Matthew 1:1

Matthew 1:1 will be like so many other verses that follow in the New Testament. It will contain so much more meaning behind words often overlooked or taken for granted. It is no coincidence that the opening verse of the New Testament, (the collection of inspired scriptural writings that followed the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy), establishes its foundation on all that came before it in the Old Testament. Matthew knows that the Old Testament can be put into the context of the covenant God made with both Abraham and David. He writes this Gospel to connect us to Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the covenant God made with His people long ago. Before the reign of King David, the Old Testament writers spoke of God's covenant with Abraham and declared themselves to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The first covenant between God and man came when Abraham was promised that he would be the father of a great nation.

Gen. 12:1-3 “Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God made the Davidic covenant (promise) to the King of Israel, that the Messiah would come from his bloodline and His throne would be established forever through David.

2 Samuel 7:11b-13 “the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, 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.”

After this, the Old Testament writers began to include references to David’s covenant relationship with God, in addition to Abraham’s. The people of Israel, God’s chosen people, were to be the direct beneficiaries of these covenants. That is why they had been looking for the Messiah to come and deliver them for so long. So, Matthew wastes no time in establishing for the audience of this book – (the Jewish people who need to see Christ as the Messiah), that Christ is the fulfillment of all they’ve been waiting for:

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