The King Has Come

Sermon Title: The King Has Come

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17

Occasion: The Lord’s Day

Date: August 24th, 2025

Opening Prayer:

Father in heaven,

We come before You today grateful that You have not left us in darkness or silence, but have spoken in Your Word and fulfilled every promise in Your Son.

As we open the Gospel of Matthew, remind us that the King has come — the Messiah promised from the beginning, the rightful heir who reigns in righteousness and mercy.

For those who are weary, strengthen them.

For those who feel far off, draw them near.

For those who have grown complacent, awaken them.

Let every heart here see Christ as Matthew saw Him — worthy of all our trust, worship, and obedience.

By Your Spirit, give us ears to hear, hearts to believe, and wills to follow.

And when we leave, may we go as joyful citizens of your Kingdom and faithful servants of your mission.

Old Anglican prayer:

What we know not, teach us.

What we are not, make us.

What we have not, give us.

For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.

Introduction – The King Has Come

If you and I had the chance to sit across from Matthew—yes, that Matthew, the former tax collector turned disciple—after he published his Gospel, I think many of us would ask the same question:

"Matthew… what’s with the genealogy?"

I mean, really—this is your one chance to tell the greatest story ever told, and you open with 17 verses of names?

No manger scene.

No angels.

No wise men.

Just a list of fathers and sons… with a few unexpected mothers sprinkled in.

For many, this is the kind of passage that ends a Bible-in-a-year plan before it gets started.

But Matthew knew exactly what he was doing.

What looks like a dusty family record is actually a theological detonation.

It’s Matthew’s way of looking his readers in the eye and saying from the very first line:

“The King has come. He is the fulfillment of every promise God has ever made. He is the one history has been waiting for. And you need to know who He is—and why you must belong to Him.”

And that’s why we’re starting here.

This isn’t filler—it’s the foundation.

Without this beginning, you won’t grasp the weight of the rest of Matthew’s Gospel.

Because Matthew’s story isn’t just about a wise teacher from Galilee—it’s about God’s long-promised King, His eternal kingdom, and His gracious, uncompromising call for us to live under His reign.

Why this matters now

We are living in an age of uncertainty.

Politically, morally, spiritually—everything feels unstable.

People are disillusioned with leaders, suspicious of institutions, weary from conflict, and wondering who or what they can trust.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the problem isn’t only “out there.” It’s also “in here.”

The kingdoms of this world are broken because the kings of this world are broken—and that includes us.

We are all terrible rulers over our own lives.

Our decisions often lead to pain.

Our pride blinds us.

Our desires betray us.

We long for stability—but we keep building it on kingdoms that crumble.

We long for justice—but we look to rulers who fail us.

We long for hope—but we anchor it in headlines that change by the hour.

This is why we’ve called our study of Matthew The Kingdom Come—because the kingdom of this world is not all there is.

It’s broken.

It’s fading.

And we need a better King.

A righteous King.

A gracious King.

A King who will reign forever in justice, truth, and love.

The Gospel of Matthew cuts through the fog with a clear, immovable reality:

The King has come. (Which is the name of my sermon)

His kingdom is advancing.

And His people are called to live under His gracious and sovereign rule until He returns.

Matthew was originally written to first-century Jewish believers living under the shadow of Rome—confused, pressured, and often persecuted.

But its message is as urgent now as it was then:

Jesus is King—over history, over nations, and over your life.

The theme of this Gospel is clear:

Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the one who ushers in God’s Kingdom and calls His people to live under His reign.

And Matthew will not let us stay neutral—he will press us to answer the question:

Will you bow to the King?

Where we’re going today

From this opening genealogy in Matthew 1:1–17, we’re going to see three truths that introduce the King and His kingdom:

The King Has Come in God’s Perfect Plan (vv. 1–17)

(Not accident, fulfillment)

The King Has Come as God’s Promised Son (v. 1)

(Ruler and blessing)

The King Has Come to Bring Us Into His Family (vv. 3–6, 16)

(Grace for the outsider)

This is more than the beginning of a book—this is the announcement of a kingdom.

