Matthew 1

Matthew 1:1

Because every Jewish king must have a record of his right to the throne, Matthew launches out by giving the genealogy of Jesus Christa genealogy so interesting that we could spend years studying it. In the interest of space, however, I will point out just one or two things in order that we can move through the first chapter of Matthew before the next millennium arrives! Matthew begins by saying Jesus is the rightful Heir to the throne of Israel both racially and royally. Racially, He is the Son of Abraham. In the Book of Genesis, God made a promise to Abraham that through his seed the entire world would be blessed. Paul would later say the word God used was “seed,” not “seeds,” and that the “Seed” was Christ Jesus. Royally, He is the Son of David. One day David said to the prophet Nathan, “I want to build a house for God.” “Far out!” Nathan said. But that night, the Lord spoke to Nathan, saying, “David can’t build Me a temple because his hands are full of blood. He’s a man of war, not a man of peace. Go tell David he can’t build, but tell him this: Although he can’t build Me a house, I will build him a house.” Our God has a way of tempering our disappointments with even greater blessings that we had no idea were coming, and that’s exactly what happened with David. The house God built through him was the MessiahOne who will reign forever in a kingdom without end. The Jews knew the Messiah must be of the seed of Abraham and a Son of David. Did you know there is only one Jew able to make such a claim? In A.D. 70, when the Romans sacked Jerusalem, all of the genealogical records of the Jewish people were destroyed. Thus, there is no Jew today who can claim with certainty and authority to be a Son of Abraham and a Son of David except Jesus. His genealogy recorded in this first chapter of Matthew is the only preserved genealogy that fits both requirements. To the Jewish student, this is heavy. “You mean there is a Jew who can really trace His genealogy back to Abraham?” Yes. His name is Jesus of Nazareth. There is something in this genealogy that must have blown the mind of the Jew who studied this through. There are four women named: In verse Mat_1:3, Tamar is mentioned; in verse Mat_1:5, Rahab and Ruth are listed; in verse Mat_1:6, we find Bathsheba. This would be a mind-blower because, you see, Jewish men prayed this prayer daily: “God, I thank You that I was not born a Gentile, a dog, or a woman.” It was a tremendously male-oriented kind of society, where women’s names were never included in genealogies. What’s the Lord doing? He’s saying, “The kingdom I’m establishing is different from the kingdom the Jews are expecting.” Paul would later write that in Christ there is neither male nor female, for Jesus is the great liberator of women (Gal_3:28). Study history. Wherever the gospel has been rejected, women have been treated poorly, even in sophisticated societies. Consider the Grecian culture, for example. The Greeks, perhaps the most sophisticated society in history, believed every man should have three women: a legitimate wife to bear his children, a woman to talk to so he wouldn’t have to talk to his wife, and a lover to satisfy his physical needs. But wherever the gospel has gone, women have been elevated. Because the Jews placed a high priority on family responsibility, much like the Mormons do today, Tamar’s name in verse Mat_1:3 would have been a real shocker to the mind of the Jewish reader. You might remember her from the thirty-eighth chapter of Genesis. Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, had three sonsEr, Onan, and Shelah. The oldest son, Er, married Tamar, and Scripture records that Er did wickedly before the Lord and was smitten, or killed. The cultural practice, which was later recorded in Deuteronomy 25, was such that if a man died and left a woman without child, the younger brother was to marry her and raise offspring in the name of the deceased brother. This happened in order that his heritage might continue and the property might be passed along. So when Er died, Onan was obligated to marry Tamar. But Onan refused to impregnate her. Therefore, because of the hardness of his heart in saying, “I’m not going to allow her to raise children in my brother’s name,” the Lord smote him as well. Now Er is dead. Onan’s gone, and Judah says, “I’ve got one son left. Do I want to give my last son to this gal? I mean, her record isn’t very good.” Understandably concerned as a father, he says, “Listen, Tamar, wait until Shelah gets a little