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CHAPTER 4

The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ

The phrase, “the book of the genealogy” in Matthew 1:1 is in Greek. The word (biblos) means “book” and () is the possessive form of (genesis), which means “beginning,” “origin,” “root,” or “existence.” Therefore, the book of genealogy in Matthew 1:1 also means the “book of history” and the “book of the origins.” A similar word is used in the first half of Matthew 1:18, “the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way….” The Greek word for birth in this verse is also (genesis).

In the Old Testament, the word account in Genesis 2:4, “the account of the heavens and the earth,” and the book of the generations in Genesis 5:1, “the book of the generations of Adam,” are both translated as in the Septuagint just like “the book of the genealogy” in Matthew 1:1. Especially in the case of ge,nesij (genesis), the same Greek word had already been established as the standard title for the book of Genesis in the Septuagint7 by the time Matthew’s gospel was being recorded. Therefore, using the word (genesis) to start out the book of Matthew reminds the readers of the beginning of the Old Testament, “Genesis.”

In this sense, Jesus Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1 can be viewed as a proclamation of the beginning and the origin of the entire Bible. It parallels the account of the creation of the universe and mankind (Gen 2:4) and the genealogy of the godly patriarchs starting from Adam (Gen 5:1). In other words, it is the proclamation of the new creation () through Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew word for genealogy is , which is translated as “account” in Genesis 2:4, “generations” in Genesis 5:1, and “records of the generations” in Genesis 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1; and 37:2. All of this confirms that the genealogies in the Bible are not based on myths, symbolisms or parables, but are actual records of events that took place in history.

Accordingly, Matthew 1:1 would read “the toledoth of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” This signifies that it is the account, history, genealogy and record of Jesus Christ who actually lived in history.

Specifically, the word is derived from , which means “birth,” “offspring,” “result,” “history of an event or a person.” This word means more than “birth” or “offspring,” signifying a profound sense of God’s administration and providence that is fulfilled throughout the life of the person in reference.

The use of the word (biblos), which means “book,” suggests that the genealogy in Matthew 1 contains enough information to be considered a complete book even though it is only 16 verses long.

Therefore, Matthew 1:1 is not simply a reference to the event of Jesus Christ’s birth nor is it merely an introduction to the book of Matthew or the New Testament. Rather, it should be seen as a significant proclamation which reveals the beginning, the origin and the existence of Jesus Christ. At the same time it brings together the entire history of the Old and New Testaments. Further, by recording the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew is declaring that God is in direct control of the entire history of Israel. Moreover, by calling it the “book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,” he has proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the essence of the Old Testament and the basis for the New Testament (John 5:39; Luke 24:27, 44).

Truly, the axis of world history and the centripetal force behind history has been God’s sovereign work of redemption through Jesus Christ. Thus, the history of mankind is reflected by the history of salvation as it progressed toward its ultimate purpose—Jesus Christ. Therefore, those who are included in the genealogies are linked to Jesus Christ in God’s eyes. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they had been born, had lived, and died for the purpose of fulfilling the divine work of redemption through Jesus Christ.

Two core points in Jesus’ genealogy are important for redemptive history: Jesus Christ who came as “the son of David, son of Abraham” and Jesus Christ who came as the seed of the woman.

1. The Son of David, the Son of Abraham

The very opening words of the New Testament are “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1). Why does the New Testament introduce Jesus as the son of Abraham and the son of David?

First, it testifies that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who was promised through Abraham and David. The Jews took more pride in Abraham and David than in any other patriarch because Abraham was regarded as the father of the Jews and David as the king who firmly established the royal lineage.

God had promised that through Abraham’s “offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen 22:18) and through David He promised, “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body…I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam 7:12–13). These are covenants which promise that the Messiah will come as a descendant of Abraham and David.

Therefore, more than anyone else, the Jews eagerly awaited the fulfillment of the promise that the Messiah would come as a descendant of Abraham and David. By opening the genealogy of Jesus Christ with the introduction, “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” Matthew is emphatically proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesied to Abraham and David.

Second, it testifies of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the covenants. Abraham was born in 2166 BC. The first time that God established a covenant with Abraham was in 2091 BC when he was 75 years old. At that time, God said, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3 NIV). The phrase, “through you” is in Hebrew and means “in you.” Therefore, God is saying that all nations will be blessed “in” Abraham through Jesus Christ who will come as Abraham’s descendant.

The promise of the Messiah who would come as Abraham’s offspring was fulfilled 2,087 years later through Jesus Christ, who was born in 4 BC. By doing this, God proclaimed his faithfulness in fulfilling His covenants.

Furthermore, in 1003 BC, which was after David had finished the seven years and six months of reign in Hebron and started his reign in Jerusalem, God promised in the Davidic Covenant that the Messiah would come as David’s descendant. Then, God fulfilled that promise through Jesus Christ about 1,000 years later.

Thus, Matthew’s genealogical account explains the Christ-centered administration of redemptive history from the perspective of the establishment and the fulfillment of the covenants with Abraham and David.

2. The Seed of the Woman

After the fall of Adam, the first promise of the coming of the Messiah is the promise of the seed of the woman. Genesis 3:15 says that “he shall bruise the head of the serpent” which actually means that he will completely destroy the serpent’s head. Therefore, Genesis 3:15 is the Proto-gospel which promises that Jesus Christ will defeat Satan and be victorious (Rev 12:9).

The genealogy of Matthew 1 does not merely lay out the physical blood lineage or ancestry of Jesus, but shows how the seed of the woman came to this world through the lineage of faith in the history of redemption. To accomplish this end, God had to put on human form and come into this world. It was not done through the union of a man and a woman, but only through the body of a virgin (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23). Indeed, Jesus was the seed of the woman conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18; Luke 1:35).

As the seed of the woman, Jesus essentially does not have a human father. Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit, not through sexual relations; He was born of a virgin body. Although He was of the same nature as we are, He was the sinless God-man who became our Savior. All human beings other than Jesus Christ are seeds of men. In other words, they are from and of men (Matt 1:1–17; 1 Cor 11:8). All seeds of men are sinners (Rom 3:10); they have been born into this world through natural reproductive means. However, Jesus is the seed of the woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit and is by no means a seed of man.8

Throughout the long history of Israel, God had established covenants in various forms, and He ceaselessly continued the providence for redemption in order to fulfill the covenants. Eventually, Jesus Christ was born through the body of a woman when the fullness of the time came (Gal 4:4).

In reality, Jesus Christ came at the apex of history just as the Bible had promised. Accordingly, He brought the work of Satan to an end by destroying sin and death (Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:5; Jude 1:6), thereby redeeming mankind. God saves His people based on the covenants. God has faithfully kept those covenants and has continually advanced His work of salvation without ceasing even until today.

The promises made by an imperfect human being can always be changed or canceled. However, the covenants made by the perfect sovereign God, can never be changed, for God invariably fulfills all that He has promised. Indeed our God is unlike man for He cannot lie (Heb 6:18), nor does He revoke His promises. Moreover, He will certainly fulfill the covenants He has spoken when the time comes (Num 23:19; Deut 8:18). God’s covenant is not altered due to human circumstances or to the passage of time, nor is it ever revoked or terminated in mid-course; it will certainly bear fruit (Isa 55:11). Truly, heaven and earth may pass away but not the smallest letter or stroke of God’s Word will pass until all is accomplished (Matt 5:18).

Therefore, if we firmly hold on to the authority of the scepter of the Word, then we will be able to overcome any obstacle and find resolution to our problems. Since the One who promised is faithful, we must also be unmoved in the hope of our faith and continue to hold firmly onto the promise of God as we move forward.