May 16, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 1 (NIV)
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,……Continue Reading
MATTHEW 1
Jesus mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together or was able to get married. Mary was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph was a righteous man. He did not want to subject her to public disgrace. He had in mind to divorce her quietly. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not be afraid. Take Mary home as your wife. Because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and his name will be Jesus because he will save the people from their sins. The Lord had said through the prophet that the Virgin would be with child and give birth to a son and they would call him Emmanuel, which means “God with us”.
He did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home and there was no sex until after the birth to a son. He (Joseph) named him Jesus as the angel had instructed. After Genesis all I could think of was oh finally some morals! Lol
Matthew 1
I was able to finally make sense of the genealogy of Jesus. Blood lines are so important so important that I read this reading closely. And reading the daily Bible study readings I actually could follow Jesus’s blood line. Thank you Pastor.
you are welcome..so glad you join us here…may we all encourage others to do so as well!!!
Matthew 1 – Matthew gives a record of the Genealogy of Jesus. Matthew wrote this book for the Jews and felt it important to show that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham who was the father of all Jews.
The conception of Mary being pregnant was hard for Joseph to accept until God sent an Angel to explain how significant this was, and how that baby was going to save his people from their sins. God uses angels as messengers, especially in this case the angel explained that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he would name him Jesus (the Lord Saves)!
Mt 1. 14,14,14 maybe I will count the generations from Adam to Abraham.
It is interesting to see the line of Jesus from Abraham after reading Genesis. He calls us “his people.” He is “God with us”. And Joseph did what the angel commanded him. All good points to reflect upon on this rainy Thursday morning.
Matthew 1
I love that there are two genealogies in Chapter 1…one used to prove the legal status of Jesus the Messiah to the Jewish readers of this Gospel…
…but another to help all those who would believe in Jesus the Messiah to understand their own genealogy. Though He is eternal, Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth in the form of His own creation, a human. How did this come about? Through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried” as the creed states…and also of course states that on the third day He rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures. How was He raised? By the power of the Holy Spirit.
How do we come to be in Jesus? How are we given new life? We know that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith. But what actually happens when God saves us? We are born again…made new creations in Christ. How?
John 3:5 “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one if born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Romans 8:11 “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
This is our heavenly lineage…Jesus is the Way, the giving of new life by the Spirit is the Means. The same Spirit whose power conceived Christ within Mary, the same Spirit that resurrected Jesus dead human body…that same Spirit gives life to our own mortal bodies and fills us with the presence of God for every moment of our lives when we come to faith in Christ. Why? Because God has set forth to save us, sanctify us, perfect us…all for His glory.
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn of many brothers.” Romans 8:29
If you are in Christ, you have His likeness…the family resemblance, because that same Spirit who gave life to the mortal body of Jesus at its conception, as well as at its resurrection…that same Spirit has given you New Life as well, and that new life is lived in the family of God.
