What is the Meaning of Matthew 1?
Imagine discovering an ancient family letter that traces your lineage back thousands of years, only to find that your family’s story is actually part of something far greater – a divine masterpiece centuries in the making. This is precisely what Matthew 1 offers us. While it may appear at first glance to be a simple list of names and a birth story, this chapter is actually the crescendo of a symphony that began with Abraham, resonated through King David, and reaches its climax in the most unexpected way: a child born to a young woman in a small town, whose arrival would split history in two.
Like a master storyteller revealing the final piece of an intricate puzzle, Matthew begins his Gospel by showing how Jesus isn’t just another link in the chain of Jewish history – He’s the very reason the chain exists. Through an unconventional family tree that includes foreign women, scandal-touched kings, and ordinary people, Matthew reveals a God who has been weaving His promise of redemption through generations, often in the most surprising ways.
Context of Matthew 1
Within the immediate context of Matthew’s Gospel, this chapter serves as the foundation for everything that follows. Matthew, writing primarily to a Jewish audience, begins his account not with Jesus’ birth narrative (as Luke does) but with His legal credentials as the promised Messiah. This opening chapter establishes Jesus’ royal lineage through Joseph, His legal father, while also introducing the supernatural nature of His Father in His birth through Mary.
In the broader biblical narrative, Matthew 1 serves as a crucial bridge between the Old and New Testaments. The genealogy connects Jesus to two pivotal figures in Israel’s history: Abraham, through whom God promised to bless all nations (Genesis 12:3), and David, to whom God promised an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16). The chapter’s structure, divided into three sets of fourteen generations, presents history as divinely ordered, moving purposefully toward the moment of Messiah’s arrival.
This chapter also sets up major themes that will recur throughout Matthew’s Gospel: divine sovereignty working through human history, the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan, and the supernatural origin of Jesus’ ministry. The mention of four women in the genealogy – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba – each with unusual and even controversial circumstances in their stories, foreshadows how God’s redemptive plan often works through unexpected channels.
Ancient Key Word Study
- Βίβλος (Biblos) – “Book” or “Record” (v.1): This word, from which we get “Bible,” specifically refers to an authoritative written account. Its use here echoes the Hebrew ספר (sefer), suggesting this is an official, legal document establishing Jesus’ credentials. The word choice elevates the genealogy beyond mere family history to the level of authoritative Scripture.
- Γενέσεως (Geneseos) – “Genesis/Origin” (v.1): This deliberately echoes the Greek title of Genesis, creating a literary connection suggesting a new beginning comparable to creation itself. The word implies more than just birth or genealogy; it suggests the onset of a new era in God’s redemptive history.
- Χριστός (Christos) – “Messiah/Anointed One” (v.1): The Greek translation of the Hebrew משיח (Mashiach). Its placement at the very beginning of the New Testament immediately establishes Jesus’ role as the fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hopes.
- Μνηστευθείσης (Mnesteutheises) – “Betrothed” (v.18): This term describes a legally binding relationship more formal than modern engagement but not yet consummated marriage. Understanding this status is crucial for appreciating both the legal and moral dimensions of Mary’s situation.
- Πνεύματος Ἁγίου (Pneumatos Hagiou) – “Holy Spirit” (v.18): This phrase emphasizes the divine origin of Jesus’ conception. The Greek construction stresses the Spirit’s active role, highlighting the supernatural nature of the incarnation.
- Δίκαιος (Dikaios) – “Righteous” (v.19): Applied to Joseph, this term in Jewish context means more than just moral uprightness – it implies complete adherence to Torah while maintaining compassion. Joseph’s actions demonstrate this balance perfectly.
- Παραλαβεῖν (Paralabein) – “Take unto you” (v.20): A legal term for marriage that implies accepting full responsibility. The angel’s use of this word assures Joseph that taking Mary as his wife is both legally and morally right.
- Σώσει (Sosei) – “He will save” (v.21): This verb, related to the name Jesus (Yeshua), explains the Messiah’s primary mission. The Greek word echoes the Hebrew verb ישע (yasha), connecting Jesus to the Old Testament concept of divine deliverance.
- Ἐμμανουήλ (Emmanuel) – “God with us” (v.23): This name, quoted from Isaiah 7:14, encapsulates the theological significance of the incarnation. The Hebrew עִמָּנוּ אֵל (Immanu El) literally means “with us [is] God.”
Matthew 1 Unique Insights
The genealogy in Matthew 1 contains several fascinating numerical patterns that Jewish readers would have immediately recognized. The arrangement into three sets of fourteen generations is particularly significant because fourteen is the numerical value of David (דוד) in Hebrew gematria (4 (Dalet)+6 (Vav)+4 (Dalet)=14). This triple emphasis on the number fourteen underscores Jesus’ Davidic royalty and suggests divine orchestration in history.
The inclusion of four women in the genealogy – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (referred to as “the wife of Uriah”) – is remarkable not only because genealogies typically listed only men, but because each woman’s story involved unusual circumstances that could have been considered scandalous. Early rabbinic literature often struggled to explain these women’s inclusion in the Messianic line. Matthew’s inclusion of them prepares his readers for the greatest “scandal” of all – the virgin birth – while demonstrating God’s pattern of working through unexpected situations and people.
The early church father Chrysostom noted that the genealogy’s structure, with its deliberate omissions and organizational pattern, serves to divide Israel’s history into three great periods: from Abraham to David (the rise of Israel), from David to the exile (the fall of Israel), and from the exile to Christ (the restoration of Israel). This pattern of rise, fall, and restoration is a common prophetic theme in Jewish literature.
