Matthew 1:1-17

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION TO JESUS THE CHRIST (1:1-17).

The introduction to the Gospel is in the form of a genealogy which indicates that Jesus is ‘the son of David' and ‘the son of Abraham'. This description reveals His descent from, and intimate connection with, two of the greatest figures in salvation history. Indeed we might even say the two figures around whom salvation history pivots. For great though others like Moses may have been, they were never the foundations on whom the promises were laid.

Abraham was the man who was called by God in the midst of a dark world to commence the process of building up a new community of God, (which was to become the ‘congregation (or church/ekklesia) of Israel' - Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 9:10; Deuteronomy 18:16; Deuteronomy 23:3; Deuteronomy 23:8; etc. LXX; Psalms 22:22; Psalms 22:25 and often; Joel 2:16), and was counted as righteous because he believed God (Genesis 15:6). He was the one to whom God gave promises of blessing which would come to the whole world through his descendants (Genesis 12:3). He was the rock from which Israel was hewn (Isaiah 51:1). He was to be the springboard of all God's purposes. David on the other hand was the archetypal ruler, the man after God's own heart, who because of his faithfulness to God was to be the precursor to the everlasting king (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalms 2:7; Isaiah 11:1) as he ruled over God's community, and was its life (Lamentations 4:20).

Both mirror their great Descendant who has come to pick up and restore that community/congregation (Jeremiah 30:20; Psalms 22:25), cutting out the dead wood, and building a new community from the ashes of the old, on the basis of His Messiahship (Matthew 16:16; Matthew 16:18; Matthew 21:43), repurchasing it as it had once been purchased of old (Matthew 20:28; Psalms 74:2). He was to ‘gather the people and sanctify the church/congregation (of Israel)' (Joel 2:16 LXX). He was to be the greater David, and the greater Abraham.

His direct descent from Abraham also revealed Him as a pure bred Israelite (Jew), Who was to inherit and fulfil the promises given to Abraham, and His descent in the line of David revealed Him as heir to the throne of Israel, and indicated that He was the final inheritor of the promises given concerning the Davidic house, and was thus the Messiah.

The themes of this introduction will then be directly taken up in the following narrative in Matthew 1:18 to Matthew 3:17, and be expanded throughout the remainder of the Gospel.

Analysis of Matthew 1:1.

a The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

b Genealogy from Abraham (whose descendants were to be kings - Genesis 17:6) to ‘Judah and his brothers' (Matthew 1:2).

c Genealogy from Judah (who was promised the kingship - Genesis 49:10) to ‘David the King' (Matthew 1:3 a), who was guaranteed the everlasting Kingship for his seed (2 Samuel 7:16).

c Genealogy from David to ‘Jeconiah and his brothers (who lost the kingship) at the time of the carrying away into Babylon' (Matthew 1:6).

b Genealogy from Jeconiah (and his brothers) to ‘Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One)' and thus regains the Kingship (Matthew 1:12).

a So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations (Matthew 1:17).

Note that in ‘a' the sources of Jesus' line are described, and in the parallel ‘a' they are described in the reverse order. In ‘b' we have Abraham, the rock from which Israel is hewn, and in the parallel we have the Son of Abraham, Who is the rock on which the new Israel will be built, and from Whom it springs (John 15:1). In ‘c' we have the gradual growth towards Kingship, culminating in David, and in the parallel we have the history of that kingship as it deteriorate and collapses The whole of Israel's history and its kingship is thus seen to be summed up in Jesus, including the promises to Abraham, the promises in respect of the house of David, and the experience of Israel as it went into Exile. All are themes that will be taken up in the ensuing narrative. He will be:

a Born as the Son of David and Saviour and receive homage from the Gentiles (Matthew 1:18 to Matthew 2:12).

b Suffer exile in Egypt (Matthew 2:13).

c Be brought forth by God to humble surroundings (Matthew 2:19).

d And finally be proclaimed as Messiah in the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:1).

And in the end it will be:

a As the Davidic Messiah and Saviour that He will be put to death receiving homage from a Gentile (Matthew 20:28; Matthew 27:17; Matthew 27:22; Matthew 27:29; Matthew 27:37; Matthew 27:54).

b As the suffering Messiah that He will be exiled from God (Matthew 27:46).

c As the triumphant Messiah that He will rise again and be brought forth by God (Matthew 28:5).

d As the glorious Messiah that He will be given all authority in Heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18).

The idea of ‘the Anointed One' (Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek) arises early in the Old Testament. Quite apart from its application to priests and kings in general, to the patriarchs (Psalms 105:15), and at least once to a prophet taking over the mantle of another prophet (1 Kings 19:16), it came to indicate the one specially chosen of YHWH (1 Samuel 2:10; 1Sa 24:6; 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 26:9; 1Sa 26:11; 1 Samuel 26:16; 1 Samuel 26:23; Psalms 2:2; Lamentations 4:20; Daniel 9:25 compare Isaiah 45:1 where it is used figuratively of one who unconsciously was taken up in God's purposes), and was later a special expression applied to the expected Coming King of the house of David as ‘the Messiah'.

The opening verse is then followed by a full history of salvation, expressed genealogically, from Abraham to Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:2). We can divide these verses up in terms of the indications given in them. Thus the phrase ‘and his brothers' occurs twice, each paralleling the other, and indicating on the one hand the establishment of the twelve tribes (Matthew 1:2), and on the other the chaos in the house of David at the Exile (Matthew 1:11); while ‘David the King' (Matthew 1:6) and ‘Jesus Who is called the Messiah' (Matthew 1:16) parallel each other, indicating the bud and the flowering. These expressions provide us with natural divisions.

Surrounding Matthew 1:2 are the opening and closing paragraphs (1 & 17) which introduce Jesus' ancestry in summary form in one order, and then provide a final summary in reverse order. So the account is succint and beautifully planned. The fourteenfold patterns into which it is divided then also reveal a special emphasis on Abraham, David the King, the Exile, and Jesus the Christ.

We should thus note that this fourfold division indicates Jesus descent from Abraham, His descent from the twelve tribes of Israel (Judah and his brothers), His descent from David the King, and His descent from the suffering ones of the exile (Jechoniah and his brothers/relatives). The whole of Israel's experience was summed up in Him.