Matthew was a person with two names. It seems to be common practice at that time. Just look at the 12 disciples themselves. Simon was called Peter; Jude was called Judas or Thaddaeus, Labbeus, or Lebbeus. Also Matthew was called Levi. In the other accounts Luke and Mark call him Levi where Matthew refers to himself as Matthew. He was a tax collector; also referred to as publican. These tax collectors were detested for they worked for the enemy. They were allowed by Rome to not only take the tax but could take as much for themselves as they wanted to as long as there was no riot. Many were very wealthy because of this practice. Not only that but these tax collectors were also Jews; so they were doing this against their own people. All the Men of the Bible says: [ His original name connected him with the tribe of Levi, the priestly house set aside for sanctuary service. But this Levi degraded his holy name. Whether the Lord changed the name to Matthew when He called Levi or whether the new found disciple chose it himself , we do not know. Meaning ” the gift of God”. Matthew`s new name magnified the transforming power of Christ and indicated that Matthew was like the One who called him, a gift to Israel and to the world.] From reading scriptures the term publican is often associated with sinner. Luke 15:1. This is interesting to me about the name change. I never thought about why he called himself Matthew. This hated man by his own people had a changed heart when he met Jesus. Although they may have met at other times for he was a tax collector and Jesus being the oldest son probably handled this for His household. Because Joseph; Mary`s husband was dead. Matthew went on to write this gospel. We also know that his father was called Alphaeus. Matthew had two purposes in writing this gospel. He wanted to show unbelieving Jews that Jesus is the Messiah and to encourage Jewish believers. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says: [ The first gospel is filled with Old Testament quotations. Matthew includes approximately 50 direct citations from the Old Testament. In addition about 75 allusions are made to Old Testament events.] It is believed that when Matthew wrote this gospel some time elapsed but not too much. Here is what the commentary says: [ But some time seems to have elapsed after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Matthew 27:7-8. refers to a certain custom continuing ” to this day” and 28:15 refers to a story being circulated ” to this very day.”] This same source thinks it could had been written around 50 AD. What is important is that Matthew was an eye witness of all that happened and that he wrote it down. Also by his transformed life he gave up greed for money and surrendered fully to the cause of Christ. Even dying latter for Christ and winning many souls for Christ. The hatred that the other 11 disciples had toward him was turned into love toward Christ and each other and from there to the lost who needed Christ. May we all in this present world show that same love that they had. May the Lord bless.
In Matthew the genealogy of Jesus is through His legal father; Joseph. In Luke`s genealogy of Jesus it is made clear that Jesus was a physical descendant of David through another son named Nathan. Luke 3:31. The custom of the day when a man and woman were married is that usually it was an arranged marriage. They would get married and then would live apart for one year. This was to demonstrate the bride`s faithfulness of the pledge of purity. If she was found with child in this period she was not pure. For neither of them would have sex with the other until after this waiting period. The marriage would be annulled and she would likely be put to death. You can see how serious this was for Joseph. For he truly loved Mary. But the Angel of the Lord revealed to him that this was of God. So instead of waiting one year, he brought her to his home but didn`t have sex until after she had Jesus. He took her right away so that she wouldn`t be showing that she was with child without him. That`s how much he loved her. There was probably talk but at least the people wouldn`t gossip that she was unfaithful. They would think that Joseph was the father. He spared her that.
Jesus’ earthly genealogy given here to show that He had all the credentials necessary to be the Jewish Messiah. It is amazing to see the people mentioned here that you wouldn’t expect: the women and gentiles mentioned on purpose as well the evil kings of Judah…Ahaz…really? So the grace and love of God for all people expressed even in the who Jesus was born from. And Matthew shows immediately why he was chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus. He was a man of law and grace. Knowing the law well enough that he could no overlook the apparent sin of Mary and yet extends grace to her, he chooses to send her away. That is until God intervenes to show what is happening is from Him and not from wrong doing. The only way for the Son of God to be born would be without human male interaction, so how else could it happen without a virgin being mad pregnant by the Holy Spirit. And so just like the man he should be, Matthew follows the angel’s directions and maintains purity to assure that the child is not his. It is so amazing that I never tire of reading that which is so familiar,,,,,
Matthew 1
Sorry so late to the party, things a bit rambunctious around here…
So little is written of Joseph, he came to love Mary, and betrothed to her. In doing so, he became a key player in God’s great plan. The Holy Gost intervened in the affairs of Mary and Joseph, changing their lives forever. Joseph obeyed the angel in his dream, and in doing so, decided to reject the critical attitudes of family and friends around him Scriptures are silent, except John 8:41, where the identity of his father was questioned.
In all this, Joseph steps into God’s history, and as it will be seen, becomes a “savior” to the Savior! -reb
Another important chapter to show doubters that the Bible is so much more than a book of stories but rather a historical account. These chapters allow us to see the tapestry God has created in weaving people together to accomplish His work here on earth.
Matthew 1