Introducing Matthew and Mark
Matthew 1:1
· Cp. Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr. 1:34, 2:1–15; Luke 3:31–34
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
1. The Preface of the Ancestry (Matthew 1:1)
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ” - There are other “generations” in the Bible. They speak of history. The first “generations” concerns creation—“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 2:4). The New Testament also opens with “generations.” It is the last “generations” in the Bible It is the climax of all “generations.” It is the “generations” of Jesus Christ and declares that the theme of the New Testament is Christ. Significantly, Christ is the very first person mentioned in the New Testament. So from the very first verse of the New Testament, the spotlight is on Jesus Christ. While this “generations” refers specifically to the human pedigree of Christ, in principle it also refers to and introduces the earthly history of Jesus Christ on earth.[1]
Jesus Christ is the title most often used of the Savior. Jesus (Gr Iēsous; Heb Yehoshua) is His earthly name, meaning “saviour.” Christos is the Greek translation for “messiah” or “anointed.” Technically: Jesus the Christ.
2. The Purpose of the Ancestry (Matthew 1:1)
Son of David.[2] By tracing Jesus’ ancestry back to King David, through the line of Davidic kings, Matthew connects Jesus with His royal heritage. Despite six centuries of vacancy on the royal throne, the Messiah must be of royal descent. The genealogy here is that of Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, whereas the genealogy of Luke 3:23–38 is that of Mary, His actual parent, showing His blood line back to David. The author’s purpose is to show that the messianic promises made to David’s line are fulfilled in Jesus.
Son of Abraham. He is also the fulfillment of the covenant promises to Abraham, the forefather of the Jews (cf. Gen 12:3; 13:15; 22:18). Since Matthew is writing primarily to Jewish readers, he naturally begins by emphasizing Jesus’ Jewish parentage.
The purpose of this ancestry is to give the royal pedigree of Jesus Christ to prove His claim to the throne of David. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him (Genesis 12:3; 22:18), and it was promised to David that Christ should descend from him (2 Samuel 7:12; Psalm 132:11). So for Christ to claim to be the Messiah and the inheritor of David’s throne, it must be established that He is the son of Abraham and the son of David. This ancestry does indeed prove that Christ is Whom He claimed to be, namely, the Messiah and King of Israel. This ancestry thus provides a great connecting link to the Old Testament. Though Christ had the pedigree to claim He was the Messiah and King of Israel, He was still rejected by Israel, which is the root cause of their present-day problems. However, had the Israelites in Christ’s day earnestly checked the ancestry of Christ, they would have known, without question, that Jesus Christ was indeed the inheritor of the crown of David. He has the royal pedigree to prove it!
Mark 1:1
· Cp. Matt. 3:1–11; Luke 3:3–16; John 1:19–34
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
1. The Person for the Herald (Mark 1:1)
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). The message or proclamation, which John the Baptist will give, is the message of the book of Mark. It is about Jesus Christ. The Gospels put the focus on Christ.
A. The communication about the Person.
“Gospel” (Mark 1:1). The word means good news. Mark is going to write good news about Jesus Christ. And indeed no news is better news for the world than the news about Jesus Christ.
B. The character of the Person.
“Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). This title depicts Christ in three ways. [3]
First, as Savior. “Jesus” means Savior. Jesus can save us from our sins. And only He can save us. Second, as Messiah. “Christ.” This means the Anointed One which refers to Israel’s promised Messiah. Third, as God. “Son of God” expresses the Deity identification of Christ.
Mark does not waste words here about the character identity of Jesus Christ. The threefold identification of Christ is a masterpiece of conciseness. We must be right on the identity of Christ or we have no “gospel” to proclaim.
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