The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ Matthew 1:1

Over four hundred years passed between the Old Testament writing of the book of Malachi, and God was basically silent in the written world for that length of time. Malachi wrote in chapter three and verse one of his prophecy, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, says the LORD of hosts”, and after that period of time, the forerunner of Jesus (John the baptist) and the Messiah Jesus was sent. The book of Matthew which means “gift of Jehovah” was commissioned to write the first of the four gospels included in the New Testament. Matthew, who is also known as Levi, was a Jewish tax collector whom Jesus told to “follow me” (See Matthew 9:9), and he became not only a follower of Jesus, but was also one of His disciples. Matthew was a Jew, writing specifically to the Jews about a Jew whose name was Jesus. Matthew employs many Old Testament references throughout his book as to prove that Jesus is indeed the Messiah for whom the Jewish people awaited. In Matthew chapter one and verse one, Matthew shares how this “book” concerns the “generation of Jesus Christ” who is both the “son of David” and “Abraham” where we read:

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The verse reads, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, ...” Matthew began with the words, “the book” which means “the written roll, scroll or sheet” “of the generation” or “pertaining to the source, origin, lineage, birth, nativity, existence and life” “of Jesus” which means “belonging to the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “Christ” which refers to “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God”. Matthew begins by declaring the “birth, origin, lineage and life” of Jesus as the encompassing idea contain within his book.

The verse goes on to say, “... the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew continued with the words, “the son” which means “the offspring, descendant and posterity” “of David” which means “belonging to the second king of Israel whose name means beloved”, “the son” which means “the offspring, descendant and posterity” “of Abraham” which refers to “the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation whose name means father of a multitude”. Matthew declares Jesus to be of the familial lineage of both “David, the blessed King of Israel” and “Abraham” who was the founder of the Jewish nation.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we discover how important it was to establish the “lineage” of Jesus from the beginning of the book. In Genesis chapter twenty-two and verse eighteen, God told Abraham, “in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice”, so it was imperative that the Messiah descend from “Abraham”. God told “David, the king of Israel” through Nathan the prophet, “And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom”, so it was imperative that the Messiah descend from “David” as well. Within the first verse of his book, Matthew declares that Jesus descended from both “David” and “Abraham”, and therefore Jesus meets the requirement for the lineage of the Messiah.

Next time Matthew begins to share the lineage of Jesus Christ, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.