Welcome to A Journey through the New Testament! In this series, we will systematically journey through every chapter in the New Testament, unveiling the marvelous insights that can be found in the scriptures.
When many come across Matthew 1, they immediately stumble upon an extensive genealogy and ask themselves, “What is the point of this genealogy?” Well, though it may seem pointless to many, to a Jew, it carries great significance.
Throughout the ages, the Old Covenant scriptures were written documentation of the lineage, events, and prophecies concerning Israel and their Messiah. This Old Covenant is the Word of God given to guide people to Christ. Therefore, as mentioned in the previous Sunrise, if Jesus is the Christ, it means He had and has to fulfil all the prophecies concerning the Messiah.
Here are two relevant prophecies.
PROPHECY 1 - CHRIST THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
Genesis 22:18 - "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
Galatians 3:16 - "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."
PROPHECY 2 - CHRIST THE SEED OF DAVID
2 Samuel 7:12-13 - "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."
Acts 13:21-23 - "21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:"
The prophecy had documented that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of Abraham and David. Therefore, Matthew, in his attempt to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, begins his book by establishing the lineage of Jesus, proving that He is indeed the seed of Abraham and David. How meticulous is our God! If He was meticulous enough to document the lineage of Christ, how much more meticulous is He in our lives?
Written by Kareem Flowers, Sunrise with Jesus
Please share in the comments what blesses you the most about the genealogy of Christ!
The above post reviews Jesus' Genealogy
Aw wow! Thank you Lord for answering these little questions and bringing so much clarity!