Good morning and welcome to our study of the Gospels. Our reading for today is found in Mark 1:1 and Matthew 1:1-17. This is the first of three Bible Studies that will look at the question, “Who is Jesus and what was He here to do?”

I should mention as we begin this study that the first four books of the New Testament are the accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry by four different authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Only Mark describes what he is writing as “the Gospel.” That is one reason most scholars believe that Mark’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry was written before the other three.

In any case, the word Gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, meaning “good story,” a rendering of the Latin evangelium and the Greek euangelion (yoo-ang-ghel’-ee-on), meaning “good news.” Since the late 18th century, the first three have been called the Synoptic Gospels, because the texts, set side by side, show a similar treatment of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Mark has the simplest introductory statement, and we will begin there. He simply states, “This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” To the Jewish mind of the day, to claim to be “the Son of God” implied equality with God (John 5:18 and 10:33). This was a very bold claim, but it is precisely what Mark, and the other authors tell us about Jesus.

As we read the Scripture, remember that Jesus was never seen as just a good teacher or just a good example to follow, He was and is God’s Son, God with us. As we proceed, you’ll discover that this truth is at the heart of the Gospels and our message to the world as believers.

Next, let’s look at how Matthew begins his account of the Gospel. He starts in a way that may seem strange to us, a genealogy that summarizes Jesus’ human ancestry. Again, you can read this in Matthew 1:1-17.

To the Jewish reader, genealogies were important and supported the argument that Jesus was the Messiah. Matthew was demonstrating to the Jewish readers that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.

The Jewish hope for a Messiah begins with the promise to Abraham, continues through the leadership of David, endures through the exile to Babylon and the control by foreign powers, and is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus the Christ or Anointed One.

Matthew presents his genealogy in three series of fourteen generations. While there is some apparent disagreement with the historical record we see in the Old Testament, the differences are not significant and do not change Matthew’s central message; that Jesus the Christ is the fulfillment of Jewish history and expectations.

It is noteworthy that the three generational series are each composed of fourteen generations. Seven and multiples thereof were seen as a kind of Divine confirmation in ancient times.  It may not be as significant to us, but it was to them. Setting aside for now the significance of numerology, lets look at what these three parts of the genealogy are saying.

First, we see a series of descendants beginning with Abraham and ending with Jesse the father of David the King. We need to spend some time here and it may be best to present it in outline form:

• Abraham is the man God chose, called, and blessed in Genesis 12:1-9,
• God promised that His blessing would come through Abraham’s offspring or seed in Gen. 12:7 (a single individual descendant),
• When many years had passed and it didn’t seem possible to Abraham that he could have a descendant, God told him not to be afraid and reiterated the promise made in Gen. 12:7 (see Gen. 15:1-7),
• To illustrate just how significant the promise was, he told him to look at the night sky and try to count the stars; that is how numerous his descendants would be (Gen. 15:5),
• We are told then that Abraham believed what God was saying, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6),
• And then to confirm the promise, God directed Abraham to prepare the elements of a Covenant in the same way the people of his day would make agreements between themselves. The result was one of the most foundational events in our faith where God made a Covenant with Abraham but only He participated. Effectively, it was a promise He made with Himself (Genesis 15:8-21),
• Finally, in Genesis 17:7 and 22:18, we are told that the Promise and Covenant God made are everlasting or eternal and will be realized only through Abraham’s offspring.
• Based on this foundational event, Paul declared in Galatians 3:16 that this offspring is Jesus the Christ.
• Jesus in John 8:56 tells the Pharisees that their father Abraham rejoiced when he understood that one day, he would see his Offspring fulfill God’s promise and that when that day did occur, he was glad. Both statements speak to Abrahams ongoing life and experience after his death in Genesis 25.
• This, of course, drove the Pharisees crazy but we will leave that for another day in our study of the Gospels. For now, let’s move on to the second series of fourteen descendants.

This group begins with David the king and continues until just before the deportation to Babylon. The Jewish people knew these narratives well and understood that after David, there was never again a leader like him. They knew that God chose David and declared him to be “a man after His own heart who will carry out His will in its entirety” (Acts 13:22). Upon David’s death, his descendants weren’t at all like their father. Their decline led to Israel’s defeat and deportation to Babylon.

You should see a pattern emerging by now. Abraham received the promise, but his descendants (plural) didn’t see its fulfilment. Only his descendant (singular) would be the fulfillment of that promise. One specific promise; one specific fulfilment. Then David came along and was God’s perfect king. God had promised him an eternal kingdom (2 Sam. 7:16) yet his descendants once again didn’t measure up. Again, we’re seeing promises made but not yet fulfilled. Jeremiah would prophecy at the end of this period that God would raise up a Righteous Branch from David’s descendants (Jer. 23:5-6), that He would reign as King and deal wisely, and that He would be called “The Lord our Righteousness.” Matthew’s argument is: We have received promises and they are fulfilled in Christ.

The last series of fourteen generations begins with Israel in exile and extends to the time Jesus was born. During this period, Israel was subject to external powers who controlled their existence. Through the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires, Israel was never again truly free to serve their God. For a short time, the Hasmonean Dynasty that began with the Maccabean revolt would be the closest they came to self-rule. But that clearly wasn’t the fulfilment of The Promise.

The Israelites knew that Daniel had prophesied of a coming Messiah. They even knew that such a Leader would come on the scene after 483 years, precisely when Jesus was born. We don’t have the time to look how that all breaks down in this study but I’m sure we will at some point.

Matthew’s genealogy is therefore a powerful statement of the purpose and timing of God’s eternal plan and how Jesus fulfilled all essential aspects of it. The fall into sin in the Garden of Eden was answered by a Promise, a King to carry it out, and a work that was finished at the Cross.

I hope this helps you get a sense of what our faith is based on, why Jesus had to come as He did, and who He is to us and to all creation. Our faith isn’t about feeling better about ourselves or getting involved with a good group of people. It is that to some, but it should be far more than that to us. Our decision to believe the Gospel and accept Jesus as our Savior is central to our eternal destiny. It is how we enter the Kingdom of God and become Children of the Promise. If there is anything you are certain of in this life, let it be that you know who Jesus is, why He came to this earth, and where you stand with Him.

You can see the study that continues in this link:G2b Jesus’ Origen and Purpose

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Glenn