bit older, and then I’ll give him to you.” But the years went on, Shelah grew up, and Judah didn’t keep his promise. So Tamar took matters into her own hands. She took off her widow’s garments, veiled herself as a harlot, and sat beside the road Judah traveled frequently. Judah, noticing this harlot whom he hadn’t seen before, approached her and sought to make a deal with her. He didn’t have his wallet with him, so she said, “Give me your ring, your staff, and your bracelet, and that will do for now. You can give me the sheep you owe me later.” They had sexual relations, and he left her with his ring, his bracelet, and his staff. He had no idea, of course, with whom he was dealing, since she was completely veiled. A few months later, the news is out in the town and in the community: Tamar, the widow of Er and Onan, the daughter-in-law of Judah, has played the whore. She’s pregnant. Judah said, “Let her be burned.” She answered him, “Do you know whose staff this is, whose ring this is, and whose bracelet this is?” Judah’s jaw must have dropped as he said, “Oh no! You mean that was you? I have done wrong in that I have not given you my son.” Judah realized he was at fault in failing to care for his family in a way that was traditionally and customarily proper. In holding back his son, Judah had robbed Tamar of her rightful seed. It’s a sordid story to say the least. Can’t you see the Lord saying, “Let’s put Tamar in the genealogy for these Jews who are so proud of their male superiority and their sense of family responsibility”? The Jews not only valued family responsibility, but they also valued sexual purity. And guess who is number two in the genealogy? A prostitute named Rahab. In the days of Joshua, when the spies came to scope out Jericho, it was Rahab who hid them and covered up for them. She is honored not only by appearing here in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, but in the listing of the Hall of Faith found in Hebrews 11. Rahab was a tremendous woman because, in spite of her limited knowledge and understanding, she risked everything, believing that the God of Israel was the True and the Living God. Not only were the Jews concerned about family responsibility and moral purity, but the third big issue was racial superiority. So determined were they that their racial line remain free from pollution, they believed that if you, as a Jew, even accidentally brushed against a Gentile, you would have to go home immediately, take off your garments, burn them, take a bath, get dressed again, and go on your way. And guess who’s in the genealogya Gentile, a Moabitess! Third, Matthew draws attention to Bathsheba, referred to in verse Mat_1:6 as “she that had been the wife of Uriah.” To the Jews, so proud of their history and particularly of their great King David, this reminder of his affair with Bathsheba and his subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah, must have been a particularly painful one. But the inclusion of Bathsheba in this genealogy is further indication that the Holy Spirit, through the pen of Matthew, desired to shake the Jews out of their pseudo-spiritual complacency to alert them of the coming Messiah. What does this say to me theologically? It says the stage is already set for the Lord to do a new work. “My kingdom is the kingdom of heaven, not the kingdom of the nation Israel.” It’s much broader than Israel. It’s a whole new thing. The Lord declares, “Behold, I make all things new.” But personally, it reminds me that these words should never pass from our lips again: “The Lord can’t use me because I have sinned greatly, I’ve shirked my family responsibilities, and I’ve messed up my family.” The Pharisees may stick up their noses and say, “How can this be?” Let them! Know this: He does all things new, and He’s included people like Rahab along with people like you and me. He’s the Friend of Sinners. Your family may have had failures in the past, either thirty years ago or three minutes ago. Your morals may be questionable, you might be a Moabitess, feeling you haven’t had the education theologically, or haven’t been “Christianized” culturally. So what? Join Tamar and Rahab. Join Ruth, who simply looked at Naomi and said, “Naomi, you’re a child of Israel, and wherever you go, I’ll go. Your God will be my God. Your people shall be my people. And where you die, I’ll die there as well. I’m going to start traveling with you.” The names go on for fifteen versestracing the genealogy of Jesus through Abraham and David and on down to Joseph.

