Word Count: 2856

Contact Paul George

Matthew Chapter 1

by Paul George  
1/07/2008 / Bible Studies

Matthew 1:1-25

Following man's rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden, God told the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel" (Genesis 3:15). The key word is "he." He refers to a human male. Therefore, according to the prediction of the bruising of the head of the serpent requires the actions of a human male, one not many.

Prior to entering the Promised Land Moses told the people the Lord told him, "I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you and I will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him" (Deuteronomy 18:18). The key word is "like." What set Moses apart for the Old Testament prophet? In what way will this future prophet and Moses be similar, both will deliver the chosen people from captivity.

The Lord told King David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will rise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

In his night visions Daniel said he saw, "One like a Son of Man" coming with the clouds, "And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him and to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14). The key words are "like" and "Son of Man." Daniel did not say the One that came before the Ancient of Days was a man; he said He was like a Son of Man. He had the appearance of a man but He was more than a man.

Who is the One who will bruise the head of the serpent? Who is the future prophet who will be like Moses? Who is the descendant that would come forth from David? Who is the One who had the appearance of a man but He was more than a man? Matthew claims He is Jesus, the Messiah.

Matthew knows it is one thing to claim something is true and it is another to prove it. Matthew is not trying to convince the Jews Jesus is the Messiah, he has declared He is the Messiah. What is it that makes Matthew take a no back down stand when it comes to who Jesus is? Remember Matthew is a Jew, hated by the Jews. He was a tax collector for the Roman Empire, one of the lowest forms of life in the eyes of Jews. He knows the requirements necessary to claim the right to the throne that has been vacant since the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The claimant must prove he is a descendant of Abraham and David. He also knows the only acceptable evidence a claimant is a descendant of Abraham and David is a genealogy.

Matthew 1:1-17

Verse 1 "The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

In the first verse of the record of the genealogy of Jesus identifies Jesus as the Messiah and links Him directly to David and through David to Abraham. Why did Matthew do this? What did the Lord tell David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom...and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Whose kingdom and throne did the Lord say He would establish forever? The Lord did not say He would establish David's kingdom and throne, He said He would establish the kingdom and throne of the one that would come forth from David? The word "forever" refers to an indefinite time, without interruption. What did Daniel see in his vision, one like the son of a man receiving an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days?

What is Matthew telling the people of his day, what is he telling this generation. Jesus is the descendant that shall come forth from David. Jesus is the one God said He would establish His kingdom and throne forever. Jesus is one like a son of man Daniel saw coming before the Ancient of Days and an everlasting kingdom and throne given to Him. Jesus is the one that will bruise the head of the serpent. Jesus is the one who will build a house for the name of God. The house Solomon built fell following his death and has remained a fallen house to this day. However, the house Jesus is building will stand forever. Jesus is building His house on a solid rock and He is the rock

There is no denying a genealogy is boring. Look at Jesus' genealogy. What do you see, a long list of names difficult to pronounce. Look at Luke's genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23- 38) boring reading and a contradiction of Matthew's genealogy.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). If all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, a genealogy that seems at first sight boring and unprofitable, contain useful and instructive lessons.

First, God always keeps His word. God promised Abraham, "I will make you a great nation, and make your name greatand in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2, 3). Isaiah predicted, "a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1). Jesus is not only a descendant of Abraham and David, He is descendant of Jesse, and He is the shoot Isaiah predicted would spring from Jesse. Matthew's genealogy proves God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Thoughtless, ungodly people and church members should remember this lesson. Whatever they may think, God will keep His word. If they do not repent, they will surely perish. True believers in Jesus should remember this lesson, and take comfort. Their Father in heaven will be true to all His promises.

Second, the sinfulness and corruption of human nature, note the number of godly parents in this genealogy that had wicked and ungodly sons. This should teach us humbling lessons. They had all pious fathers. However, they were all wicked men. Grace does not run in families. It needs something more than good examples and good advice to make us children of God, to make our children and grandchildren children of God. Those who are born again are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, (John 1:13.) Praying parents should pray night and day, that their children might be born of the Spirit. However, it is only when they humble themselves, repent and believe in Jesus do they become the children of God.

Third, the mercy and compassion of our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Think how defiled and unclean our nature is and how undefiled and pure the nature of the Son of God, He humbled Himself to be born of a woman, and "made in the likeness of men." Some of the names in the genealogy of Jesus are never mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. However, at the end of all comes the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though He is the eternal God, He humbled Himself to become man, in order to provide salvation for sinners. When we read the genealogy of Jesus, even if we cannot pronounce all the names, we should praise our Lord and thank Him; no one is beyond the reach of Christ's sympathy and compassion. Our sins may be as black and great as the people in the genealogy of Jesus, they cannot shut us out of heaven, if we repent, believe in Jesus and the gospel. If Jesus was not ashamed to be born of a woman, whose lineage contained such names as those listed in His genealogy He will not be ashamed to call us brethren, and to give us eternal life.

Fourth, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy and Israel's expectation.

Jacob predicted, "The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be (Genesis 49:10). The term "scepter" refers to the right to apply and enforce Mosaic Laws and adjudicate capital offenses. The early rabbis taught the term "Shiloh" referred to the Messiah.

