Reflections on Matthew 1

Matthew 01 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham. And this is a list of his ancestors.
   
2. From Abraham to King David, his ancestors were: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and his brothers (Judah's sons were Perez and Zerah, and their mother was Tamar), Hezron; Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, and King David.
   
3. (SEE 1:2)
   
4. (SEE 1:2)
   
5. (SEE 1:2)
   
6. From David to the time of the exile in Babylonia, the ancestors of Jesus were: David, Solomon (his mother had been Uriah's wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and Jehoiachin and his brothers.
   
7. (SEE 1:6)
   
8. (SEE 1:6)
   
9. (SEE 1:6)
   
10. (SEE 1:6)
    
11. (SEE 1:6)
    
12. From the exile to the birth of Jesus, his ancestors were: Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim; Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
    
13. (SEE 1:12)
    
14. (SEE 1:12)
    
15. (SEE 1:12)
    
16. (SEE 1:12)
    
17. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen from David to the exile in Babylonia and fourteen more to the birth of the Messiah.
    
18. This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David's family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God's Holy Spirit.
    
19. Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.
    
20. While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her.
    
21. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
    
22. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,
    
23. "A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel," which means "God is with us."
    
24. After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the Lord's angel had told him to do.
    
25. But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named him Jesus.
    

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History just seems to happen without reason or rhyme. We live one day after another and life goes on without any seeming purpose or plan. This, of course, is how many see life, even how they see creation. It just happened! But these first two chapters of Matthew make it clear that behind it all is a Great Planner. The lineage from which Jesus was born - all planned. The location of His birth - planned. The appearance of the magi which also caused the death of many boy babies - all planned, as was also the escape of Jesus' family into Egypt and then resettling later in Nazareth. None of it was by accident. Why was it planned that way? That part we do not know, nor does it matter. All that matters is that God planned it and carried it out, and it was good.

Matthew's account of the birth of Christ came some 500 years after the last prophetic mention of His coming by Malachi. Matthew begins his account by establishing for Jewish readers that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah through a trace of His lineage. This lineage began with Abraham and traces through three periods of 14 generations each: Abraham to David, David to the Babylonian exile, and the exile to the birth of Christ. Each period would be of approximately 500 years. The purpose of Matthew's lineage was to establish Christ's royal line from David, thus showing Him to be legal heir to the throne.

Normally the task of tracing a lineage of such significance would have fallen on the temple scribes, but by the time Matthew wrote his account the scribes had a compelling interest in Christ NOT being the Messiah. They had crucified Him! So why didn't they check it out before they crucified Him? Did not word get to the religious leaders concerning the unusual events surrounding Jesus' birth? Should not these events have peaked their interest in checking the records and the prophecies? As we will see in the next chapter of Matthew's account the inquiries of the wise men should seemingly have aroused the interest of the chief priests and scribes who told Herod, at the inquiry of the wise men, that the Messiah would be born in "Bethlehem of Judea." But why did Herod ask about the Messiah? Did he know of the prophesied Jewish Messiah? Did he know of the connection between the Messiah and the "King of the Jews" about whom the wise men asked? Many questions, but the only answer we can give is that this was God's plan.

Following the lineage, Matthew gives the incredible account of Mary and Joseph's role as parents of the Messiah. This account establishes for us Christ's virgin birth, which is incredible in itself. Although Mary and Joseph fulfilled a role they had been destined to fulfill, let's not presume them to be puppets. They could freely choose their response to the circumstances in which they found themselves the same as we can and do. They were evidently individuals who had hearts of obedience to the Lord. Nor should we underestimate the pressures they were under to make the choices they did. Their choices were contrary to tradition which can apply overwhelming pressure. And Mary's pregnancy before marriage was an infringement of the law of Moses, punishable by death. Mary was very much at Joseph's mercy, and Joseph acted with both honor and courage. He and Mary both must have been extremely criticized. But to what extent they were criticized we cannot be certain without knowing the extend to which Mary's pregnancy was public knowledge.

Joseph's visit by an angel confirmed his lineage as a "son of David," and thus in line to be the father of the Messiah (even though he was not the physical father), and the angel divulged God's plan that Joseph should follow. As for assumptions, neither should we assume that God only reveals His plans on such momentous occasions. He is ready and willing to reveal His plans to each of us on any occasion if we will inquire and pay attention.