DECEMBER 3 A GENEALOGY OF GRACE By Mark L. Bailey Chancellor, Senior Professor of Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary
Today’s Passage: Matthew 1:1–17
Memory experts tell us that we remember things because they are important, because of their association with key events in history, or because of a mnemonic structure that helps the mind retain information. All three of these are found in the opening verses of the New Testament, which record the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew’s genealogy begins and ends with Jesus Christ. The opening verse is important because it traces the origins of Jesus the Messiah backward through David to Abraham. If Jesus is going to be the King of the Jews – as Matthew will argue throughout his Gospel – He must fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants (Psalm 89:2–3). Second, the structure of the genealogy is grouped into three sets of fourteen names each (v. 17). This outlines Israel’s history: • Abraham to David (vv. 2–6): The establishment of the kingdom of Israel • David to the Babylonian captivity (vv. 6–11): The destruction of the kingdom • Babylonian captivity to Christ (vv. 12–16): The anticipation of the kingdom’s restoration through Messiah Finally, what is important can be remembered by association. Unique to this genealogy is the inclusion of five women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary – each of whom faced challenges related to gender, ethnicity, or sin. What can we learn from these verses in light of Matthew’s theme? 1. If Jesus is the King of His kingdom, He makes it possible for both men and women to belong. 2. His kingdom will include people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. 3. Jesus must solve the problem of how sinners can enter God’s kingdom – and He did. On the cross, Christ paid the penalty for sin. Through His resurrection, He proved His right to be the King of kings and Lord of lords for all eternity.
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