We need this message.

We need this proclamation.

But the question is… will we heed it?

Transition to Point 1

And so, before Matthew tells us about shepherds in fields, magi from the East, or angels declaring good news, he takes us on a journey through the centuries.

He wants us to see that the arrival of Jesus is not a random event—it is the carefully orchestrated culmination of God’s plan from the very beginning.

In other words, if you want to understand the King, you need to first understand His story.

That’s where Matthew begins, and that’s where we will begin—with The King Has Come in God’s Perfect Plan.

1. The King Has Come in God’s Perfect Plan (vv. 1–17)

Matthew’s genealogy is not random—it’s intentional. In verse 17, he tells us:

Matthew 1:17 ESV

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

That’s not filler.

That’s not a “just because” list.

This is generational symmetry—three perfectly balanced sets of fourteen.

Matthew is giving us a beautifully structured, mathematically intentional introduction to Jesus.

In Hebrew culture, numbers mattered.

Letters had numerical values, and the name David in Hebrew (D = 4, V = 6, D = 4) adds up to 14.

Matthew is subtly but unmistakably shouting:

“This is David’s Son! This is the rightful King!”

That’s why “David” appears not just in verse 1, but right in the middle of the genealogy—he’s the 14th name in the list.

Matthew is shaping the whole introduction around the idea that Jesus is the promised ruler from David’s line.

This is not an exhaustive genealogy—there are other names in the Old Testament that Matthew omits.

He has carefully crafted this record to show both literary beauty and theological purpose.

The neat arrangement of 14–14–14 is not merely a math trick—it’s a signal to the reader that God has been writing this story with precision and intention from the very beginning.

Not Just Mathematics—Theology

Matthew’s plan is not simply clever numerology—it’s a theological portrait of the entire story of redemption.

These 42 names are like stepping stones across the river of the Old Testament, summarizing centuries of God’s work in three sweeping movements:

From Abraham to David (Matthew 1:2–6a) –

The rise of God’s people under His covenant promises.

God called Abraham out of obscurity and promised him land, descendants, and blessing—that through his offspring all nations would be blessed (Gen. 12:1–3).

This era moves from the patriarchs to the exodus, the conquest of the land, and the glory of the kingdom under David.

It is a story of God’s faithfulness, His protection, and His covenant-keeping love.

From David to the deportation to Babylon (Matthew 1:6b–11) –

The decline into sin and judgment.

After David’s reign, the kingdom splits, idolatry spreads, and the kings grow corrupt.

Prophet after prophet warns the people to turn back, but they will not listen.

Eventually, judgment falls—the temple is destroyed, the people are exiled, and the Davidic throne sits empty.

From the exile to Christ (Matthew 1:12–16) –

The waiting for restoration and redemption.

The Old Testament closes without the promises fulfilled.

For 400 years, there is prophetic silence.

Empires rise and fall—Persia, Greece, Rome—yet the promised King does not appear.

And then, “when the fullness of time had come” (Gal. 4:4), God brings forth His Son.

The line of David, preserved through centuries of obscurity, culminates in the arrival of Jesus.

God’s Hand in History

When you see this structure, you realize this genealogy is more than a list—it is a history of God’s covenant faithfulness.

It’s as if Matthew is holding up the whole Old Testament and saying:

“Look! None of this was accidental. Every name, every generation, every rise and fall was part of God’s design to bring His King into the world.”

Before telling us about a manger in Bethlehem or wise men from the East, Matthew wants us to see that the King’s arrival is the culmination of God’s perfect plan from eternity—not a last-minute idea, not a rescue mission gone wrong, but the very goal God had been moving toward since Genesis 3:15!

It’s as though Matthew is leaning across the table, looking us in the eyes, and saying:

“You can trust this King because you can trust His Father’s plan.”

Every name here is a testimony that God’s promises never fail—no matter how long the wait, no matter how dark the night.

