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[expand title=”Devotion Text”]Matthew 1:1-6a
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
There is no need for Ancestry.com when it comes to tracing the lineage of Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke provide a detailed genealogy. You may not have spent much devotional time in this portion of Scripture, but the inspired list of names contains an important truth. Today we will make several observations about this list (Matthew 1:1-17). Tomorrow we will consider a few of the people mentioned in Jesus’ lineage.
Matthew’s Genealogy: General Observations
- Matthew gave Jesus’ lineage from his legal father, Joseph, through King David all the way back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.
- God made two great covenants with his people, Israel: The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12 and 15) and the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7). Matthew included this genealogy to show that Jesus had the lineage to fulfill these covenants.
- Five women are included in this list, unusual additions for genealogies in Jesus’ time. We will consider Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth tomorrow. Each has an interesting story.
- When the fifth woman, Mary, is mentioned, an important change occurs. The genealogy repeats “the father of,” but when Matthew comes to Mary, he says, “of whom Jesus was born.” “Of whom” is a feminine pronoun indicating that Jesus was the physical child of Mary, but Joseph was not his physical father.
- Matthew did not list every individual in the genealogy but rather chose to list fourteen generations in three important historical periods: Abraham to David, David to the Babylonian exile, and the Babylonian exile to Jesus.
Matthew’s genealogy answered the important question that a Jew would ask of the person who claimed to be the Messiah. Jesus is a royal descendant from King David and has the rightful lineage of the Eternal King.
Talking to God
Father, this list reminds us that you are mindful of people, not just as a group but as individuals. Thank you for the truth contained in this genealogy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
For parents: Genealogies can be used to show God’s sovereign plan and grace in history. With the genealogy above, you can show your children how God uses people in his sovereign plan for our lives. Share your insights with us at prayer@ronmoore.org.
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