The Genealogy And Birth Of Jesus Christ - Matthew 1

2025.01.05.Sermon Notes. Matthew 1. The Genealogy and Birth of JESUS CHRIST

William Akehurst, HSWC

SCRIPTURES: Romans 1:16, Matthew 1:1-25, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Samuel 16:13, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-31, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 3:23-38

BIG IDEA: Matthew presents the Genealogy of JESUS CHRIST and brings forward the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures into fulfillment by JESUS CHRIST, our Immanuel, our GOD WITH US. So begins the journey through Matthew’s account for Christ.

Last year! we finished the 1st book of the Bible, the book of Genesis.

This year, today, we will begin the 1st book of the New Testament, the Book of Matthew.

Just as Genesis is part of a larger grouping of books known as the Torah or Pentateuch, Matthew is also a part of a larger grouping of books known as the Gospels, which are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

When Matthew became a disciple of Jesus, he was on the outs with his people.

He was a tax collector or a publican. So he was considered a betrayer of his people, because his wealth came from his community as he served and supported the Roman government, the oppressor of the people.

So when Matthew came to know and follow Jesus, he literally left everything.

He left his prosperous former life and everything with it. He had to.

As a former tax collector (also called “Levi”), Matthew was qualified to write an account of Jesus’ life and teachings. A tax collector of that day must know Greek and be a literate, well-organized man.

Some think that Matthew was the “recorder” among the disciples and took notes of Jesus’ teaching.

We might say that when Matthew followed Jesus, he left everything behind – except his pen and paper.

And even though Matthew appears first in the New Testament, it's likely the second gospel based on the time it was written, with Mark being the first, which we’ll talk about another time.

Matthew was written in Greek, but was intended for a Hebrew or Jewish audience.

We know this because it quotes from the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament, more than all the other gospels.

Matthew very clearly reveals Jesus as the Hebrew Messiah by demonstrating the ways that Jesus fulfills Hebrew Messianic prophecies.

And if you pay close attention, you'll notice that in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is fulfilling prophecy all the time.

So Matthew is a Jew who wrote this gospel to the Jews - his countrymen, about a Jew – JESUS CHRIST.

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King of the Jews, the long-awaited Messiah.

Matthew documents Jesus Christ’s claim to be the Messiah.

Matthew documents this genealogy of JESUS, as well as JESUS’ baptism, teachings, and miracles all pointing to the same conclusion: JESUS the CHRIST is KING.

And even in JESUS’s death on the cross, death is turned to victory by the Resurrection.

Matthew’s GOOD NEWS message continues today.

This “KING of the Jews” has risen. HE is Alive.

Now, while Matthew declares the genealogy of JESUS, Luke also documents the genealogy of CHRIST.

Matthew’s genealogy shows the LEGAL ancestry line from Abraham to Jesus “born of Mary, Joseph’s espoused wife.”

Luke’s genealogy shows the broader BIOLOGICAL ancestry line from Adam to JESUS.

Therefore, we see in the order of the presentation of the GOSPELS, that Matthew’s audience is to the JEWS, while Luke’s audience is to the Greek or Gentiles.

Which gives us an understanding of Paul’s perspective in…

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

SO LET’S BEGIN.

Matthew 1:1-25 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:”

Matthew presents his theme in the first verse:

Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy and of Israel’s expectation.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

Matthew begins his account of the life of Jesus Christ.

Ancestry was critically important to the Jews.

When GOD gave the people the land of Israel, GOD allotted the land by each tribe of Israel. Therefore, knowing who you are and where you came from, told you what belonged to you, and what your inheritance was.

POINT: If you want to know your inheritance, then you need to know who you are - in CHRIST JESUS - to know what you HAVE IN HIM.

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name YESHUA.

The English transliteration of the name YESHUA would be Joshua.

It means The LORD Saves, or Salvation.

Many families named their kids Joshua after the Joshua who delivered the Israelites to the Promised Land.