cf. Ro 5:9; 1 Th 1:9-10
 d. Ultimately, from the PRESENCE of sin
 1) I.e., when we depart to "be with the Lord"
 2) Cf. Re 7:13-17
 4. And so the name of JESUS should be...
  a. A very encouraging name to heavy-laden sinners
 1) Souls which desire salvation may draw near to the Father
 with confidence through Christ
 2) For it is His OFFICE (function, work) to show mercy 
 - Jn 3:17
 b. A very sweet and precious name to believers
 1) For He continues to intercede in our behalf, to save us
 from our sins
 2) Cf. He 4:14-16; 7:24-25
 
[As stated in a popular hymn, "There is a Name I love to hear..." and
that name is "Jesus"! It may have been common in the days of Jesus,
but should be very special now to all who seek to be saved from their
sins!
 
As Matthew recounts what the angel told Mary, he adds that the birth of
Jesus also fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in which it is said...]
 
II. "THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL"
 
 A. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THIS NAME...
 1. Isaiah's prophecy concerning this name is found in Isa 7:14
 2. In which a virgin would give birth to a child who would be 
 called "Immanuel"
 
 B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS NAME...
 1. Immanuel literally means "God is with us" - cf. Mt 1:23
 2. This name describes the Messiah's NATURE; i.e., that He is
 Deity!
 a. Other passages expound upon this aspect of Christ's nature
 1) He is "Mighty God, Everlasting Father" - Isa 9:6
 2) He is "God", possessing the "glory of God"; the Great
 "I AM", who shared in the glory of the Father prior to
  His incarnation - cf. Jn 1:1-3,14; 8:56-59; 17:5 (cf.
 Isa 42:8)
 3) Declared to be "the Son of God with power" by virtue of
 His resurrection - Ro 1:3-4
 4) He was "equal with God" who willingly humbled Himself
 - cf. Ph 2:5-11
 5) In Him "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
 - Co 2:9
 b. Human minds, finite and feeble, wrestle with this great
 mystery, but Jesus was "God manifested in the flesh"!
 - 1 Ti 3:16
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Would you have a strong foundation for your faith and hope?
 a. Then keep in constant view your Savior's name "IMMANUEL" ("God
 with us")
 b. For having become flesh, God understands our human plight - cf.
 He 2:17-18
 
2. Would you have sweet comfort in suffering and trial?
 a. Then keep in constant view your Savior's name "JESUS" ("God is
 Savior")
 b. For in sending His Son to die, God has offered a propitiation for
 our sins - 1 Jn 4:9-10
 
Thus they called the Child, born of a virgin and raised by a carpenter.
By His resurrection from the dead, He proved true to His name. Are you
willing to obey Jesus as the One who was "God with us", and through whom
"God is Savior"? - Mt 7:21-23; 28:19-20

－－《Executable Outlines》