Scriptures for Today
Matthew 1:1-17
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Introduction — The Gospel Begins With a Genealogy?
Most Christians skip Matthew 1. They see a list of names and jump straight to the birth of Jesus.
But Matthew didn’t start the New Testament with a miracle. He started it with a family tree.
Why? Because this isn’t just ancestry — it is evidence. It is prophecy fulfilled. It is proof that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be:
— The Son of David
— The Son of Abraham
— The rightful King
— The promised Messiah
What if the most powerful introduction to Jesus is buried in a list we often ignore?
If God can bring the Savior through 42 generations of imperfect people, He can certainly work through your life as well.
Today we will walk through this genealogy verse by verse, so that by the end of this message, you will:
- Understand why every name matters
- See how God writes straight with crooked lines
- Discover how Jesus fulfills every covenant God ever made
- Walk away knowing your past cannot stop God’s promise
Let’s look closely at the Scriptures.
Verse 1 — The Declaration of Jesus’ Identity
Matthew 1:1
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew opens with a legal announcement:
Jesus is:
- The Son of David — meaning He has the legal right to rule as King.
- The Son of Abraham — meaning He is the promised seed who blesses all nations.
Matthew is writing to Jews who understand one thing clearly:
If Jesus is not from David and Abraham, He is not the Messiah.
This first verse is a courtroom declaration: “Here is the rightful King. Here is the promised Savior.” The is legal. This is truth. God’s words are a witness.
If you miss this verse, you misunderstand the entire book of Matthew.
When God identifies you as His child, you don’t need the world’s approval. Jesus is who God says He is — and so are you.
Verses 2–6 — The Line of Abraham to David
Matthew 1:2-6
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
This section proves Jesus is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. God said to Abraham: “In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed.” Jesus is that seed.
But notice something shocking: Matthew highlights four women — all of them unexpected.
- Tamar — deceived Judah, yet grace prevailed.
- Rahab — a former harlot, yet believed God.
- Ruth — a Moabite, from a cursed nation.
- Bathsheba — involved in David’s great sin.
If God were building His perfect family tree, why include sinners, Gentiles, scandal, and brokenness? Because the genealogy isn’t about human perfection — it’s about divine purpose.
God does not hide the broken branches of His people — He redeems them.
Hold up a twisted tree branch. “God can graft grace onto any part of the tree.”
Verses 6–11 — From David to the Babylonian Exile
Matthew 1:6-11
And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
Here Matthew traces the royal line — kings of Judah. But notice something here. Nearly every king in this section FAILED many times. Some were wicked. Some were idolatrous. Some led the nation into judgment.
David: Loved God deeply, but committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah. His sin brought a sword into his house.
Solomon: The wisest man who ever lived — yet loved many strange women and
built altars for their idols (1 Kings 11). His compromise split the kingdom.
Rehoboam: Arrogant and unwise. Refused counsel, raised burdens, and divided Israel into two kingdoms.
Abijah: The Bible says he “walked in all the sins of his father” (1 Kings 15:3). Yet God still kept David’s lamp burning.
Asa: Started well, tore down idols. But later trusted Syria instead of God, got angry at the prophet, and died diseased because he would not seek the Lord.
Jehoshaphat: Loved God — but kept making alliances with wicked kings like Ahab. His compromise almost destroyed Judah.
Joram (Jehoram): Married Ahab’s daughter and walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. Led Judah into idolatry.
Uzziah: Strengthened by God until he became lifted up with pride. Tried to burn incense in the temple and God struck him with leprosy.
Jotham: Did right — but wouldn’t confront the people’s sin. The kingdom weakened under his silence.
Ahaz: One of Judah’s worst kings. Offered his own children in the fire, built altars for idols, and shut the doors of the temple.
Hezekiah: Godly king — but near the end, showed his treasures to Babylon, giving them a blueprint for invasion.
Manasseh: The most wicked king Judah ever had. Filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, practiced witchcraft, idolatry, and brought in abominable images. Yet God still saved him when he humbled himself.
