Learning the Jesus Way of LifeSample

Back to the Beginning

Pray: Jesus, give me the faith to go where you go, do what you do, trust what you say, and love how you love. Today, I commit to following you. Amen.

Today, we begin looking at the Gospel of Matthew to learn the Jesus way of life, because we really believe that the more you were made for is life with Him.

So the first question we have to answer is: Who is Jesus, really?

Matthew begins His account of Jesus’ life with a genealogy. Which, to us, seems like a very strange way to start something if you want people to actually keep reading. But to Matthew, and to his original audience, this introduction would have jumped off the page and slapped them in the face.

The first sentence alone is packed with so much meaning that we’ll only be able to scratch the surface. Let’s focus on four big words that have a lot to tell us about the identity of Jesus:

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Matthew 1:1 NIV

Genealogy

If you’re reading in the NIV version, you’ll notice a little symbol next to the word genealogy. If you click on it, the note will tell you that the word genealogy can also be translated: an account of the origin. Why is that significant? Because the word genealogy comes from the same word that we get “Genesis” from, as in the first book of the Bible. A book whose name means origin.

At the very beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, we are taken back to the very beginning of the Bible. Because what God wants to do through Jesus isn’t some last-ditch effort cobbled together at the last minute, like a cram session the night before your final. No, Jesus has been God’s plan from the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

Messiah

The word “messiah” comes from the Hebrew “mashiach”,which means savior king. The Jewish Scriptures are full of promises and prophecies that point to the future day when God would raise up the Messiah, the Savior King, who would rescue Israel from their enemies and restore them to their former glory. With the Messiah in charge, God would bring justice to the nations, and the whole world would be joined under His loving rule.

The first prophecy about the Messiah actually shows up in the first book of the Bible (Genesis, again). This is shortly after the devil, disguised as a crafty serpent, manipulated the first humans into rebelling against God.

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NIV

When Matthew calls Jesus the Messiah, he is practically shouting to his readers that Jesus is the serpent-crushing Savior King we’ve been waiting for! Jesus is the one chosen by God to defeat sin, death, and the devil. And Jesus is the one who will establish the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

David

David began as an overlooked shepherd boy, the youngest of eight brothers. But, through the divine intervention of God, he would become the greatest king Israel had ever known. He cared for the sheep he was entrusted with, even when attacked by savage animals. He defeated a giant warrior named Goliath, even when everybody else was cowering in fear. He treated the former king with dignity and respect, even when none was shown to him. He returned the worship of God to the center of their nation, even when his own wife thought he was taking things too far. And he was known as a man after God’s own heart, even though he fell short in so many ways.

Because of David’s heart for God, God promised to raise up one of David’s descendants to become the Messiah.

“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-13 NIV

Abraham

In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham to leave everything—his family, his home, and his country—and go into a land that God would reveal to Him. This was God’s promise that would be unleashed through Abraham’s obedience:

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3 NIV

And the very next verse tells us that Abraham “went, as the Lord had told him.” Through this act of obedience to a God he really didn’t know, Abraham became the father of the Jewish people and the father of our faith. He trusted God enough to follow Him wherever He led. Now, generations later, Matthew is writing about Jesus, and he wants all of us to know that because of what Jesus has done, God’s promise to bless all the peoples of the earth is being fulfilled!

So who is Jesus? Jesus has been God’s plan for saving the world from the very beginning. Jesus is the serpent-crushing Savior King promised by God. He is the son of David, whose throne and kingdom would be established forever. And He is the descendant of Abraham through whom God is blessing the whole world.

Application: As you read through the full genealogies in today’s passage, pay special attention to the names that seem like they don’t belong. Because Matthew does something special, and very intentional, when writing out Jesus’ family tree. Here’s a hint: There are four individuals Matthew includes who would have stood out to most Jewish readers. See if you can find all four. Then, ask yourself this question: Why did Matthew include these individuals? Once you’ve taken some time to ponder on that question, ask the Holy Spirit and some other people to help you find the answer.