Articles
Matthew’s Genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:1-17)
Matthew’s Genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:1-17)
Genealogical lists like the one in Matthew’s gospel rarely make the most exciting reading; to us, it seems like a lot of random guys begetting other random guys. “Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab…” (1:3-4) etc. But Bible genealogies are important! You might in fact pause and read Matthew 1:1-17 before continuing this article, to better appreciate the truths it reveals.
Proof that Jesus is Qualified to be the Messiah. Priests had to be able to establish their unbroken lineage back to Aaron to be permitted to serve (see Ezra 2:62) and thus their genealogies are often included in Scripture. What seems boring to us was in fact vital. Wouldn’t you want to know, for example, your contractor’s license number, or your doctor’s medical college credentials?
Even more importantly, there were certain prophecies about the ancestry of the Messiah. He was to be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), a descendant of Isaac (Gen. 26:1-5), a descendant of Jacob (Gen. 28:13-14), a descendant of Judah (Gen. 49:8-10). We haven’t gotten out of Genesis, and this already limits the families from which the Messiah can come to a very narrow slice of the human population (John 4:22, Rev. 5:5). A claimant to Messiah would have to verify this ancestry to qualify. Matthew provides the certification.
Proof of God’s Involvement in Protecting the Line of the Messiah. As the centuries passed, God narrowed the field further, for example, to the lineage of David (2 Sam. 7:12-16). At multiple points in history, the survival of this lineage hung by a bare thread. But the power of God kept a lamp burning in Jerusalem for David’s sake (see 2 Chron. 21:7, 23:3, Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 89:3-4, and 132:11-12) keeping the Messianic line alive so that God’s promise could be fulfilled.
In fact, Matthew’s version of Jesus’ genealogy organizes it into three perfect sets of 14 generations (Matt. 1:17). Yes, a few are missing; thankfully, the phrase “son of” can also mean “descendant of,” so the list is not inaccurate. Matthew isn’t forgetful; he has a purpose. With seven being a number often representing the divine, Matthew is showing God’s careful superintendency of human history.
Lessons about Jesus’ Role as the Messiah. That Jesus is the son of David, son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1), not only proves he’s of the correct lineage, but says something important about His role—He would be the fulfillment of the great seed promise to bless all nations of earth (Gen. 12:1-3, Isa. 49:6) and would reign like a glorious shepherd king in the mold of David (Isa. 11:1-15, Jer. 30:9, Hosea 3:5, Ezek. 34:23-24, 37:24-25, Zech. 9:9).
Lessons about Jesus’ Soul-Saving Mission as the Messiah. Matthew does something unheard of in Jewish genealogies: He proudly highlights sinners and Gentile women. Tamar in 1:3 sold herself to her father-in-law (Genesis 38). Rahab in 1:5 was a Canaanite harlot (Joshua 2) who became a hero of faith (Heb. 11:31). Ruth in 1:5 was a Moabite (Ruth 1:4) but sought refuge in God. Bathsheba in 1:6 was involved in a scandalous sin (2 Sam. 11-12). We might expect an author to hide such unsavory characters. But Matthew’s message is that Jesus took on flesh to save sinners and foreigners exactly like these! He’s not embarrassed by these family ties; He came to serve those in the same struggle against the flesh. –J. Guzzetta