Amon: Followed his father’s sins — multiplied idolatry — and was killed by his own servants.
Josiah: One of the greatest reformers — but didn’t listen to God’s warning through Pharaoh,
and died in battle unnecessarily.
Jeconiah (Jehoiachin): Rebelled against Babylon. His curse made his line unfit to sit on David’s throne — showing again the failure of human kings.
Yet, through all of this, God preserved the line anyway. Your failure isn’t final when God has spoken a promise over your life. Even the Babylonian captivity — the lowest point in Israel’s national history — could not cancel God’s covenant.
For 1,000 years the line of David survived: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. No other royal line in world history survived that long or that violently. Only God could preserve this. God is showing us these facts right here in Matthew 1.
If God can keep a promise through centuries of chaos, He can keep His promises to you today. His promises never fail. You need to see His amazing works that He does.
Verses 12–16 — From Exile to Christ
Matthew 1:12-16
And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
This section is unique because many of these names are almost entirely unknown. Why does Matthew include 600 years of people that are unknown? God was still working even when nobody was recording it. Do you ever feel like nothing is happening in your spiritual life? Remember Matthew 1: God is working on things when you don’t know He’s working on things.
Before we move on, we need to pause on one name in this list — Jechonias. This is Jehoiachin, the king who sat on Judah’s throne when the Babylonian captivity began.
Jeremiah 22:30
Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
God Himself places a curse on Jehoiachin’s royal line. No physical descendant of his would ever sit on David’s throne again.
And that explains something powerful:
Joseph — Jesus’ legal father — comes from this cursed royal line.
Mary — Jesus’ physical mother — comes from David through another son, Nathan, bypassing the cursed line.
So Jesus receives:
- Legal right to the throne through Joseph
- Actual bloodline of David through Mary
- And avoids the curse on Jehoiachin completely
God kept His promise to David and His judgment on Jehoiachin at the same time.
This cursed king proves one thing: God’s judgments stand — and His promises still win.
At the end of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, we see Joseph the husband of Mary: Joseph is not the biological father — he is the legal father. But He is not the biological father of Jesus Christ.
“Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus.”
The wording proves: 1) Jesus is born of Mary, 2) Not born of Joseph, 3) Preserving the virgin birth, 4) Yet still giving Jesus the legal right to David’s throne.
This is perfection. Prophecy fulfilled with precision. When you cannot see what God is doing (and you can’t), He is still weaving His perfect will together for good. His words never fail.
Verse 17 — God Writes History in Patterns
Matthew 1:17
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Three sets of fourteen. Why? Because Matthew wants you to see order in what looked like chaos.
Nothing is random. Nothing is accidental. God planned the arrival of Jesus down to the exact generation.
If you don’t understand this genealogy, you’ll miss how exact God is in fulfilling prophecy.
Application — What Matthew 1 Teaches You Today
1. Your past doesn’t disqualify you.
Jesus’ family tree is full of sinners, outcasts, and broken stories. Yours doesn’t scare God. Take a closer look at that one if needed.
2. God keeps His promises even when you fail.
The kings in this genealogy weren’t faithful. But God was.
3. God is working even when you can’t see Him.
Centuries passed in silence — but the seed line continued.
4. Jesus is the only rightful King and Savior.
No one else fulfills the covenants. No one else sits on David’s throne. No one else redeems the world.
Closing — The Genealogy Was Written For You
Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy because God wants you to know:
Jesus didn’t appear out of nowhere. God built His arrival into history, prophecy, families, kings, sinners, exiles, and miracles.
And the same God who guided 42 generations to Christ is the God who guides your steps today.
Before the day is over, do this:
Write down one way God has led you — even through imperfect people — and thank Him for His faithfulness. We all come through this huge line of imperfect people. Think about that. The longer generations continue, the more sin increases.
But, thank God, Jesus Christ redeems us from all of that. It’s absolutely amazing. And I hope you’re seeing this, and I hope you’re understanding the Bible clearly.
Let’s pray.
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