Frameworks:
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 1
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Matthew, chapter 1
v.1-17
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
v.18-25
Joseph is instructed about Jesus
v.1-17
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
v.1
This
is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son
of Abraham:
(A
general introduction picking out two key ‘players' associated
with Jesus)
i)
Abraham to David: Patriarchs to first God-chosen king
(great
names – with exposed lives – and unknowns who just help the continuity:
you and me, largely unknown but maintaining our family continuity?)
v.2
Abraham
was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the
father of Judah and his brothers,
v.3
Judah
the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
v.4
Ram
the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon
the father of Salmon,
v.5
Salmon
the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz
the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed
the father of Jesse,
v.6
and
Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been Uriah's wife,
ii)
Divided Kingdom to the Exile
(kings
exposed in scripture, embarrassing for some, great for others
– just like life is for most of us)
v.7
Solomon
the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah
the father of Asa,
v.8
Asa
the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
v.9
Uzziah
the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz
the father of Hezekiah,
v.10
Hezekiah
the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the
father of Josiah,
v.11
and
Josiah the father of Jeconiah [or Jehoiachin
] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
iii)
Post Exile
(a
lot of unknowns but yet again providing continuity of this special
family)
v.12
After
the exile to Babylon:Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel
the father of Zerubbabel,
v.13
Zerubbabel
the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the
father of Azor,
v.14
Azor
the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father
of Elihud,
v.15
Elihud
the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan
the father of Jacob,
v.16
and
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was
the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
v.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.
v.18-25
Joseph is instructed about Jesus
v.18
(Luke tells us about
Mary but Joseph doesn't know it yet) This
is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary
was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together,
she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
v.19
(hurt righteousness can
go the wrong way) Because Joseph
her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose
her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
v.20
(yet God straightens
him out) But after he had considered
this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your
wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
v.
21 (you will step-father
the saviour) She will give birth
to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, [Jesus
is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.] because
he will save his people from their sins.”
v.22
(just like Isaiah had
said ) All this took place to
fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
v.23
(a virgin birth
to bring the one who is God with us) “The
virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call
him Immanuel” [Isa 7:14] (which means “God with us”).
v.24
(it is so real, Joseph
obeys) When Joseph woke up,
he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary
home as his wife.
v.25
(he honours her and protects
her and was obedient) But he
did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.
And he gave him the name Jesus.
[General
Notes: Here are just a few comments to help the new reader
along:
i)
Why is Matthew's family tree different from Luke's? Well first
of all Matthew finishes with Joseph while Luke starts with words
that could indicate that his tree isn't Joseph's but perhaps Mary's
instead.
ii)
The different Gospel writers, although often using common material,
in their own unique contributions, each show a different emphasis.
Matthew's was to show to Jews that Jesus is the Messiah who has
come to bring in the kingdom of God. Part of the way he seeks
to do that is by quoting lots of Old Testament prophecies
iii)
Jesus is referred to as the son of the greatest king of Israel,
David, and son of Abraham, the man of faith, the father of the
Jewish race. Matthew identifies Jesus' family with a Jewish royal
line, and the line that goes back to the father of the race. Jesus'
home is within the race chosen and raised and blessed by God.
Now why would Matthew bother with this form of tree anyway? Well,
often in Jesus' ministry the Jews sneered at him and said “You
can't be the Messiah because you don't come from a royal family!”
Matthew seeks to show that Jesus' family name was
a good name with a royal pedigree. The post exile period links
the royal dynasty to Joseph and thus gives Jesus a royal family
title.
iv)
Jewish writers (Old Testament especially) weren't concerned to
ensure that every person in the family tree were included, only
that the flow of the tree was clear.
v)
Next observe the women, who are important to God, who are included
in this traditionally male family tree. There was:
• Tamar (v.3)
who brought about her pregnancy to continue the family tree through
strange ways (see Genesis 38),
• Rahab,
a Gentile prostitute who, by faith, earned her place with Israel (see
Joshua 2),
• Ruth,
a Gentile who married into the Israelite fold and remained in
faith (see book of Ruth), and
• Uriah's
wife stolen by David (see 2 Samuel 11 & 12), a reminder
of the shame of man and grace of God.
If
we consider, as we do, all the New Testament inspired by God then
we find in this family tree that almost seems to go out of its
way to include both these women and a large number of men (kings)
in the tree, who by and large didn't do very well, we see something
quite remarkable: God includes in this tree people who got it
wrong and yet were still included in God's purposes as He used
Israel to reveal Himself to the world, as well as reveal the sinfulness
of mankind that needed a Saviour