Matthew, who had been a tax collector until he met Jesus, wrote this book of the Bible. Matthew believed what Jews had been taught for generations: God had promised his people a Messiah, a Savior. The Jews alive at the time of Jesus were expecting a leader to fight against oppressive Rome. They couldn’t believe that Jesus, the son of a humble Nazarene carpenter, could be the promised Messiah.
Matthew wrote his gospel - a record of Jesus’ life and teachings - to prove that Jesus is who he said he is: the Messiah and coming King. Everything Matthew tells us about Jesus will fit into this framework, and he starts at the beginning.
As hard as it is for us to understand a Jewish genealogy, reading name after name, it’s there to prove that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament. God promised the Messiah would come from the line of Judah (Genesis 49); Judah is in Jesus’s family tree. God promised that the line of David would always sit on the throne (2 Samuel 7); David is in Jesus’s family tree.
Matthew doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ birth, except that it was during the time of King Herod. The Magi of the East come because they have learned of the time the Messiah is expected (Daniel 9). The escape to Egypt, and their return, fulfill what was prophesied in Hosea 11
All of this is to prove to Matthew’s audience that Jesus is the promised Messiah. He loved his countrymen and wanted them to know the truth. Let’s pray for opportunities to tell our family and neighbors that Jesus is who he said he is: the Savior of the world.
Prayer: God, thank you for fulfilling every promise you made about Jesus! You are faithful. Help me today to share with the people around me that you are loving, good, and faithful. Amen.