Matthew - Chapter 1

Matthew 1.1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1.2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; Matthew 1.3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; Matthew 1.4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; Matthew 1.5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; Matthew 1.6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; Matthew 1.7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; Matthew 1.8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; Matthew 1.9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; Matthew 1.10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; Matthew 1.11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: Matthew 1.12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; Matthew 1.13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; Matthew 1.14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; Matthew 1.15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; Matthew 1.16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Matthew 1.17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1.18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1.19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. Matthew 1.20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1.21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1.22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Matthew 1.23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1.24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: Matthew 1.25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew : Chapter 1

The Genealogy of Jesus: A Sacred Legacy

Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Matthew opens the New Testament with a fascinating genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why is this lineage so crucial to our faith? This foundational passage traces Jesus' ancestry from Abraham, through King David, to Joseph, his adoptive father. It highlights the fulfillment of messianic prophecies and tells us of Jesus' virgin birth. Matthew 1 unequivocally establishes Jesus as the promised Messiah and "God with us." We invite you to explore with us five biblical passages that shed light on the importance of this divine and human lineage.

Genesis 12:3

"I will bless those who bless him, and I will curse those who curse him; and through you all the peoples of the earth will be blessed." This promise made to Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus, whose genealogy is traced in Matthew 1. The blessing promised to Abraham is fully realized through the coming of our Savior.

2 Samuel 7:12-13

"When your life comes to its end and you will rest with your ancestors, I will choose one of your sons to succeed you and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a temple for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." This promise made to David finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the "son of David" mentioned in the genealogy of Matthew 1, thus affirming his right to the eternal throne.

Isaiah 7:14

"Therefore the Lord himself will give them a sign: the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and she will call him Immanuel." Matthew 1:22-23 directly quotes this prophecy, applying it to the virgin birth of Jesus, thus confirming the divine nature of his conception and mission.

Jeremiah 23:5

"The days will come," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the earth." This prophecy about a descendant of David is fulfilled in Jesus, whose Davidic lineage is established in Matthew 1, strengthening our faith in the justice and wisdom of God's kingdom.

Romans 1:3-4

"His Son, who in his human form was a descendant of David, and through the Spirit of holiness was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead—Jesus Christ our Lord." The apostle Paul reaffirms the importance of Jesus' Davidic lineage, which is central to the genealogy in Matthew 1, thus emphasizing the power of his resurrection and his divine identity.

Meditating on these passages, we realize that Jesus' genealogy is not simply a list of names, but a living witness to God's love and faithfulness to his people. May this sacred lineage inspire us to live out our faith fervently and share the hope we have in Christ, our Redeemer.