Matthew 1:1-17; The Greatest Story

Introduction

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In 2020, Ancestory.com was acquired by Blackstone for $4.7 Billion. There are other companies that have also grown in huge popularity in recent years. These companies are not popular because they provide users with a list of names. These companies provide their users with history, stories, and emotions. They retell the stories of the past that brought us to where we are today.

I saw two really interesting videos this week. Ancestory.com and PBS have produced some videos of celebrities having their ancestry review. Sunny Houston, a host on the view, was the first video I watched. The professor reviewing the findings reveled to the host that she was the descendent of a slaveowner. The view host was shocked. For numerous reasons, obviously. One of those reasons has to be the fact that she has been a vocal advocate for reparations. The second video I saw was with a UC Berkley professor. This professor has been very vocal about her views of the immorality of white colonization. During this interview, she was told that she was the descendent of one of the original members of the Mayflower. She was in complete disbelief that her ancestors could have been white colonists.

Now, I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt. These two ladies could still hold the positions they hold. The anecdotal evidence of a person should not be the basis for national policy. They could still argue that their positions are the best for our nation. But, what I want to highlight is the fact that these two ladies had either forgotten or not known their families’s stories. Either by forgetfulness or just ignorance, these ladies did not know the family story.

I would argue, that just like these ladies, often Christians forget their family story. We forget that our story is full of sin, disobedience, and broken pieces that has brought us to where we are today.

Need

This morning, on the dawn of Christmas, I want us to look back at our family history. We need to remind ourselves of all the mishaps and mistakes that brought us here today. And saints, our story does not begin with us. No! Our story begins with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Referent

Mathew 1:1-17

Organization

The Seed of Abraham (vs. 1-6)

The Son of David (vs. 7-11)

The Saviour of the World (vs. 12-17)

Sermon in a sentence:

(Main idea of text: Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and the greater son of David)

The Christmas story rewrites our story!

The Seed of Abraham (vs. 1-6)

Matthew wants to begin his gospel with the fact that Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and the better David.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises.

Fulfillment is arguably the most prominent theme in Matthew’s gospel.

We need to remember, the gospel does not begin with us. Instead, the gospel begins with who Jesus is and what he was done for us.

Matthew sets up his gospel very purposefully in verse 1. Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ.

He begins with the genesis (origin/beginning) and ends with “end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)

Βίβλος γενέσεως is used in the Septuagint two times - both spe

Genesis 2:4 “4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.”

Genesis 5:1 “1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.”

Matthean scholar Charles Quarles

Matthew Exegesis

The phrase “of Jesus” (Ἰησοῦ) could be either subjective (“book of Jesus’s origin”) or express source (“the book of Genesis by Jesus”). If the latter, the phrase identifies Jesus as the author of a new creation, a new genesis (rather than the author of the book).

Jesus begins the story and he will be with his people until the end. From beginning to end, the gospel is not about man. No, the gospel is form beginning to end about Jesus. We are brought into Jesus’ story.

(v. 3) Tamar (Genesis 38)

Judah marries a Canaanite woman, Shua. They have three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah.

Tamar is likely a Canaanite woman who was mistreated by Er, Onan, and Judah.

She tricked Judah (Jacob tricked Esau, Jacob tricked Isaac, Jacob was tricked by Laban)

God put this probable Canannite woman that was rejected and despised by her own family into the family tree of Jesus.

(v.5) Rahab (Joshua 6, see vs 25)

This Canaanite prostitute was saved from total destruction because she heard the stories of what God did in Egypt. She believed in the God of Israel and then put her life on the line because of that belief.

(v. 5) Ruth. Was a Moabite woman whose husband died. This is a problem for a number of reasons.

First, she’s a Moabite. Remember that Moab hired Balaam (and his talking donkey) to curse Israel as they left Egypt. God cursed Moab because of their sin towards Israel. They were not welcomed into the community of Israel.

Second, the only reason she is even in Israel’s story is because her father-in-law, Elimelech, sinned. He took Naomi and his two sins into Moab because of the famine God brought to Bethlehem.

Each of these women in the lineage of Jesus have a dark and dirty past. None of them, even Tamar, isn’t the ideal example of a stay-at-home mother. Matthew explicitly highlights all the problems in Jesus’ family tree.

Last week, we finished Titus. We looked at our need to remind ourselves of what God is doing in us becasue of what God has done in us. Saints, God wants us to remember ourselves of our past. Not to keep us there! Not to keep us in despair! Not to make us depressed! No! God wants us to remember that he is writing his story by rewriting our stories.

The Son of David (vs. 7-11)

(v. 6) wife of Uriah

Matthew does something amazing here. He does not even use Bathsheba’s name when he refers to her. He uses Uriah’s name. This is for a few reasons.

First, it shows the depths of David’s sin. Uriah was one of David’s mighty men. He was one of David’s closest men in war. He deceived this man, took his wife, and then had him murdered.

Second, Uriah was a Hittite. All of the women in Jesus’ lineage, except for Mary, were from or connected to foreigners. All throughout the OT, God has grafting in foreigners into the covenant community. This is not only a NT reality.

Third, like Uriah, Jesus was betrayed by his own people.

The kings in this list demonstrate the need for a better David.

Even the good kings, failed to establish the eternal kingdom promised in 2 Samuel 7. Their sin and disobedience ended in deportation and removal from the land.

Jesus promises his disciples that he will never leave them. Jesus promises his people that we will never loose our home. We have an eternal home with God, the new heavens and new earth.

Jesus is the better David that was promised. The best kings and leaders will fail us. There is one king that rules and reigns all things. He is coming again to usher in his eternal kingdom.

The Savior of the World (vs. 12-17)

(v. 16) “the father of Joseph the husband of Mary”

Mary and Joseph are the final line in the family lineage. These two nobodies are used to bring about thee birth of the Messiah. A poor engaged couple who live in the backwoods of Nazareth are going to be the ones that God uses to raise his own Son.

All these things, God was orchestrating to bring about the salvation of his people through the promised seed of Abraham and seed of David.

Matthew’s use of 14 is selective not exhaustive. He is purposefully showing the complete fulness of Jesus.

Matthew is likely using gematria for דוד . Aleph 1, Bet 2, Gimmel 3, Dalet 4, He 5, Vav 6

Jesus is the greater David or

Jesus is the culmination of 6 groups of 7 (3 groups of 14) making him the completion of the OT story.

4. We cannot forget the incarnation. God became man!

I believe in God the Father Almighty. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord. Conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of the virgin of the virgin Mary. Suffered under Pontius Pilate.

Conclusion

Like a lot of families, we love watching Christmas movies all December long. The kids really enjoyed watching all the Grinch movies. They also really enjoyed the Home Alone movies. But one of our favorite movies to watch as a family is the Star. At the end of the movie, Mary and Joseph are in the manger surrounded by all these animals. Three wise men show up and offer gifts for the newborn king.

The donkey, Bo, is confused. He is looking around, asking about who this king is. He then realizes that he carried a king on his back when he was carrying Mary. His friend Dave, says “We will never hear the end of this.” Ruth, a lamb, says, “And I hope we never do.” Saints, in the midst of our Christmas festivities, we can get so busy that we don’t mean to but we inadvertently rush through the miracle of Christmas.

Application

Repent of your sins and put your faith in the God-man, Jesus Christ. His story rewrites our story.

This Christmas remind yourself of those parts of the gospel we often forget. We must not forget that the incarnation and virgin birth are the basis for our ingrafting into Jesus. God dwelt among man so that man could dwell with God.

I encourage you this year to read the birth narrative with your family during your Christmas celebration.