Jesus the promised King

Matthew

Matthew 1:1-17

MAT_001

NET Bible Text

1:1 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 1:4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, 1:6 and Jesse the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah), 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 1:10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 1:11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 1:12 After the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 1:16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations.

Simple Summary

Matthew begins with a family record, not a story scene. He shows Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham. The list follows Israel’s history from promise, to exile, and then to Christ.

What This Passage Means

Matthew opens by calling this the record of Jesus Christ’s genealogy. That is already a claim about who Jesus is. He is the Christ, or Messiah. He is also the son of David and the son of Abraham. These titles place Him in Israel’s covenant story.

The genealogy then moves through Israel’s history in a repeated father-to-son pattern. It is not a random list. Matthew has arranged it into three groups of fourteen generations. The movement is from Abraham to David, from David to the exile in Babylon, and from the exile to Christ. This shows that God was working through many generations to bring His promise to completion.

Several women are named along the way: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah. Their stories remind readers that God worked through complicated and broken human history. Matthew does not hide those hard parts of the past.

Verse 16 is important. The pattern changes when Joseph is named. Joseph is called Mary’s husband, and Jesus is said to be born from Mary. Matthew does not say that Joseph fathered Jesus. This prepares for the birth story that follows. It also shows that Jesus belongs to David’s line legally through Joseph, while His birth is still unique.

Important Truths

• Jesus is introduced at once as the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham.
• Matthew’s genealogy is historically grounded, but it is also carefully arranged to make a theological point.
• The three sections point to major stages in Israel’s story: promise, kingship, exile, and fulfillment in Christ.
• The exile in Babylon is not only a date marker. It carries the weight of judgment and delayed hope.
• The named women show that God worked through unusual and morally mixed parts of Israel’s history.
• Verse 16 breaks the normal pattern so Joseph is not presented as Jesus’ physical father.
• The genealogy points forward to the birth account in Matthew 1:18-25.

Warnings, Promises, or Commands

• Do not read this as a modern family register that must list every generation without any shaping.
• Do not say Joseph is presented as Jesus’ ordinary physical father; Matthew changes the wording on purpose.
• Do not flatten the named women into one simple category. Their stories are related, but not identical.
• Do not treat the exile as only a historical date. It also means judgment and unfinished hope.
• Take Matthew’s opening as a promise: God has brought His long plan to its goal in Christ.

How This Fits in God's Plan

This genealogy ties Jesus to the whole Old Testament story. He stands in Abraham’s covenant line and David’s royal line, and He comes after the exile as the one in whom God’s promise reaches its goal.

Simple Application

Read Jesus as the promised King, not as a figure cut off from Israel’s Scriptures. Trust God’s work even when it takes many generations. Remember that broken family history does not stop God from carrying out His purpose.