Matthew 1:16

Notice, students, that Matthew doesn’t say, “And Jacob begat Joseph of whom was born Jesus,” which was the wording he used in the first fifteen verses. No, he specifically breaks the order by telling us very clearly that Jacob begat Joseph (not Joseph the father of Jesus, but Joseph the husband of Mary). Joseph was not the father of Jesus, but His foster-father.

Matthew 1:17

I am so grateful for the genealogy of Jesus. We can’t pick our relatives, but Jesus did. He knew exactly who was going to be in His lineage before the foundation of the world. And He chose people like those listed here to give us great hope no matter who we are, no matter where we’re at. I hope, if the Lord tarries, that we will saturate ourselves in the Gospel, the Good News, that Jesus takes people like Matthew the tax collector, and Mary Magdalene the streetwalker, Tamar and Rahab, David and Bathsheba. And He delights in rescuing and rebuilding them. And even after they fail yet again, as we will see in Matthew, He never gives up on them. Neither will He give up on you. I once read an article that talked about a group of psychologists who were studying the victims of the Holocaust, including those who survived concentration camps like Auschwitz and Treblinka. They found that 40 percent of the survivors who had adjusted well and had gone on successfully in their lives versus the 60 percent who were still struggling shared one common denominator that set the world of psychology topsy-turvy. That is, the 40 percent who had adjusted well did not, when asleep, dream about their past experiences. Until this study, the traditional rap in psychology had been to follow this advice: If you want to get over your hurts, you need to dwell on, relive, and work out the past. Instead, because of what they called “the Auschwitz Studies,” psychologists found that the people who were still working through the horrors of the holocaust were not doing well, while those who were healing were those who had been able to say, “That’s a closed chapter in my life. That was then.

This is now. I’m going on.” There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Rom_8:1 The Cross completed the work. If you’re reliving the failures of yesterday, last Monday, or last month, you’re missing the Good News of the gospel. The genealogy of Jesus says, “I’m doing something new.” Go your way rejoicing, saint. You have been included in His family.

Matthew 1:18

Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, whose genealogy has just been given to us, was espoused to Mary. What does it mean to be espoused? An espoused couple was legally considered husband and wife, although the relationship would not be consummated until the marriage festival. During the espousal period, which lasted for one year, if either one felt, “Oh, I cannot live with her,” or, “I can’t stand him,” they could divorce each other during that time. This is the period in which Joseph and Mary are right now. It is during this time that Mary, perhaps fifteen years of age, as most scholars believe, finds herself pregnant.

Matthew 1:19

When Mary came to Joseph and said, “I’m pregnant,” he could have charged her with immorality. But Joseph showed mercy. This is why I like Joseph. He is a moral man who stands for rightness, but he is also merciful, which is a rare combination. Most people are either moral or merciful. God, make us men like Joseph! Give us his morality, but also his mercy.

Matthew 1:20

Joseph was also logical, yet mystical. Scripture says, “he thought on these things.” He was a thinker, but when he went to sleep, he became a dreamer. Most men are logical; however, some are overly mystical. But here’s Joseph with a beautiful balance of both. I personally think Joseph should get more press during the Christmas season! He’s a tremendous example of being moral, but merciful, and logical, yet mystical. Over and over again, we men, like Joseph, need to hear this message from the Lord: “Fear not.” When the women we love become wise by growing in the Lord, something is conceived in them of the Holy Ghost. Perhaps they come back from a prayer meeting and they are just elated in the Lord. Perhaps they begin a new Bible study, where they become excited about the Lord. If we are not careful, we will “think on these things” but then say, “I don’t know if this is good for my wife, because she is getting a little too spiritual.” And we’ll begin to squirm a bit when our wives tell us that a passion for Jesus is being conceived within them because, although they don’t express it and maybe haven’t even articulated it, the fact remains that to some men, Jesus can be the other Man in his wife’s life. “You mean you’re getting up early now and praying? When did that start?” we ask. “What about my oatmeal? You want to go to church again? We went last month!” Somehow in women, who are oftentimes innately more spiritually sensitive than men, the Holy Spirit can begin to conceive something of Jesus. And we guys can start to fear. But the Lord would say to you and to me as husbands, “Fear not! Don’t worry!” Husband, the more your wife falls in love with that other Man, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, her capacity will expand exponentially to love you along with loving Jesus. A couple had celebrated their golden anniversary with a big party. Presents were exchanged, and congratulations were expressed before they got in their car and drove home. When they got home, the woman made her way into the kitchen. As was her custom, she brewed some tea and took out a loaf of bread, one of which she had baked daily for years. She cut off the heel, warmed it, and buttered it for her husband before cutting another slice for herself. Then she served him the warm piece of bread. Now this man, who had been married for fifty years, loved his wife greatly, but the stress of the day had taken its toll. He blew up and said, “Honey, I love you, and you know that, but quite frankly, this is the last straw. For more years than I can count, you have baked bread for me every day. But you always give me the heel. You always pass off that crusty piece of bread on me. I’ve had it! I won’t take it anymore!” She looked at him, blinked back the tears, and said, “But honey, that’s my favorite piece.” She was giving him the best. And, guys, if you want your wives to give you the best in any area, let them be expanded in the Lord. Don’t fear!