Illustration:

When Jessica and I were building our townhome back in 2007 and 2008, it often felt like forever.

The foundation was poured, the beams were set, but then weeks and months would go by with no visible progress.

We would drive by, eager to see change, only to find what looked like an abandoned project.

But what we couldn’t see was that work was still happening—permits were being processed, inspections completed, materials ordered.

The builder had a plan, and every delay had a purpose. And in the end, the home was finished, just as promised.

That’s how God works in redemption.

Even when His timing feels delayed, or His plan hidden, He never abandons the work.

Every name in Matthew 1 is proof—through barrenness, exile, sin, and silence—God was still building toward Christ.

So when your life feels unfinished, when circumstances scream that God has forgotten you, remember:

The King has come. And if He kept His promises then, you can trust Him with your life now.

Transition to Point 2

If Point 1 shows us how Jesus came in God’s perfect plan, Point 2 tells us who this Jesus truly is.

Because it’s not enough to know the plan—you need to know the person at the center of it.

That’s why Matthew starts his Gospel not only by tracing Jesus’ line through history but by giving Him two royal titles in verse 1:

Son of David and Son of Abraham.

These titles aren’t just historical footnotes—they are Matthew’s way of declaring from the very first verse that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people and the hope of the world.

2. The King Has Come as God’s Promised Son (v. 1)

Matthew opens with this bold headline:

Matthew 1:1 ESV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

This is no casual introduction.

It is the purpose statement for the entire Gospel.

Everything Matthew will write unfolds under the authority and weight of these two royal and covenantal titles.

They are not merely biographical—they are theological.

They are Matthew’s way of saying,

“Before you know anything else about Him, you must know who He is.”

Son of David — God’s Promised King

To call Jesus “the Son of David” is to link Him directly to God’s promise in 2 Samuel 7.

David had wanted to build a house for God, but God flipped the plan:

2 Samuel 7:12–13 ESV

… I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

This was not a short-term promise about Solomon’s reign.

This was the announcement of an eternal dynasty.

The Son of David would be God’s forever King—the one who would reign in righteousness, restore His people, and rule without end.

For Matthew’s Jewish audience, the title “Son of David” was loaded with Messianic expectation.

It meant the long-promised King had arrived—the One who would fulfill the hope of Israel, crush their enemies, and establish justice on the earth.

But here’s the surprise Matthew will reveal:

Jesus’ kingship is not about political dominance or military might.

His is a kingdom “not of this world” (John 18:36).

He conquers not by the sword but by the cross.

He wears not a golden crown but a crown of thorns.

He enters Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse.

And yet, He is no less King—He is the King who reigns from heaven with all authority on earth.

It’s no accident that Matthew begins his Gospel declaring Jesus as the Son of David, and ends with Jesus declaring:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:18–20)

The King promised to David now claims the allegiance of the nations.

Son of Abraham — God’s Promised Blessing

But Matthew doesn’t stop with David—he goes even further back to Abraham.

This takes us to the very foundation of God’s plan of redemption in Genesis 12:

Genesis 12:3 ESV

…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abraham was the father of faith, the man through whom God promised to bless the nations.

The “Son of Abraham” would be the one in whom God’s blessing would overflow beyond Israel to all peoples.

By calling Jesus the Son of Abraham, Matthew is saying:

“This is the one through whom God’s blessing will flood the earth. This is the one in whom Jew and Gentile alike can find salvation.”

Paul makes this explicit in Galatians 3:16:

Galatians 3:16 ESV

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

Jesus is the true seed of Abraham—the one who fulfills the covenant and extends the blessing to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

The King for the World

From the very first verse, Matthew is making a claim that will run through his entire Gospel:

Jesus is the promised King (Son of David) and the promised blessing (Son of Abraham).

He is the fulfillment of God’s plan, the embodiment of God’s promises, and the center of God’s story.

And that means something for us:

The question is not whether Jesus will reign—He already does.

The question is whether we will bow.

