• Genealogy feels a Jewish “apologetic” gap
  • Temple has been destroyed which is where they kept genealogy records
  • Both Luke and Matthew preserve it for eternity
• Matthew 1 tells his readers what his gospel is all about
• He prepares to prove to them three things: Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)
• Read the genealogy like a Disneyland Parade
  • Each character comes forward in sequence representing a certain era of Israel
  • Each era has signature songs, writings, and prophecies
  • Entire parade culminates to the last character, except instead of Mickey Mouse, its Jesus!

Why Different Genealogy in Luke?

• Three Views:
  1. Bloodline and Legal line (Most common modern view)
     • Luke follows Mary’s genealogy as Christ’s actual bloodline
     • Mathew follows Josephs line as Christ’s legal line of inheritance
  2. Royal line and a bloodline
     • Luke follows Jesus’ actual bloodline via Mary
     • Matthew follows the Royal line (succession of Kings) as it relates to Joseph
  3. Joseph had two fathers (My View and Oldest view)
     • Follows law of Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5)
       • Brother marries deceased brothers wife if no son was beared
       • Wife free to marry outside of family if she bore a son to carry on father’s name
       • If no son, the first son bore from the brother would carry the deceased brothers name
     • Luke and Mathew follow Joseph’s lineage
       • Luke follows Joseph’s legal line through Heli
         • Uses the term, “Son of Heli”
       • Mathew follows Josephs bloodline through Jacob
         • Uses the term, “begotten of Jacob”
     • Papias and Eusebius give us this view that was longest view in church
       • Matthan marries Estra and has a son named Jacob
       • Matthan dies, so Estra marries outside the family to a man named Matthat and bore a son named Heli
       • Heli married but died before producing a son
       • Jacob marries Heli’s widow and bears Joseph
       • By Leviate law, Joseph is “begotten of Joseph” but “Son of Heli”

Jesus has over your life! – “the Son of David”

• David at center of genealogy
  • Name David in Hebrew gematria equals 14.
  • David is the only name besides Jesus given a title
    • “David, the King” (Matthew 1:6) and “Jesus called the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16)
  • David name dead center of names
• A commonly forgotten context
  • Jesus was not a peasant, He was from a Royal line and they knew it
  • From his very birth, He had power by mere heritage (Matthew 2)
  • Jesus as rightful king of Israel was not a point Matthew disciples readers to, its a fact he disciples readers from i.e. the King of Israel is ACTUALLY the King of all Kings
    • Examples:
      • James and John asking to sit at His right hand (i.e. be part of his royal council) in Luke 10
      • Jesus’ recruitment of disciples
      • Why does Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus on Jerusalem council so eager to give Jesus a proper, rich burial?
        • My Answer: Beyond affection, it was out of reverence for the king of Israel
      • Sign on the cross
        • Pilate orders it not to mock Jesus’ outlandish claims, but in recognition of His rightful claim to mock Israel. Pilate, and Rome, intended to show Israel that their power and authority remains supreme over Israel’s established line of power/authority by crucifying their kings
      • Why does Jesus show up when He does and Joseph is never mentioned?
        • My answer: Joseph died and now Jesus assumes proxy-claim to throne
      • Why does James, brother of Jesus take charge of church in Jerusalem after Jesus leaves? He was not one of the twelve?
        • My answer: James was next in succession of throne after Jesus (James was second born)
        • Also, that’s why Jude, brother of Jesus becomes prominent in early church writings
• Pair with Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to me”
  • Matthew establishes royal authority at beginning of gospel and leads reader to accept Christ’s divine authority by chapter 28.
  • Kingdom theology very prevalent in Matthew
    • Paul describes Jesus’ second coming as a “Parousia,” which is a royal term (1 Thessalonians 4:15)
      • A royal Parousia is when a king/emperor would visit another city away from his throne but within his kingdom
    • At His ascension, Christ gives the great commission (Matthew 28) and essentially says, “Until my Parousia, you will be my witnesses to all nations”
      • This idea carries the royal thought. When a new king/emperor was crowned, “witnesses” would go out throughout the kingdom bearing witness to the king and his authority.
      • NOTE: The intent was to PROCLAIM the king, NOT to CONVINCE everyone He is king!
    • Paul’s “Herpazzo” i.e. Rapture states we join Jesus in His glorious return
      • In a royal Parousia, the loyal subjects would meet the king outside the city and join his royal precession into the city

*This is important because when the rightful King of Israel begins talking about the “Kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2), He begins to surprise their expectation for the Messiah to establish David’s throne. Jesus is speaking to a higher throne, a greater throne beyond their expectation!