Matthew 1:21

Jesus is the name of our Savior. This is His only name as far as His human name goes. Jesus is neither His first name, nor is Christ His last name. No, Jesus is His full human name, which was a common name in that day, probably the most common name in all of Israel. “Joshua” was the Hebrew form, and “Jesus” the Greek form. We read that Christ is not His human name, but His official name. Christos is the Greek form and means “anointed.” In the Old Testament, three groups of people were anointed with oil: prophets, priests, and kings. Jesus is the Prophet who came to declare the Word (Deu_18:18). He is our faithful High Priest (Heb_2:17). He is the King of kings (Rev_17:14). Remember, Joshua was the successor of Moses, and Moses represented the Law. Because Moses could not lead the people of God into the Land of Promise, the responsibility was given to Joshua, or Jesus. It’s the same name. So, too, the Law cannot bring people into the fullness of God’s blessings. The Law was provided to prepare us and point out to us that we are sinners in need of a Savior who can save us from our sins and bring us into the Land of Promise.

Matthew 1:22

Emmanuel is Jesus’ name descriptively, but it was never spoken to Him directly. You’ll never read in Scripture about someone saying, “Emmanuel, come over here please.” You’ll hear them say, “Jesus,” “Rabbi,” or “Master,” but never Emmanuel. This name Emmanuel is a descriptive title of the earthly ministry of Jesus ChristGod with us. Jer_33:16 tells us when we see Him in the kingdom, His name will be Jehovah-Tsidkenu. When you see Jesus, you’re not necessarily going to call Him “Jesus” or “Christ” or “Emmanuel,” but “Jehovah-Tsidkenu” or, “The Lord Our Righteousness.” This is great! When I see Jesus, I’m not going to say, “Jesus!

Here I am! Aren’t I wonderful?” No, I’m going to say, “Jehovah-Tsidkenu, You are my righteousness. It’s not me. I have failed miserably. I botch it constantly. You are my righteousness.

It’s Your blood that allows me to embrace You and sit beside you. I fall at Your feet and worship You because You are my righteousness.” Jesus is His human name, Christ His official name, Emmanuel His descriptive name, and Jehovah-Tsidkenu His prophetic name.

Matthew 1:24

Joseph married Mary, but he refrained from having sexual relations with her until after Jesus was born. To me, this absolutely refutes the Catholic teaching that Mary was a virgin perpetually. The word here is he knew her not until she had birthed Jesus. We know that at least two of the writers of the New Testament, James and Jude, were the offspring of Joseph and Mary. Mary was not a perpetual virgin. She was, however, an extremely special lady. Regarding the life of Mary, there are two common views: She is either exalted too greatly, as I believe the Roman Catholic Church presents her, or not honored adequately, as I believe she appears in the Protestant Church. She is a blessed lady, indeed; but it is the One who came from her, Jesus, who is truly the Blessed One.