The kingship of Jesus demands allegiance.

The blessing of Jesus invites faith.

To reject Him is to refuse both the rule and the grace of God, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Transition to Point 3

And that leads us to the most personal part of the genealogy.

This King—the Son of David with all authority, the Son of Abraham with blessing for the nations—has not come to build a closed kingdom for the religious elite.

He has come to throw the gates wide open, to invite the unlikeliest of people into His royal family.

That’s why, in a list that could have been filled with only the most “respectable” names, Matthew deliberately includes some of the most scandalous and surprising.

And in doing so, he shows us something about the kind of kingdom this King has come to build.

3. The King Has Come to Bring Us Into His Family (vv. 3–6, 16)

Up to this point, Matthew has shown us the careful structure of the genealogy and the royal credentials of the King.

But now the list takes an unexpected and even shocking turn.

In first-century Jewish culture, genealogies were often pruned and polished to highlight only the most honorable ancestors.

A “pure” and unblemished Jewish bloodline was a badge of honor—a way to prove your worth and legitimacy.

But Matthew deliberately refuses to give Jesus that kind of sanitized ancestry.

Instead, he goes out of his way to include people that his original audience would not expect… and, in some cases, not even want mentioned.

This is not accidental—it’s the scandalous style of Matthew’s genealogy.

In a world obsessed with religious pedigree, Matthew fills the Messiah’s family tree with the very kinds of people polite religion tries to forget.

Tamar (v. 3)

A Canaanite widow whose story in Genesis 38 is marked by deep brokenness, injustice, and scandal.

Her father-in-law Judah failed to give her the husband she was promised, so through a desperate and unconventional act, she preserved the family line of Judah.

Her presence in the genealogy tells us that God’s purposes often move forward through complicated, messy, and even shameful circumstances—and that His promises are never derailed by human failure.

Rahab (v. 5)

A Gentile prostitute from Jericho who, by faith, hid the Israelite spies (Joshua 2).

She had no natural claim to Israel’s promises, yet she believed in the God of Israel and was spared from judgment.

She not only entered the covenant community but also became part of the Messiah’s family line.

In Rahab’s story we see the grace of God extending to the least likely, turning a woman with a shameful past into an ancestor of the King.

Real life Example of God doing the same today!

And beloved, God is still doing this today.

I think of Adam Cole, our first convert in the back of the diner in 2020.

He was a homeless drug addict, just out of jail, overlooked by society, an outcast whom no one wanted to notice.

But that day in June, the Lord saw him, the Lord noticed him, and by sheer grace brought him into His family.

Today, Adam is one of my closest friends and one of the most faithful, steady members of this church.

Like Rahab, Adam’s story testifies that God is still in the business of saving the least likely.

Ruth (v. 5)

A Moabite widow—descended from a people often hostile to Israel (Deut. 23:3).

Yet Ruth clung to her mother-in-law Naomi and embraced the God of Israel, saying, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Her presence in the genealogy shows that God’s grace knows no ethnic or national boundaries.

His kingdom is made up of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation who come to Him in faith.

“The wife of Uriah” (Bathsheba, v. 6)

Matthew doesn’t even use her name—perhaps to keep before the reader the shadow of David’s sin in 2 Samuel 11.

The mention of “Uriah” forces us to remember the adultery, deceit, and murder that stained David’s reign.

And yet from this tragic and sinful episode, God would bring Solomon, and from Solomon’s line would come the Messiah.

Even Israel’s greatest king needed grace—and God’s redemptive power can bring life out of the wreckage of sin.

Mary (v. 16)

A young Jewish woman whose miraculous pregnancy would be the subject of whispers, suspicion, and misunderstanding in her small town.

Yet she was chosen by God to bear His Son, the One who would “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Her inclusion reminds us that the coming of Christ will always confront human expectations, and that faith sometimes means trusting God when obedience brings misunderstanding or reproach.

The Grace in the Genealogy

Why include these women?

