“Son of David, Son of Abraham”
(Matt 1:1-17)
Series: “Jesus’ Family Tree”
When you look at Matt 1:1-17, you might be thinking, “What a way to start a Gospel!” “What a way to start the entire NT!” “What a way to start the story of Jesus!” Genealogical lists don’t mean much to most of us, so we generally ignore them. Just skip over them when reaing the Bible. Just boring lists of names! Tedious!
A. But they are part of Scrip, too, & have an important function. So important that we have not one, but 2 genealogies of Jesus in the NT (Mt 1 & Lk 3).
B. The one in Matt is an important part of his story of Jesus.
Never intended it to be skipped over! Rather, sets stage
for all that follows.
C. Also, Matt 1 serves as a perfect “Bridge” betw OT &
NT. Betw Story of Israel & Story of Jesus. Probably why Matt placed 1st in NT, since not 1st written. Shows actually
the same story!
D. Matt reaches back into the Heb Scrips to demonstrate, esp.
to Jewish readers, that Jesus’ story isn’t an entirely new
one, but is a continuation of a very old story that began
long ago. - And Jews were very interested in genealogies.
E. One writer described this gen. as “Israel’s Family Album” -
not filled with photos, but with names, each name calling
to mind a story which the readers knew well.
F. EX: When Mt says, “Jacob (was) the father of Judah & his
bros.,” a Jewish reader (& hopefully now Chr ones also)
can’t help but recall that Jacob in fact had 12 sons, & that
his sons were the “12 Patriarchs” of the 12 Tribes of Isr.
- Doesn’t have to say all of that, just mention the name.
G. But this gen isn’t just about family history - it’s about Promises - promises made by God long ago, worked out over centuries of time, but ultimately fulfilled In God’s own Son, Jesus.
H. That point begins to be made in very 1st v. of Matt: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
I. Two specific Promises that Matt had in mind:
1. First, God’s Promise to Abraham:
A. Note: “Son of Ab.” - “Son of” not nec’ly immediate off-
spring, but simply “a descendant of.” So, Jesus descended
from Ab.
B. Promise goes back to Gen 12:1-3, when God 1st spoke to Ab & made a Covenant with Him.
C. Told him to go from his country & his family to a land that
God would show him. “And I will make of you a great na-
tion, & I will bless you & make your name great, so that
you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, &
him who dishonors you I will curse, & in you all the fami-
lies of the earth shall be blessed.”
D. Later, in 22:18, God says, “In your offspring shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed.” (Repeated 2 more times
in Gen [26:4 & 28:14], as well as in Acts 3:23 & Gal 3:16.)
E. So what is Matt saying by referring to Jesus as “Son of Ab”?
(1) Shows that He is truly Jewish, a descendant of Ab -
but that’s only part of it. Even more. . .
(2) Claims that Jesus is that “offspring of Ab” thru whom all nations would be blessed.
F. By the time Matt wrote, it had been approx 2000 yrs since that Promise had been made.
(1) It had been a long & winding road - thru Jacob’s 12 sons & all their rivalries to Joseph in Egypt, to the Exodus & Wilderness & finally the PL.
(2) Thru the period of the Judges & all the bizarre things that happened then, to the Kings & Prophets.
(3) Then, after the last prophet (Mal), 400 yrs of Silence!
(4) Now, Mt says, it’s finally happening - in Jesus!
(5) “All nations” blessed b/c He will die for the sins of the
world - everybody’s sins.
(6) N.T. Wright: Compares gen to a long parade, with
those marching up front, then those who come in the
middle, & finally, the most important of all at the end - & that’s Jesus.
G. But it all started with that one man Ab, & the Promise God
made to him, a promise now fulfilled. But there’s more...
2. Next, God’s Promise to David.
A. You remember that David started out as a Shepherd &
ended up as a King. That kind of thing tends to go to
a guy’s head - & it went to David’s.
B. 2 Sam 7 records that well into his reign, God had given
David great military & financial success, & “rest from all
his surrounding enemies.”
C. So David got the idea he needed to do something for God.
Specifically, build God a “house” - a Temple, something
comparable to his own palace, a suitable place for the Ark
of the Covenant to be housed in.
(1) Told Nathan the Prophet about his plans, & N. said,
“Go for it. The LORD is with you in all you do.”
(2) But this time N was wrong. God said “No way!”
(3) Knew that D was getting the big-head & thinking he
needed to “bless God,” when God was actually the
One who was blessing him.
D. So He said “No” to that plan - but didn’t just shoot down
D’s plan - He made him a promise: “The LORD will build
YOU a house” - i.e., a lineage, a dynasty of kings to come
after him (a blessing denied to his predecessor, Saul).
(1) V. 12 - “When your days are fulfilled & you lie down
with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after
you...& I will establish his k’dom.”
(2) V. 13 - “I will establish the throne of his k’dom for-
ever.”
(3) V. 14 - “I will be to him a father, & he shall be to me
a son.”
(4) V. 16 - “And your house & your k’dom shall be made
sure forever before me. Your throne shall be est’d.
forever.”
E. Now, parts of that promise could apply to Solomon, David’s
son & successor. He built a “house” for God. Also, Sol
sinned & was chastened by God, just as 2 Sam 7 said.
F. But parts of it couldn’t possibly refer to Sol - esp that part re the “foreverness” of his k’dom. That had to be somebody else.
(1) 2 Sam 7 = the foundation of the idea of a Messiah to
come for the people of Israel. A Davidic King who
would rule forever.
(2) Note: A Davidic king who would be “God’s Son.”
(3) So for centuries Isr waited for this promise to be ful-
filled. Kept hoping & praying for the Messiah to come
& deliver them from their enemies, just as David had
done.
(4) EX: Lk 2:25 - Simeon was “righteous & devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel.”
G. And now Matt says, “Here He is: Jesus Christ, the Son of David.”
(1) We’ve heard that name “Jesus Christ’ so many times,
we tend to think “Christ” is Jesus’ last name. But isn’t.
(2) “Christ” = Grk equiv of Heb “Messiah.” So both a title
& a statement of faith.
(3) To call Jesus, “Jesus Christ” is to claim that He is the
Messiah of Isr.
(4) Exactly what Matt IS claiming: Not just telling us Who
Jesus Is, but Where Jesus Came From - or, WHO He
came from - descended from David.
(5) So, fully qualified to be Isr’s Messiah & their King.
H. The genealogy that follows v. 1 proves it: Jesus is David’s
“son,” the one prophesied in 2 Sam 7. So later in Matt,
when people call Jesus “Son of David” (8 times), not just re His ancestry - it’s acknowledging Him as the Messiah.
I. Even the structure of the gen points symbolically to Jesus as David’s “son”:
(1) Notice v. 17 - All of Israel’s history divided into 3
periods of 14 generations each: “from Ab to David,”
“David to Babylon,” “Babylon to the Christ.
(2) Why those 3 periods? B/c Ab was beginning of Isr’s
history, David was its highlight, Bab Captivity its dark-
est period, but also when prophets foretold of a great king to come & restore the nation.
(3) Actually, were more than 42 generations betw Ab &
Jesus. OT shows that. Matt has deliberately omitted
some to get the 3 sets of “14.” But why?
(4) Has to do with Heb alphabet: letters also stood for
numbers. If take the 3 letters of David’s name & add
them up, comes to “14.”
(4) So those 3 sets of “14s” actually point to David - & to
Jesus as David’s “son” & the Messiah.
3. So what does this have to do with us? Why is the
genealogy important for us, even though we’re not
Jews?
A. 1st, it reminds us that God always keeps His Promises.
(1) Always has, always will.
(2) Has never been a promise God has not kept, all down
thru history.
(3) Not just to Ab & David, but to all humanity. Promised
a Savior would come, & He has.
(4) Now promises He will come again - & He will. You can
count on it. Promises eternal life with Him.
(5) And not just His promise of salv, but His promise to be
with us in all our trials & struggles. Never leaves us
alone; never leaves us w/out resources.
(6) If you don’t see them, look around; they’re there. If
you don’t yet see the outworking of His plans, be
patient. He never fails.
B. 2nd, it reminds us that Jesus’ coming - & our salvation - was
no accident or afterthought.
(1) Rather, the outworking of a plan that had been in God’s mind since before the foundation of the world.
(2) Paul describes it in Eph 3:11 as “the eternal purpose
that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(3) God has always known what He would do, & has now
done it. Ques now is what will you do in response?
Here’s what He wants you to do: Trust in Christ, repent & be baptized into His death to have your sins washed away. And start living with Him forever. If you do as He says, He’ll do what He has promised!
Tommy South
Glen Allen Church of Christ
December 5, 2021