Simple Study: The Gospel According to Matthew Part One
Read Matthew 1:1-15
As we begin our study of the book of Matthew, we stand at the end of a huge gap in history—a chasm of 400 years. Behind us is the Old Testament and stretching out in front of us like a scroll is the New Testament. It’s been 400 years since Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, had spoken, and after that heaven went silent. Then one day, a priest named Zechariah was standing at the altar in the temple’s Holy Place in Jerusalem and an angel appeared out of nowhere and announced the birth of John the Baptist, who was to be the forerunner of the Lord Jesus. History was turning. In those 400 years, Scripture is silent. We know from history that it’s a thrilling period—in many ways both terrific and tragic for God’s people. World politics turned and transformed in this 400-year gap. When the Old Testament closed, the Medo-Persian Empire dominated the earth. Egypt also stood tall. Now as the New Testament opens, both had faded from the scene. A new power, Rome, now rules the world.
As we bring the land of Israel into laser focus, let’s specifically concentrate on what the religious landscape looked like as the setting for the Gospel of Matthew. We meet four different religious parties, never heard of in the Old Testament, that now shape the mindset and practices of the Jewish faith.
First there were the Pharisees, the dominant party. They were politically and religiously the most conservative. They defended the Jewish way of life against all foreign influences. Strict legalists, they alone remained fundamentally true to the Old Testament in their theological beliefs. They wanted to restore the kingdom to the line of David.
Then, there were the Sadducees, made up of the wealthy and the socially minded who wanted to be done with tradition. They opposed the Pharisees. They were theologically liberal, rejecting anything supernatural. Like Greek Epicureans, they believed “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die.” They were in search of the good life and gave their bodies unbridled rein. They tried it then; didn’t work. Doesn’t work now, either.
The Scribes, the third group, were professional interpreters of the Law, carried over from the days of Ezra. But what began as honorable had become ridiculous. They split hairs, concerned more with the letter of the Law than with its spirit. When Herod asked the scribes where Jesus was born, they knew the answer—Bethlehem—but you’d think they would have hopped on a camel and gone down to Bethlehem to see Him. But they weren’t interested. They lost their love for the Word, fighting instead for its knowledge.
The last group, the Herodians, were strictly political opportunists. They wanted their party in power and a Herod on the throne. This is the religious landscape on which Jesus will travel in the book of Matthew.
The Gospel of Matthew is remarkable. It swings back in the Old Testament and gathers up more prophecies than any other book. It also reaches farther into the New Testament than any other Gospel. Matthew is the only book that mentions the church by name (16:18). It’s also interesting to note that God used Matthew, a former publican (hated by Jews), to get this Gospel to us. The Lord Jesus put His hand upon Matthew in a very definite way. Matthew was His follower, His apostle. He wrote the Gospel in Hebrew for the nation Israel, a religious people. God had prepared this whole nation for the coming of Christ into the world (John 4:22), and now the time was here.
One of the major themes of the Gospel of Matthew is the program of God, called “the kingdom of heaven.” It’s critical to understand that “kingdom” and “church” are not the same. The church is in the kingdom of God just like Los Angeles is in California, but Los Angeles is not California.
The kingdom of heaven is the reign of the heavens over the earth. It doesn’t have to be complicated like some make it out to be. In this Gospel, we see how Jesus is establishing God’s kingdom on earth.
Christ’s Genealogy
This very important beginning—the genealogy which opens the Gospel of Matthew and the New Testament—is in many respects the most important document in the Scriptures. We learned earlier in Genesis how important families are. Now we see it again in this genealogy that opens the New Testament.
Matthew 1:1-17 lists the family names, beginning with Abraham to David, then from Solomon through the Babylonian captivity, all the way to Joseph the carpenter. The entire New Testament rests upon the accuracy of this genealogy. It establishes the Lord Jesus Christ is of the line of Abraham, which puts Jesus in the nation and the line of David, which puts Jesus on the throne.
This genealogy was so important, it was on display for public inspection, likely in the temple. Jesus has been challenged down through the years in practically every phase and feature, but this genealogy was never challenged. Likely many checked it out and found it was accurate. Jesus was born in the line of David and in the line of Abraham. Matthew lays before us the truth that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything that had been previously mentioned and promised in the Old Testament.
Now, let’s admit that the long list of names is difficult to read and hard to be excited about. But let’s also agree since the Spirit of God used so much printer’s ink in giving us this list that there must be something important here. This one in Matthew 1:1-17 is Jesus’ genealogy from Joseph’s side. We’ll read another one, from Mary’s side, when we get over to Luke.
Why did Matthew say Jesus was the son of David, the son of Abraham? Didn’t he know Abraham came before David? Yes, he makes that clear in the rest of the genealogy. Instead of in chronological order, Matthew describes Jesus as “Son of David” first because he’s presenting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, as the One who is the King, and who is the One to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth, and that comes first. He must be in the line of David in fulfillment of the prophecies that God made to David.
Jesus is also the son of Abraham. God had said to Abraham, “All nations on Earth will be blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18) and Paul says, “That seed was one and that seed was Christ” (Galatians 3:16). So Jesus is the son of Abraham.
A closer look at Jesus’ genealogy and you’ll notice four names that stand out in neon lights.
First, because the names are of Gentiles. Gentiles just didn’t get into these genealogies, yet there they are.
Secondly, they are names of women. In that day, women were not counted, yet there they are. Each name holds a special significance in the story of Jesus’ family line.
Tamar is the first woman mentioned. Her story in the book of Genesis is horrific and sad, yet God used her to preserve Jesus’ line.
Rahab is the next woman mentioned. She was a desperate character when we meet her in Exodus but became a wonderful person when she met the living and true God (Hebrews 11:31). She’s listed here for the very simple reason that she believed; she had faith in God, standing out against the backdrop of a wicked people.
Ruth is the next one mentioned. Now the Law kept Ruth out because she was a Moabite. But when Boaz (Rahab’s son) saw her, it was love at first sight. He extended grace to her, put his coat around her, and brought her, a Gentile, into Jesus’ family line.
The final woman in the genealogy isn’t mentioned by name, but instead as the wife of Uriah. We know who it is: Bathsheba. She’s in the genealogy of Christ because God does not throw overboard one of His own who sins. He brought David back, and that is the whole story of salvation right there.
Four women are mentioned, but many other people have been left out. In this first chapter of Matthew, we can trace Jesus’ family all the way from Adam in the garden to Joseph, who married the young virgin, Mary. Joseph stands in this line, the line that has the title to the throne of David. Matthew shows us a remarkable thing in the Scripture. Even though Joseph could not be Jesus’ natural father, Joseph gave Jesus the legal title to the throne of David. By marrying Mary, the source of Jesus’ true humanity, Joseph passed along the legal right to Jesus. Both Mary and Joseph were in the line of David, so when it came time for them to pay their tax, they both went to Bethlehem, the town of David. When you dig into them, these genealogies bring fascinating and interesting truths to light.
Questions for Review:
Describe the ways the Gospel of Matthew is unique, beginning with Matthew’s primary audience—Jewish people.
Describe the four religious groups that influenced the world of faith Jesus was born into.
What makes Matthew’s genealogies especially interesting? How does it help us relate to Jesus’ family line?
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