The Genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17)

Key verse. 1:16, ‘and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.’

Matthew’s purpose for the Genealogy. Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus. It is structured in three sets of 14 generations. Jesus’ genealogy goes from Abraham to David (1:2-6), from David to the Babylonian exile (1:7-11), and from exile to Jesus who is called the Christ (12-16). Throughout the gospel, Matthew uses number combination's most likely to help his readers remember the material since many of them would not have access to written manuscripts. The main teaching points from the genealogy are,

• To prove Jesus to be the Christ, the King of Israel by birth, reassuring Jewish believers and evangelizing non-believing Jews
• To show Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and David (2 Samuel 7:13-17) as well as the new covenant (Jeremiah 33)
• To reveal God’s inclusive nature and mercy by including five women-- four with questionable character and the inclusion of less than stellar former Kings of Israel
• To imply that Jesus was not of an earthly father which we’ll learn more fully in the Birth Narrative (see the omission of a ‘father’ for Jesus in 1:16)
• To give us a ‘mini’ gospel: Abraham to David (Creation and rise of a people); David into exile (Fall from sin); David to the Christ (from sin to 'He that saves his people from their sins')
  

Catechism: The Doctrine of God
Q: What is meant by a covenant with God?
A: A covenant is a relationship initiated by God, to which a body of people responds in faith.

Q: What is the Old Covenant?
A: The Old Covenant is the one given by God to the Hebrew people.

Q: What did God promise them?
A: God promised that they would be his people to bring all nations of the world to him (Genesis 12).

Q: What response did God require from the chosen people?
A: God required the chosen people to be faithful; to love justice, to do mercy, and to walk humbly with their God (Micah 6:8).

Q: Where is the Old Covenant to be found?
A: The covenant with the Hebrew people is to be found in the books which we call the Old Testament.

Q: Where in the Old Testament is God’s will for us shown most clearly?
A: God’s will for us is shown most clearly in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20).

The Creed
Article I. “I believe in God, the Father, almighty maker of heaven and earth."

The genealogy tells of the creation of a people, male and female, Jew and non-Jew: sinners all in need of a savior (except Jesus!). The Bible tells us that God has created them all: you, me, and everything that exists. All we are and have comes from God. All this he does out of his pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on our part. For all of this we are bound to thank, praise, serve, and obey him. This is most certainly true.