Without Jesus, Your Life is and – “Jesus, the Messiah”

Fulfillment of Cycles and Eras of time

• • Waxing and Waning of the moon
  • 30 day months
  • 14 generations between each “era” of Israel
    • Abraham to David
    • David to Exile
    • Exile to Jesus

*Matthew describes the three eras that Christ replays through His life

*Ultimately, Matthew is showing that everything before Christ was building TO Him, and everything since Jesus is being built FROM Him!

Fulfillment of three sections of Old Testament

• • We think of Bible as two sections: OT and NT
    • Jew’s only knew OT: split into three sections of Psalms and Writings, Prophets and Wisdom, and Tanakh
  • Three sections:
    • Psalms: Matthew writes “Asaph”, not “Asa” (vs. 8)
      • Asa known psalmist and wrote Psalms 50; 73-83
      • Matthew will demonstrate that Jesus is the culmination of what the Psalms and writings sing and write about
    • Prophets: Matthew writes “Amos,” not “Amon” (vs. 10)
      • Matthew will demonstrate Jesus is the one the Prophets spoke about
    • Tanakh: Jacob, Judah and Joseph
      • Judah
        • “Scepter will never depart from Judah”/””Brothers will bow down to him” – Genesis 49:8 – Genesis 49:10
        • David, Solomon, and Jesus were from the tribe of Judah
        • Start of Genealogy we have Jacob to Judah
      • Joseph
        • “A prince among his brothers” – Genesis 49:26
        • End of Genealogy we have Jacob to Joseph
        • Small tidbit: Joseph, son of Jacob was a dreamer – narrative immediately after genealogy was Joseph, father of Jesus dreaming about Christ

*Here, we have two “royal lines,” all of which Jesus fulfills

Jesus Will You! – “Son of Abraham”

• Challenges Jewish Expectation
  •  Jesus subverts the Jews’ expectations when it comes to their Messiah. He’s going to challenge the way they think about the Sabbath, giving, obedience, and the kingdom of heaven itself.
• Challenges Jewish Mission and Piety
  • “Father of many nations” – Genesis 17:5
    • “Make Disciples of all nations” – Matthew 28:19
  • Unflattering Cicrumstances and the women
    • Tamar (vs. 3), Rahab (vs. 5), Ruth (vs. 5), Uriah’s wife (vs. 6), Mary (vs. 16)
      • Gentiles
      • Sexually exploited

*The Jews expected a Messiah who would liberate Israel and rule the other nations. And yet Matthew introduces Jesus by highlighting how his bloodline includes other nations.

Jesus Gives you !

• 3 sets of 14 generations equals 42 generations or 6 sets of 7 generations
• Jesus starts the 7^th set of the 7 generations meaning He starts the Sabbath cycle
  • Jesus brings the Sabbath, meaning He brings us REST
    • Matthew 12 – Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

Questions for Guided Discussions

1. What elements of Matthew’s Genealogy stood out to you? What surprised you? What intrigued you?

2. Matthew intends to establish royal authority in the genealogy that leads to divine authority by the end of the gospel. What elements of Jesus’ authority do you struggle with?

3. What elements of Jesus’ authority does our culture struggle with?

4. Matthew demonstrates that Jesus completes and fulfills everything. On the contrary, without Jesus we feel incomplete, empty, or lacking. How has Christ completed you? What area has He filled that was missing before?

5. Has your relationship with Christ ignited new identity, purpose, value, and passion in your life?

6. How has God challenged you? Do you have an example in your life that God acted beyond your expectation, but ultimately proved bigger and better? In relationships? In a career change? In 29 Palms….?

7. How has God used your previous sin or unflattering history to ultimately bear witness to His glory?

8. Matthew points out that Jesus is THE Sabbath i.e. our rest. Do you feel at rest, or restless in Jesus? If so, how?