Matthew is probably my favorite book in the Bible. That’s why, for my bible study blog, I’m starting with it. However, it begins in maybe the most boring way possible–a family tree. It is Jesus’s family tree, however, so we best pay careful attention.
Out of the four gospels, Matthew is known to focus heavily on Jesus’s Jewish heritage and his role as the Messiah. This genealogy in Matthew shows that Jesus is directly descended from Abraham and the line of King David. Because a Messiah from this line was prophesied, it demonstrates that Jesus is viable to be (and is) the fulfillment.
We then turn to the birth story of Jesus. The basics of it are known by even non-Christians. However, Matthew 1 focuses specifically on the immaculate conception. Mary becomes pregnant through the Holy Spirit. And Jesus (Greek for Joshua or Yeshua) means the Lord Saves. All this points to the prophecy that “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (meaning God with Us)” and that this Immanuel will indeed be the Messiah. Jesus was born as God in human form (fully human and fully divine), and he was sent to save the world.
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