When the Roman Empire resisted the legal power of the Sanhedrin the Jews covered their heads with ashes and their bodies with sackcloth, and bemoaned, "Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come!" While the Jews wept in the streets of Jerusalem, a young son of a carpenter was growing up in Nazareth. He would present Himself as the Messiah on the day predicted by the angel Gabriel to Daniel five centuries earlier.

Did Jesus ever actually sit on the throne God said would come forth from David? Although He presented Himself as the Messiah on the day that Gabriel had predicted, Jesus never sat on the throne. Now He is sitting on His Father's Throne. The question is will He ever sit on that throne? Of course He will, this same Jesus the apostles watch ascended into the clouds will come in the same way (Acts 1:11), and it may be sooner than we think.
Birth Announcement
Matthew 1:18-25

Verse 18 begins the record of the conception of Jesus, "When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child" in our society, this is no problem. However, in Joseph's society it was a big problem. Betrothed means Mary for all intent and purpose was married to Joseph. The custom of the day required an interval of one year of betrothal before the bride could take residence in her husband's house and the consummate of the marriage. The breaking of the betrothal required a legal divorce. During this interval, Mary "was found with child."

Joseph being a righteous man, a strict observer of the law, and not wanting to disgrace Mary wanted to give her a bill of divorce privately. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him "the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. The angel told Joseph to name the Child Jesus, "for He will save His people from their sins."

The angel of the Lord assured Joseph there is no reason for him to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The Child conceived in Mary is by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by the power of nature. The Holy Spirit, who produced the world, now produced the Savior of the world, and prepared Him a body. It was necessary that the Child conceived in Mary be by the power of the Holy Spirit and not the power of nature, that He might escape the corruption and pollution of it.

The angel did not tell Joseph the Child would deliver His people from the yoke of the Gentile; He would save them from their sins. Those whom Christ saves He saves from their sins, from the guilt of sin by the merit of His death, from the dominion of sin by the Spirit of His grace, He does not save them from the yoke of an oppressing people, such as the Jews were under when Jesus was born. Jesus came to purchase with His blood for His people freedom from sin and not the freedom to continue in their sins.

There are two reasons why the conception of Jesus was by the Holy Spirit, His nature had to be spotless, pure, and without any stain of sin. If the conception of Jesus was the result of an unfaithful act by Mary, rape, or the breaking of the betrothal requirements, as His enemies claim, Jesus was not the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, He is not the Mediator between God and man, the only Mediator. Regardless of man's opinions, God and man are brought together in the person of Jesus, since He partakes of the nature of both.

Why is it important Matthew include in His Gospel the account of the conception of Jesus? Matthew answers the question in verse 22 "Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.'"

According to many skeptics, no one ever called Jesus by the name "Immanuel", which suggests a failed prophecy. In their view, because Matthew quoted from Isaiah the phrase "call his name" we should understand "Immanuel" to be taken literally since other biblical passages use names literally. Isaiah 9:6 states, "His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The New Testament writers never referred to these titles as Jesus name, yet that does not make Him less of whom He really is.

Since the New Testament, writers do not use the name Immanuel in their writings; can we prove that Mary ever called Jesus "Immanuel"? Can anyone prove that Mary never called Jesus "Immanuel?" Can we prove Matthew 1:18-25 is an accurate account of the birth of Jesus? Can we prove it is not an accurate account of the birth of Jesus? "No"

Joseph sets an example we need to follow verse 14- "And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife."

Although what the angel of the Lord told Joseph was contrary to everything he believed, was taught, and his intentions to protect himself from the consequences of the pregnancy of Mary, he took her as his wife. When did he obey the command to take Mary as his wife, verse 24 implies he did it immediately, and without questioning.

It is true, in this present age extraordinary direction like this do not generally occur in our lives. However, God still has ways of making known His will for our lives. We may question and be concerned as Joseph was when he faced the greatest decision he will be asked to make. When faced with the decisions we must make that will have a great impact on our lives and the lives of those nearest to us we need to do what Joseph did, he trusted in the word of the Lord. When we trust in the word of the Lord, we have nothing to fear.

Through faith and obedience Joseph became a man honored above all men. He was given the honor of being the guardian of the Son of God.

Joseph obeyed God. He married Mary and "she gave birth to a Son, and he called His name Jesus."

Although Joseph solemnized the marriage with Mary, his espoused wife, he kept her a virgin "until she gave birth to a Son," much has been said and written concerning the perpetual virginity of Mary: Jerome was very angry with Helvidius for denying it. Others claim when it is said, "And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son" that after the birth of Jesus he lived with Mary according to the law, that deals with a second wife (Exodus 21:10).

Matthew 13:53-56 - "When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?' And they took offense at Him But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.' And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.'"

Man claims these were Joseph's children by a previous marriage ignoring the usual sense of brothers and sisters. Since Joseph and Mary did not conceive Jesus through a sexual act, His siblings were half brothers and sisters.

There is no Biblical evidence to support the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary.

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

Sermons and Bible studies preached and taught by author

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Paul George

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer