Monday: A Royal Line
Whatever the various views of the Jews regarding the coming of the Messiah, one thing was for certain: the Messiah would be from the house of David. (Even many religious Jews today who await the Messiah believe that He must come from the house of David.)
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
That’s why Matthew began his gospel as he did; he wanted to establish the identity of Jesus as the Messiah.
Because the Messiah was to be the seed of Abraham (Gen. 22:18, Gal. 3:16), the father of the Jewish nation, and from the lineage of David, Matthew right away seeks to show Jesus’ lineage and how He was directly tied, not just to Abraham (to whom most Israelites were tied) but to King David. Many commentators believe that Matthew had a Jewish audience primarily in mind; thus, his strong emphasis establishing the Messianic credentials of Jesus of Nazareth.
Read the following texts. How do they help us to understand the point that Matthew was seeking to make?
All this helps us to understand why the Gospel of Matthew begins the way it does: “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ … the son of David” (Matt. 1:1, NIV). First and foremost, Jesus Christ is described as the “Son of David.” And just as the New Testament begins with this depiction of Jesus, toward the end of the New Testament, He says these words as well: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Rev. 22:16). All else that Jesus is, He remains the “root and offspring of David.”
| What a powerful testimony to the human nature of Jesus and to His essential humanity; our Creator has linked Himself to us in ways that we can barely imagine. |
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Truly.... Jesus Christ the son if man and of God is from a kingly lineage but the prophets
Prophesied
Bless be the Father forever, who keep his promises!
This is interesting indeed. Jesus Christ is the son of God. Help me understand why all this trouble to explain his lineage. Of what essence is it to believers who were created by God? God is the trinity - God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, how does lineage come in here? What point is Matthew making here as he writes the book and what does he want us to know? Did God choose Jesus' lineage and as for us believers is there any in what lineage one is born?
Yes there is a lot of significance in lineage haven't you studied your lineage/ family tree isn't there any significance in it? Well the significance here is to show humanity how our heavenly has brought our redeemer from a lowly lineage and we being a part of this lineage has become significant in the kingdom of God if we follow in his footsteps.
what does it really mean when the bible says Jesus the offspring and son of David?
It is interesting to see and read that Jesus the Messiah would be from the house of David and that He is called the son of David. Looking at who and what David has done and has been, at the end it is said that He is a man after God's heart. Our God Forgives a sincere Repenter like David. Here he is in the geneology of Christ.
Jesus humbled himself to man from being divine. Why choose David to be his blood lineage which takes away his humility. Jews have big regard of David and everything he has done with greatness.King David was their best king ever. Christ does not need to be born from a family of fame but it did happen. But WHY?
It was prophecied and God's word came to pass.
Actually Matthew describes the genealogy of Joseph who was NOT the father of Jesus. He inherited Mary's genes but not Joseph's. Was Jesus adopted by Joseph so the Jews acknowledged Him to be a descendant of David?
True Esther, but Joseph and Mary were both from the same tribe so their lineage was somewhat similar and the genes, whether Mary or Joseph's, were very much fallen. Mary was a sinner like everyone else.
Well sure, that does not change the sinful nature of part of his heritage. I was just wondering why he was a descendant of David if this was Joseph's family tree. And Mary is not necessarily David's descendant.
Some scholars say that Mary's Genealogy is the one in the book of Luke 3:23 and that Luke sought to present Jesus as"human" whilst Matthew sought to present the "Royal" line through David.
This is a very interesting thought. I just read Luke's genealogy and it is totally different from David to Joseph. In Matthew it is Solomon and in Luke it is Nathan after David.
I'm also trying to understand what point Matthew was driving at by writing this genealogy when Jesus wasnt the biological son of Joseph. Is it to prove Jesus' humanity? If so isn't the fact that Jesus was born of a woman proof enough? Or maybe he could have written about the genealogy of Mary. Is it to prove that Jesus was a decendant of David and He was therefore fulfilling prophecy when He actually is not a biological descendant? Help me understand brethen.
I think this is a question in the minds of many readers.William is trying to explain but an in-depth discussion wil be appreciated ?
Lydia this may help? https://ssnet.org/blog/why-all-those-begots/
Thank you William.I'm am more enlightened after I spent a good part of the day reading your piece "why all those begots" as well as other contributions from all the brothers and sisters. Been praying for the Holy Spirit to give me, and those like me with questions, a clearer understanding. I praise God for allowing His Son to become human. What is very interesting is that we have been reading the book of Matthew for many years and God chose this time for a deeper study of the book .
The texts for today's study are powerful testimonies to the human nature of Jesus and to his humanity. Hence the first book of the New Testament shows that this Jesus was the Messiah predicted in the prophecies of the Old Testament and the lineage from which he came as prophesied. Jesus is King of kings. He is from royal lineage and we according to Gal. 3:29 are heirs according to the promise so we can claim 1 Peter 2:9. We are of royaly then and our lineage is from Abraham according to faith.
Thanks William,the reason for all the trouble Mathew took to write down Christ's lineage is clearer in the link posted.i encourage us to read it.
What caught my eye was the advantage Jesus had ,being born of the Spirit. Well we have an opportunity to share in this very advantage by being born of the Holy Spirit...John 3.We are called to be partakers of the divine nature and overcome sin,striving towards perfection in Christ.
Be blessed
why the difference between Matthew's 1 account and Luke 3 account on Jesus genealogy?