Matthew 1 - Homiletics

In Matthew chapter 1, Matthew records Jesus’ ancestry and the circumstances of His birth.  In the first 17 verses, the former tax collector presents the meticulous plan of God to bring His one and only Son, the Messiah, into the world to save it.  Each name in this list has significance.  The initial mentions of David and Abraham speak to the covenants given to these men promising the Messiah.

Many other names in this genealogy may be familiar to you, as well.  You’ve read their stories.  Isaac, Jacob and Judah.  Boaz, Jesse and Solomon.  Look up these names - and the less recognizable ones.  Read their stories.  It’s interesting that women are mentioned in Christ’s lineage, too!  Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, who dressed as a prostitute and became pregnant with her father-in-law’s twins.  Rahab, an actual prostitute who hid the Israelite spies in Jericho.  Ruth, the Moabitess who returned to Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi.  Uriah’s wife, aka Bathsheba, who was summoned to King David after he saw her bathing.

What do these names teach us?  That God uses imperfect people!  That God’s plan cannot be thwarted.  That it’s not about what I do, but about what God does!  God specifically chose the bloodline for His Son.

Who is in your spiritual ancestry?  Who told you about Jesus?  Who brought you to church?  Who prayed with you to receive Jesus as your Savior?  Who taught you to navigate your Bible?  Whose Bible studies increased your Bible literacy?  Take a moment to assess your spiritual ancestry.

Now take a minute to think about who might be your spiritual descendant.

Into whom are you pouring the love and wisdom you have received from Jesus and the Scriptures?  Who are you telling about Jesus?  Who are you bringing to church?  Who are you praying for (or with) to receive Christ as Savior?  Who are you teaching to navigate their Bible?  With whom are you doing Bible study?  Who is watching the example you’re setting?  These are potentially your spiritual descendants.

One more thing about the genealogy before we move on.  In verse 16, the language changes.  Joseph is not listed as the father of Jesus.  He is listed as the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  This verse jumps out like a neon sign that Joseph is not Jesus’ father!

Matthew, in detailed bookkeeper fashion wraps up the genealogy with three mentions of the number 14.  Fourteen generations between Abraham and King David, 14 between King David and the exile to Babylon and 14 between the exile and the Messiah!  Numerology is very important to the Jewish people.  And the use of the number 14 speaks of spiritual perfection twice (7 x 2)!  God’s plan is certainly perfect!  God specifically chose the timing and circumstances of His Son’s birth.

God’s choice of parents for His Son is displayed beautifully in the remaining verses.  We receive a glimpse of Mary’s willingness to be used of God and submissive to His plan in Luke 1:26-38.  Joseph’s story is told here at the end of Matthew 1.  What character attributes do you observe in Joseph at the end of this chapter?  Why do you think the King of the Universe would choose these people to raise His one and only Son?  What characteristics of Jesus’ earthly parents would you like to possess?

But the most incredible moment appears in verses 20 and 21 where an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take Mary as his wife; what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; that he should name the boy Jesus because He will save His people from their sins!  Mind-blowing!!!  What an encounter!  Joseph obeyed and raised the Messiah as his own son!

As we see in chapter one of Matthew, not everyone has a “once upon a time…happily ever after” story.  But our stories are our stories, and can be used to help others work through their stories.  How are you willing to allow God to use your pain to help someone else?  What are you willing to sacrifice or share to point someone else to salvation in Jesus?  What areas of your life could use a fresh infusion of Jesus?  What can you share that might be a fresh infusion of Jesus for someone else?

(Below is the homiletics that led me to the thoughts above.)

 

Content (not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture, fit on one line):

1.genealogy Jesus Messiah son David/Abraham(1:1)

2.Abraham father Isaac – Jacob – Judah/brothers(1:2)

3.Judah – Perez/Zerah,mother Tamar,Perez – Hezron – Ram;-Amminadab – Nahshon – Salmon(1:3-4)

4.-Boaz,mother Rahab,-Obed,mother Ruth,-Jesse;King David – Solomon,mother Uriah’s wife(1:5-6)

5.-Rehoboam – Abijah – Asa;-Jehoshaphat – Jehoram – Uzziah;-Jotham – Ahaz – Hezekiah(1:7-9)

6.-Manasseh – Amon – Josiah;-Jeconiah/brothers exile Babylon(1:10-11)

7.after exile Jeconiah – Shealtiel – Zerubbabel;-Abihud – Eliakim – Azor;-Zadok – Akim – Elihud(1:12-14)

8.-Eleazar – Matthan – Jacob;-Joseph husband Mary, mother Jesus Messiah(1:15-16)

9.fourteen generations Abraham-David, fourteen David-Exile,fourteen exile-Messiah(1:17)

 

10.how birth Jesus came, Mary pledged Joseph, pregnant through HS(1:18)

11.Joseph faithful law, want public disgrace, in mind divorce quietly(1:19)

12.angel appeared dream: take Mary wife, conceived from HS(1:20)

13.son you name Jesus, he save his people from sins(1:21)

14.fulfill prophet: virgin conceive/birth son call Immanuel (God with us)(1:22-23)

15.Joseph woke, did what angel commanded; consummate until gave birth Jesus(1:24-25)

 

Divisions (run-on sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture/Principles are Aims for each Division – a truth about God, a truth about man, a truth about God’s relationship to man; a sin to avoid, promise to trust, example to follow, command to obey, truth to believe):

1.The Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17)

Principle:  God chose the bloodline for His Son.

2.The Birth of Jesus and Joseph’s Faithfulness (Matthew 1:18-25)

Principle:  God chose the timing and circumstances for the appearance of His Son.

 

Subject Sentence (10-word sentence with proper structure showing exactly where you are in Scripture):

Matthew records Jesus’ ancestry and the circumstances of His birth.

 

Aim (“To Cause My Audience To…” Know, See, Learn, Understand, etc.):

TCMATK God perfectly planned and executed the physical and spiritual genealogy of the Messiah.

 

Application (not yes or no question.  Meant to bring about heart change):

1.What are you willing to sacrifice for (or give to) your spiritual children this year as a legacy pointing to Jesus?  (What will you pass on to your spiritual children as an “ancestor”?)

2.What areas of your life need a fresh infusion of knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah?

 

The Big Idea (author’s main purpose in writing; the one thing all the other things in the passage is about; if you couldn’t talk about it, you would still understand the passage is trying to convey this):

Jesus is the promised Messiah!