Lessons from Matthew 1: Jesus Genealogy
Jesus genealogy shows us that he is fully God and fully man.
My girls used to and still will play Christmas music in the middle of August. We used to get our best cleaning done on Saturday mornings to such inspirational music with the windows wide open for all to join in or someone would call on the telephone and hear the music playing in the background and say, “is that Christmas Music I hear in the background?” and I’d say, “Yes it is, the girls and I are putting on our Christmas Cheer while we are cleaning.” Well you can imagine the responses we used to get. It still delights my heart that my adult daughters every now and then play such music and send me a text or make a telephone call to let me join in on their Christmas Chorus Singing. In fact this has made me look forward to the celebration of His birth this year. This always reminds me that Jesus birth just like His death and resurrection are not something to just be celebrated one day a year, but rather everyday of our lives.
Here is a a Christmas hymn to ignite your spiritual worship of our King Jesus who the Magi worshiped.
I would like to set the stage for why Jesus genealogy is such profound news. How it gives meaning to the 46 different names listed here and the 42 different generations listed. The book of Genesis shows us that God, Himself is the Creator of heaven and earth and everything and everyone that is in them. God was the Master Designer and He created everything for His pleasure that everything, including mankind was good. In fact in chapter 1:27 God is said to have created man and woman in His own image and He found them to be very good!
But it didn’t take long (chapter 3) for mankind to fall into sin and break our perfect fellowship with God as He had intended. And because God knew what we would do before the foundations of the earth He already had a plan to help us find our way back. And He shares that plan in Genesis 3:15 by stating to Satan that because of his part in the fall of mankind, he would be cursed and there would be enmity between him and the woman and one day her offspring would crush his head. This was and still is a magnificent promise of God, the Creator of the universe would one day send another to defeat Satan and sin in this world.
The promise that there would come one greater than Satan, a future Messiah (Savior) who would come into the world and overcome sin and Satan and this promised one would are told would come through a woman.
And every generation, every household, every man and woman of God longed to be the ones to whom this promised child would come. And so genealogies to the Jewish people were very important. In fact they were critical in order to prove the worthiness of such a godly line of ancestors through whom the Promised One of God would come.
And so Matthew begins his book by stating or declaring that Jesus truly came through the line of King David as the fulfillment of the OT prophecies and in fact Jesus’ lineage could be traced back as far as Father Abraham, the Father or Patriarch of the Jewish Nation. Thus proving that Jesus was and is who He says, He is!
King of the Jews, the Promised One of Israel, the Messiah!
More than 400 years had passed since the last OT prophecies, and faithful Jews all over the world were still waiting for the Messiah. Luke 3:15 says that, “the people were waiting expectantly and all were wondering…” and now Matthew sets out to prove to his Jewish audience that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of those OT prophecies and so he begins by listing who Jesus family members were.
In the next 17 verses we meet 46 people whose lifespan was over 2,000 years. All ancestors of Jesus, but all varied considerably in their personalities, spirituality and life’s experience. Some like Abraham, Isaac and Ruth and even David were known as heroes of the faith. Not perfect! O no! But rather repentant and forgiven for their sinful nature! Others had shady reputations like Rahab and Tamar. Some were evil like Mannasseh and Abijah, while others were just very ordinary people like you and me. Even Mary, Jesus’ mother was not perfect as some would like you to believe. Yet some were chosen by God to do some great and mighty things for His kingdoms sake and for His glory.
And so we see the need in every generation and in every man, woman and child for a savior. Romans 3:23 tells us, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…and the wages of these sins is death.” Romans 6:23 teaches us “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
And so why are these list of names important? They are important not only for those of the past but also for us and for every generation before and after us. It is because through this list of names we see people like ourselves, people who have fallen short of the glory of God, and deserve death and eternal separation from the one who created them and us in His glorious image, but the good news is that He did not leave them or us in this way.
Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity left Heaven’s throne and took on a human form, becoming a man, a God man in order that He might come and live and experience everything you and I would experience and He would do so perfectly, holy and righteously that we might seek His help and His deliverance for our sins and all of life’s troubles and hardships!
The genealogy of Jesus Christ proves His right to the eternal throne of David as King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s greatest king!
Matthew refers to David 17 times, more than any other gospel writer, focusing our attention on the One who fulfilled all that is meant in being the descendant of David, Israel’s greatest king. And to be a part of the genealogy of David was and is to be part of Abraham’s family!!!
What an amazing thought, that the descendant Jesus Christ was greater than David and Father Abraham.
Jesus is Israel’s king! And ours to if we believe and put our faith and trust in Him!!!
So let me ask you, Do you know Him? Not just know of Him, but I mean do you know Him as both your Savior, Savior from your sins and Lord, Lord of your life?
If not, or if you are not sure, please reach out to me. I would love to point you toward scripture and resources to help you know Him as your Savior.
Don’t miss this truth like the Israelites did and many others since then. There is no greater genealogy than to be a part of the family of God. Is you name included in the Lamb’s Book of Life!!!
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach