Starting the exposition of the Gospel of Matthew...

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The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. - Matthew 1: 17 (ESV)

The Gospel of Matthew. Written by the least likely of disciples, Matthew the tax collector. Whenever we read a new book in the Bible context starts with who wrote it, when they wrote it and who they were writing to. Matthew was the scourge of Hebrew society. Tax collectors were viewed as traitors to their own people. They were seen as tools of the oppressive Roman empire and would routinely gouge their own people for extra monies, lining their pockets with illicit gain from their own brethren. That is an eerily similar look into our current darkness and the gouging of Christians we see from people in the pulpits lining their own pockets from the sheep they were entrusted with. If one wants further proof of the state of the tax collector during Matthew's day we can see it in the story of Zacchaeus in Luke's Gospel:

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." - Luke 19: 8-10 (ESV)

Note the implicit admission of defrauding and how money was his master before Jesus came into his home. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost beloved. All of us. Not just in our neighborhood. Not just in our country. Not just in our ethnicity. Not just in our denominations. Matthew was as hated in his day as we see many hating Muslims today. Or homosexuals. Or atheists. I saw a sermon last year where a Mega church pastor was bellowing for all atheists to "get on a plane and get out of my country." That's an odd evangelism strategy. The self righteous Pharisees would often ask why Jesus hung around with such scum of society and His answer remains true through all time. He has not come for those who are well. It is the sick who need a doctor. Matthew was one of the sickest in his day yet he left it to follow Jesus and here he is, decades after the cross writing a Gospel that you and I read thousands of years later. THAT is how Jesus changes our lives.

Matthew opens up his Gospel account with the genealogy of Jesus Christ because his Gospel account was written to his fellow Jews. While seemingly unimportant, nothing is wasted in the Word of God. The first thing we see is that God is a God or order. Exactly fourteen generations between Abraham and David, between David and the exile, and between the exile and Jesus. What do the numbers mean? Absolutely nothing. Do not get drawn into the world of numerology, which we see exploding in these end times. God has not planted secret codes in His Word for us to crack. He has made known His will plainly for us to obey. The balance however indicates that God is an orderly God. He is not random. He does not do oopsies and accidents. The other main point I would cite is the presence of three women within the genealogy. Typically, women were not included in such genealogies during this male dominated world. Yet Matthew includes them because his listeners would immediately recognize them from Scripture but what it does for us today is reinforce the overall point about Jesus using anyone. The tax collector, the leper, the outcast. For who were these three women?

The first woman mentioned is Rahab the prostitute, who was found living in the idol worshiping, pagan city of Jericho. A foreshadowing of the church, Rahab had no benefit in her upbringing to know God. But she had heard about the God the Israelites served and when she had the opportunity, she helped the spies who had been sent into Jericho and as such, they spared her life when they overran the city. She is in fact the first recorded gentile conversion. Like the church to come, once spared by the grace of God, she was cleansed of her past, accepted into the culture of the Jewish people and would marry an Israelite named Salmon. Her son would be Boaz and Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, would be a direct descendent.

The above mentioned Boaz would marry a woman named Ruth, who is the second woman listed in the genealogy. Ruth was also a pagan, Moabite by birth. Ruth had married the son of an Israelite family while they were living in Moab. Yet we discover that sadly, her father-in-law, her husband, and her husband's only brother passed away. So Ruth had to decide whether to stay in Moab, her home, or to go with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Judah, a land she had never known. Her sister in law Orpah returned to Moab but Ruth would not leave Naomi. A picture for us of faithfulness in action. God rewards the faithful beloved:

But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" - Ruth 2: 11-12 (ESV)

When Ruth meets Boaz the tales of her faithfulness had already reached him and he was predisposed towards her. The Lord would repay her for what she had done and she would marry Boaz and her great grandson would be a man after God's own heart; King David. Blessed to be in the lineage of Jesus Christ. The final woman listed here is a familiar name, Bathsheba. Although that is not exactly how she is listed:

and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, - Matthew 1: 6 (ESV)

By the wife of Uriah. Ouch. The story of David's greatest failure. When he lusted and coveted another man's wife and then had him killed so he could cover up his adultery. We need to remember that if we ever think that we can get away with our sins and cover them up. God sees all and the Bible says He will bring to light that which we hide in the dark. One day we will stand bare before God and answer for our lives beloved. David did repent and God would restore but the conceived child died. It is interesting here that God does not reference her by her name. nor does He even reference her as the wife of David, which she was when Solomon was conceived and born. It is a stark reminder to us that God does not trifle with sin. It is no small matter that Uriah, who did nothing wrong, was cheated out of his covenant with God and his wife and eventually his own life. In this day and age where sin is a taboo subject or treated as if it is not a big deal, the mere genealogy of Christ screams at us that it is a big deal to a holy God. Solomon by the wife of Uriah.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1: 21 (ESV)

I listened and reviewed a sermon recently from a mega church pastor who was using this section of Scripture as his base. The story of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Was it a sermon on the grand plan of God? Perhaps a message about the promises of salvation? No. it was about what to do when life throws you a curve ball. Because Mary was thrown a curveball. Joseph was thrown a curveball. Ugh. You have got to be kidding me. Let me briefly explain two hermeneutical terms. Two terms about Bible interpretation. One is exegesis and the other is eisegesis. I present this because there is a growing sentiment in the church that there are a plethora of plausible interpretations for Scripture and they are all right. That is a lie from the pits of hell. Of course Satan wants us to believe that our own unique perspectives are just so valuable but they are not. God intends one interpretation beloved. Only His perspective matters. There may be multiple applications but God was not schizophrenic when He wrote the Bible. He knew exactly what He was saying even if we do not want to hear Him. Exegesis is to exposit the Bible correctly. To approach the Bible to hear what sayeth the Lord. Eisegesis is to approach the Bible with your pre-supposed biases and place them into the text. It is to manipulate the Scriptures for an outcome you decided you wanted before you started reading. Deciding you want to preach about how to handle the curve balls of life and then strip mining the Bible to rip the story of the birth of Christ out to prop up your desire is the definition of eisegesis.

I say this because what we see today is an explosion of self-centered, narcissistic, eisegesis in the preaching across the purpose driven landscape. Every sermon is about us and how great we are. How much God loves us and how we can get a bigger slice of the blessing pie. Only in the seeker friendly purpose driven mind can the story of the birth of our Savior be about how to deal with the curve balls life throws at you. That is not a spiritual principle beloved. It is pure carnality. When I read this passage the verse that jumps out at me is verse 21 - you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their life of purposelessness? Is that what it says? Is He come into this world to save us from mediocrity? Boredom? Insignificance? No beloved. Instead we see once again the word not one wants to deal with anymore - sin. The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is not about how to deal with curve balls. It is about the reconciliation of God and His people. It is about repentance. It is about sin and the need for a Savior. If you want to sing every week about God being your friend you go right ahead but if He is not your Lord and Savior first then He is not your friend at all:

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. - James 4: 4 (ESV)

Not only is it sin beloved but it is essentially adultery! Today you cannot tell the difference between the church and the world. There is a mega church pastor who is going to have a tailgate party in the parking lot of his church tomorrow followed by a sermon where he will not preach from the Bible. No; he will instead review some of our favorite commercials and glean spiritual applications from them. Are you serious? You adulterous people! Be not Rahab the prostitute but Rahab the redeemed!

Chapter Two - The Struggle Between a Holy God and Sinful Man

There are four separate parts of the second chapter of Matthew's Gospel. There is the story of the wise men followed by the flight to Egypt. Next is the killing rampage of Herod finished by Jesus' family returning to settle in Nazareth. Many of these events fulfilled prophecies and because Matthew is writing to his fellow Jews, he is quick to point them out. What is interesting here for me is the thread running through these four stories in this chapter. That thread is as old as time itself when it comes to man. It is the same thread from the Garden of Eden. It is the same thread from David and the wife of Uriah. It is the same thread we saw birthed in Chapter one. That is the constant struggle between a holy God and the sinful state of man. Let us walk through these stories.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. - Matthew 2: 3-4 (ESV)

Herod is the chief bad guy here but notice that all of Jerusalem was also troubled. Not joyful at the potential birth of the Savior they all proclaimed to be waiting for. Herod had power. The Pharisees and religious leaders in Jerusalem had power. They enjoyed their position in life. Herod was not about to give up power to another and neither were the Pharisees. Likewise it is so difficult for us to accept the new born King as well. To give up the power sin has over our lives.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." - Matthew 2: 13 (ESV)

This side trip fulfills another prophecy but again we see the struggle for power and sin intensify. Herod has diabolic plans but ultimately it is always God's plans that prevail. Remember the wisdom in Proverbs:

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. - Proverbs 19: 21 (ESV)

I do not mean purpose as man uses that term today. The Lord has a plan and a purpose and we can rest in knowing that. It does not however mean that everything is going to always go our way. Or that we will be rich and prosperous materially. Or even that we will be comfortable. Here Mary and Joseph must flee for their very lives and the life of their newborn Son. In Genesis, Joseph spent over 10 years in prison for taking a righteous stand for the Lord. Paul led the life of suffering God said he would. This life is a glimmer beloved. The struggle deepens:

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. - Mathew 2: 16 (ESV)

Now we see the levels of depravity man is capable of descending to in rejecting God and protecting sin. The wise men are told to not return to Herod and now he is furious. If he cannot get the one child, he now plans to wipe them all out to get the one he is after. No conscience. No fear of God. Unbelievable wickedness yet this is still a picture of us before we come to accept Christ. Just look at the world today beloved. Look at the animus and hatred being shown now towards people of faith. We have to realize that not only is the message of the cross foolishness to those who are perishing but it is a death sentence to them!

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14: 6 (ESV)

In the recent heretical miniseries on the Bible we saw Jesus say the first half of this verse but not the second half. Why? Because people in the world do not like the exclusivity of Christ. They want to go to heaven but they want to decide how to get there themselves. Because this verse is an eternal death sentence for those who do not wish to relinquish power to God. Because that is the struggle beloved. We do not want to relinquish power to Christ just like Herod did not want to and the Pharisees did not want to. This is the constant struggle. Jesus Christ is born to save us but we have to recognize the need to be saved. Just look at the "work around" the modern heretical churches have accomplished. They have created a Christ that does not have to be our Lord. He is just our buddy. Our co-pilot. Easy on the eyes and easier still on our sin. We come to the close of Chapter Two:

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. - Matthew 2: 22-23 (ESV)

Yet another prophecy fulfilled. Yet behind it all the struggle continues. Herod is dead and we are reminded that no matter how evil one man might be, death is the great equalizer. The despots and tyrants of history are mere footnotes in the story of God. Alexander the Great conquered the known world yet was dead by the age of 32. Herod unleashed his monstrous crusade against young male children but his life was soon required of him as well. Yet into his place, sin still continued. Even though God told Mary and Joseph they could come back, they still feared the new king, who was Herod's son. So they settled in Nazareth.

The Gospel of Matthew begins. The least likely of Gospel writers. The tax collector. We were all Matthew at one point. We were all Rahab the prostitute at one point. We were all Ruth the Moabite pagan at one point. We can minimize our sin all we like but we were all Herod at one point. Struggling to protect our power and the power sin had over our lives. It is the age old struggle of Adam and Eve. Of the Israelites dancing around the golden calf. Of David and the wife of Uriah. We are no better beloved except through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary. We do not get to Calvary however, without first going through the manger. Going though Egypt. Going through Nazareth.

Reverend Anthony Wade - January 31, 2015

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.