Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1 Vs. 1

 

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

The book of... This phrase is viewed by some as Matthew’s title for the entire gospel. The Greek phrase translated “book of the generation” is exactly the same phrase used in (Gen. 5:1 in the LXX). The genealogy of Christ opens by connecting Jesus to the family line of the promised Messiah. “Jesus” Greek Iesous; Hebrew Yehoshua) is His earthly name, meaning, “the LORD is salvation.” Christ is the title most often linked to His name in the New Testament. So it is technically, “Jesus the Christ.” By tracing Jesus’ ancestry back to King David, through the line of Davidic kings, Matthew connects Jesus with His royal heritage.

The Hebrew Jeshua means “the Lord is Salvation”.

Christ... Greek: Christos, "Anointed." Used in the New Testament 569 times. Like the name "Jesus" it has no reference to deity, but to the humanity of the Son of God, who received the anointing of the Spirit 30 years after He was born of Mary (Mat. 3:16; John 3:34; Isa. 11:1; 42:1-5; 61:1; Acts 10:38). God "made" Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Hebrew is Mashiyach (Dan. 9:24-26; John 1:41; 4:25).

son of David,... Son of Abraham and David by direct descent (Mat. 1:2-16; Rom. 9:5), and by promise (Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 3:6-22; Isa. 11:1; Mat. 22:41-46; 2Tim. 2:8). "Son of David" is used nine times of Christ in Matthew (Mat. 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 21:15; 22:42). David is mentioned first because he was the most illustrious of His ancestors (as king and prophet) and because his line is singled out by later prophets as the one of Abraham’s seed through whom the Messiah was to come.

A messianic title used as such in only the synoptic gospels.

I believe here, that this generation of Jesus Christ begins with Abraham, because he is the father of all believers as we read in (Gal. 3:29).

“And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

son of Abraham... Takes His royal lineage all the way back to the nation’s inception in the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3).

Remember, all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ make up spiritual Israel, the (spiritual), descendants of Abraham, because of their faith. We read in the 17th chapter of Genesis that these spiritual descendants of Abraham would be so many, they will be impossible to number.

Gen. 17:5 “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.”

Physical Israel is just one nation. This is speaking of the church (all believers in Christ). Verse 7 of the same chapter of Genesis, it makes it clear that these are spiritual descendants.

Gen. 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

This covenant was based on Abraham’s faith and on the faith of his spiritual descendants. Abram (high father), was changed to Abraham (father of a multitude).

Introduction of the King

Presentation by ancestry

From the very first words of his Gospel, Matthew recorded his central theme and character. Jesus Christ is the main character in Matthew’s presentation, and the opening verse connected Him back to two great covenants in Jewish history: the Davidic (2Sam. 7:1-29) and the Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-20; 15:1-21). If Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of these two great covenants, is He related to the rightful line? This is a question the Jews would have asked, so Matthew traced Jesus’ lineage in detail.