Jesus' Family Tree - Matthew 1

Today we begin our 2020 journey through the New Testament.  I hope you can read as many entries as you can as your faith is strengthed as you read a chapter of scripture each day. The Gospel of Matthew is often called the Jewish gospel.  For Matthew it is very important to connect Jesus' birth with the fulfillment the Old Testament prophecy.  So he starts with Jesus' genealogy.  Matthew especially wants to connect Jesus as the son of Abraham, Issac and Jacob and also as the son of King David.  

God made a covenant with the people Israel through Abraham, who is often called the father of faith.  His covenant with Abraham was that he would bless Abraham and make his name great, so he would be a blessing to all nations.  God set apart Abraham's family to show the world His great love.  Throughout the bible Yahweh (God) is called the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

The other major person is King David.  The covenant God made with David is often called the "royal covenant".  The covenant was that there would never fail to be a king who did not come from the house and line of David.  But Jesus will be a king like no other.  He will be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  

The genealogy reminds us of two very important aspects of our faith.  First, we see the humanness of Jesus.  He had many ancestors who all played a part in God's bringing our Savior into the world.  Secondly, we see the fulfillment of God's promises.  Jesus fulfills both the promise made to Abraham that he would be a blessing to all nations, and also to King David, that there would never fail to be a king on the throne from his line.  

As we journey through Matthew, we will see him tying into his gospel Jesus being the fulfillment of all of God's promises.  It reminds us that God worked all the way through these 42 generations to bring His Son into the world to save us.  It also reminds us that one day Jesus will return as the final fulfillment of God's promise. God is always faithful to fulfill His promises!

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.