| What book you ask starts with a family tree ? Who on earth wants to look at someone elses family tree ? This is not just anyones family tree, this is the family tree of Jesus the King of Israel and of the world. Even so why start a book with a genealogy? Well I'll tell you why, we need to ascertain from the start that this Jesus isn't an imposter. But more than that, the genealogy is for our benefit so that we can identify Jesus as the promised Messiah. By connecting Jesus with The most important people in Israels history, like David and Abraham, it is meant to evoke events and promises that happened in those peoples life time. So it could be said that the genealogy tells you the story of God's salvation leading up to the final chapter of the story of God's salvation Matthew tells us that Jesus the Christ is the son of David and the son of Abraham. David and Abraham are the two most important people, or national heroes of Israel. So by connecting Jesus to them it brings to mind the promises of salvation made to them concerning the Christ. In introduction I have already spoken of the promises made to David concerning a son who would come from his seed. The promises are that a King would come from his seed whose throne and Kingdom God would establish forever.(2 Samuel 7:13,14). David was the King who destroyed Israels enemies and gave her rest. Also David was the king from the tribe of Judah to whom it was promised that a world ruler would come from the tribe of Judah. Abraham is seen as the father of Israel. It was from his seed that Israel was born from. Also to Abraham the 1st promises of salvation were made concerning Israel and the world. To Abraham was promised that through his son the nations will be blessed. Promises of Israel been delivered from slavery in Egypt and inheriting the land of Canaan are also made to him. So Matthew is connecting Jesus to the promises of salvation made to Israel as well as the promises of salvation to the nations. This isn't a nationalistic euphoria, but the unfolding of the salvation that God had promised to Israel and the nations. If you can connect Jesus to these promises, then you can know he is the one King to trust to save you. So lets work from Abraham to David and then to Jesus to hear about God's promised salvation |