Why open the Gospel in a way that would raise so many eyebrows?

Because Matthew is preparing us for the scandal of Christmas—the arrival of a holy King into the muck and mire of a sinful world.

From the very first paragraph, Matthew is making it clear:

God’s kingdom is not built on bloodline, social standing, religious credentials, or moral perfection.

The family tree of the Messiah is full of outsiders, sinners, and the broken—people like us.

And that’s good news.

Because if God can weave His redemptive story through Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary, He can weave it through you.

Todd Stryd put it this way:

“The advance of the kingdom of God, and the display of his power and grace, only happens within the context of our limitations, deficiencies, awkward personalities, and checkered yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.”

Do you hear that?

The kingdom of God does not advance because of our strength or lack their of, but because of His grace.

It is not hindered by our brokenness, but revealed through it.

The genealogy of Jesus is proof—He is not ashamed to be identified with failures, sinners, and outsiders, because those are the very people He came to save.

This is exactly what Paul celebrates in Galatians 3:7:

Galatians 3:7 ESV

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

You don’t enter Jesus’ family by birthright—you enter by new birth (John 3:3).

You don’t come in by your works or lack there of—you come in by God’s sheer sovereign grace.

Transition to Conclusion

And so, by the time we reach verse 17, Matthew has done far more than list names.

He has told the story of God’s faithfulness across the centuries, proved the royal credentials of the promised King, and opened the doors of His kingdom wide enough for anyone who will come by faith.

Which means this genealogy is not merely about who Jesus is descended from—it is an invitation.

An invitation to take your place in His family, to step under His rule, and to receive His blessing.

Conclusion & Invitation

The only question is—will you come under His reign?

You cannot stand on the sidelines.

The Son of David has all authority in heaven and on earth.

The Son of Abraham offers blessing to all who will believe.

The doors to His family are wide open—but you must come in by faith.

Believer—

Matthew’s Gospel is going to call you to live under the reign of the King in every area of your life.

This is not a kingdom you visit on Sundays—it’s a kingdom that claims your heart, your time, your priorities, your relationships, your resources.

Unbeliever—

Matthew’s Gospel is going to confront you with a decision:

Will you keep living as your own king, or will you bow to the One who is King of kings?

Your name can be written in His family record, not because of your merit, but because of His mercy.

But you must repent and believe.

A Historical Picture

In 1066, after William the Conqueror claimed the English throne, he began compiling what came to be known as the Domesday Book.

It was a massive survey of all the landowners in England—who they were, what they owned, and what they owed to the king.

To have your name in that book meant you belonged to the realm and were under the King’s protection.

To be left out meant you were nothing—an outsider with no claim.

Matthew 1 is something like God’s Domesday Book—but with one stunning difference:

This King’s list is not for those who have earned their place but for those who will humbly receive it.

‘It’s not for the mighty, but for the meek.

Not for the proud, but for the poor in spirit.

And through Christ’s death and resurrection, your name can be added to the roll—not as a servant merely, but as a son or daughter of the King.

The Final Word

Because one day—just as surely as He came the first time—the King will come again.

On that day, the genealogy will be complete, the family of God will be gathered from every tribe, tongue, and nation, and the kingdom will have fully come on earth as it is in heaven.

Until that day, the cry of Matthew’s Gospel—and the cry of this pulpit—is:

“Behold your King.”

Bow to Him.

Believe in Him.

Belong to Him.

PRAY

Resources Consulted

Bruner, Frederick Dale. Matthew: A Commentary: The Christbook, Matthew 1–12. Revised and Expanded Edition. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.

Nolland, John. The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005.

Helm, David. “Matthew 11:17.” Christ Church Chicago Sermons. Accessed August 2025. https://yetanothersermon.host/_/christchurchchicago/sermons/56999/matthew-1117/.

Osborne, Grant R. Matthew. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2010.

Carson, D. A. Matthew. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2017.

Nolland, John. The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005.

Quarles, Charles L. Matthew. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2023