The chapter contains several elements that would have been particularly meaningful to a Jewish audience familiar with first-century apocalyptic literature. The appearance of the angel to Joseph in a dream echoes the divine communications received by his namesake, Joseph the patriarch, in Genesis. The Targumim (Aramaic paraphrases of Scripture) often emphasized these angelic dream communications as a mark of divine favor.
Question the Text
- Why does Matthew’s genealogy specifically include four women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba) who had complicated or controversial stories? In a patriarchal society, why highlight these particular women in Jesus’ lineage?
- Why does Matthew organize the genealogy into three sets of fourteen generations? Given that we know some generations are skipped, what might be the significance of this intentional structuring?
- When discovering Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph is described as “righteous” yet planning to divorce her quietly. Why is his plan to divorce seen as righteous rather than doubtful? What does this tell us about how righteousness was understood?
- Why does the angel appear to Joseph in a dream rather than in person as with Mary? What might this tell us about the different roles of Mary and Joseph in the narrative?
- The text says Jesus would “save his people from their sins” – why emphasize sin rather than political oppression, which was the common expectation for the Messiah? What does this tell us about Matthew’s presentation of Jesus’ mission?
- Why does Matthew connect Jesus’ birth to the prophecy about “Emmanuel” (God with us), yet Jesus is never actually called Emmanuel in the Gospels? What might this tell us about how Matthew understood prophetic fulfillment?
- While we often imagine Joseph as an older man, the text gives no indication of his age. Why have traditions developed him as elderly, and what might this assumption reveal about how we read biblical narratives?
Matthew 1 Connections to Yeshua
This chapter establishes Jesus’ identity as both fully human and fully God through its careful presentation of His origins. The genealogy demonstrates His legitimate human descent through Joseph’s Davidic line, while the virgin birth account reveals His divine nature. This dual emphasis is crucial for understanding Jesus’ role as the perfect mediator between God and humanity.
The name Jesus (Yeshua) itself, explained in verse 21, connects directly to His mission of salvation. In Hebrew, Yeshua (ישוע) is related to the verb “to save” (ישע) and the noun “salvation” (ישועה). The angelic explanation that “He will save His people from their sins” reveals that this salvation goes beyond the political deliverance many were expecting from the Messiah – it addresses the deeper problem of sin itself introduced in Genesis 3.
The declaration of Jesus as “Emmanuel” (God with us) in verse 23 points to the incarnation as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to dwell among His people, connecting to the tabernacle in Exodus, Solomon’s temple, and the prophetic hopes of a new covenant where God would dwell with His people in a new and more intimate way (Ezekiel 37:27).
Matthew 1 Scriptural Echoes
This chapter resonates deeply with numerous Old Testament passages and themes:
- The genealogical structure echoes the genealogies in Genesis, particularly Genesis 5 and 10, establishing Jesus as the culmination of God’s work since creation.
- The reference to Abraham connects to the covenant promises in Genesis 12:1-3, showing Jesus as the ultimate seed through whom all nations would be blessed.
- The emphasis on David’s line fulfills the dynastic promises of 2 Samuel 7:12-16.
- The virgin birth citation from Isaiah 7:14 is presented as finding its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus’ birth.
- The theme of God working through unlikely women echoes stories throughout the Old Testament, from Sarah to Hannah.
Matthew 1 Devotional
This chapter reminds us that God works through human history to accomplish His purposes, often in unexpected ways. The inclusion of flawed individuals in Jesus’ genealogy encourages us that God can use anyone in His redemptive plan. Just as He worked through Rahab the former prostitute and Ruth the ‘strange’ foreigner, He can work through us despite our past or present circumstances.
Joseph’s example challenges us to consider how we respond when God’s plan differs from our expectations. His righteous character was demonstrated not just in his desire to follow the law, but in his willingness to adapt his understanding when God revealed a different path. This teaches us that true righteousness includes both adherence to God’s commands and openness to His leading, even when it challenges our preconceptions.
The virgin birth reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible. When we face situations that seem to have no natural solution, we can remember that we serve a God who can work beyond natural limitations to accomplish His purposes.
Did You Know
- The Greek text’s structure of three sets of fourteen generations likely served as a memory aid in an oral culture, making it easier for people to memorize and recall Jesus’ lineage.
- The phrase “wife of Uriah” rather than “Bathsheba” in the genealogy serves as a perpetual reminder of David’s sin, demonstrating how Scripture doesn’t whitewash even its heroes’ failures.
- The term “carpenter” applied to Joseph likely meant he was more of a general contractor or builder, as the Greek τέκτων includes work with stone and metal as well as wood.
- Jewish betrothal in the first century was a legally binding relationship that could only be broken by divorce, explaining why Joseph would have needed to “divorce” Mary quietly.
- The name Jesus (Yeshua) was relatively common in first-century Judea, being a shorter form of Joshua (Yehoshua), but Matthew’s explanation of its meaning gives it unique significance.
- The genealogy’s inclusion of Jeconiah creates an apparent problem due to the curse in Jeremiah 22:30, which the virgin birth resolves by providing a biological connection to David through Mary’s marriage to Joseph.
- Matthew’s genealogy differs from Luke’s because Matthew traces Joseph’s legal line of descent (important for royal succession), while Luke likely traces Mary’s biological line.
- The chapter contains several examples of Jewish literary devices, including gematria (numerical values of letters) and remez (hints at deeper meaning through textual connections).
- The term “virgin” in the Greek (παρθένος) was specifically chosen by the Septuagint translators over 200 years before Christ to translate Isaiah’s prophecy, showing early Jewish understanding of its messianic implications.
