Why Does the Gospel Begin with Jesus' Family Tree?

The opening chapter of the Gospel of Matthew begins with a look at Jesus’ family tree. Verse 1, “An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham,” wouldn’t have been lost on the first-century Jewish audience to which Matthew’s Gospel account was tailored. David and Abraham were two of the most prominent figures in Jewish history, and God gave both men a covenant promising that the Savior of the world would come through their lineage. Although the announcement in this verse may appear to us to be nothing more than opening movie credits, we’d be better served to see this genealogy as credentials—proof that Jesus is who He said He was in Matthew’s Gospel. These verses establish Jesus’ royal right to the throne of God’s people.

Now that the significance of Jesus’ lineage is clear, notice the makeup of the people listed in the first sixteen verses. It wouldn’t be uncommon in that day to establish someone’s lineage through a genealogy like this. What’s uncommon is acknowledging women in such a list. This honor was normally reserved for men because they were the heads of households. How astonished readers must have been to see King David’s name in the same sentence as Rahab’s and Ruth’s! Five women in all, two Gentiles and three of questionable character, are included in the genealogy of the Messiah. Heroes, kings, Gentiles, prostitutes, adulterers—Matthew was being very intentional with his list.

We then cut right to the announcement and brief birth scene of Jesus Christ. The miraculous is introduced just eighteen verses into our reading. Think about it. An angel came to tell a virgin woman that she would be with child from the Holy Spirit. The child’s name meant “God is with us” (v. 23), and He would save us from our sins. The supernatural hand of God was all over this setting. What a scene! It feels unbelievable, but should we expect any less from God Himself? We’re only in chapter 1, but Jesus has arrived, and as you may expect, it’s kind of a big deal.

Excerpted from Gospel: Recovering the Power of Christianity. Published by Lifeway Press®. © 2018 J. D. Greear. Used by permission.