What’s in a Name? – Matthew 1:1-17

Jon Beck
Over the next week I am going to share some daily encouragement from my studies on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Hopefully, as we consider the biblical truths surrounding His birth, we can all slow down and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. As you are encouraged… please share with others the hope of Christ this Christmas season! (The commentary is from The Incarnation in the Gospels)
Matthew 1: 1-17 (ESV)

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 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.

As Matthew introduces Jesus, he quickly reveals several names and titles. Jesus is son of Abraham, therefore he is the hope of both Gentiles and Jews. He is son of David (1:1), therefore the great king of the Jews (2:2, 6). He is the Christ (1:1; 2:4), therefore anointed by God for some crucial task. But first and best, he is Jesus, the Savior (1:1, 21–23).[1]

Jesus Christ – Matthew 1:1

Jesus is a given name. “Christ” eventually became Jesus’ second name in Christian usage, but originally it was a title for the Messiah. As a title, it simply means “anointed one.” To be anointed is to be set apart and empowered by God for a task he appoints. In Israel, priests were always anointed (Ex. 28–30), kings were always anointed (1 Sam. 9, 16), and prophets were sometimes anointed (1 Kings 19:16).[2]

Son of David – Matthew 1:1

On the side of his father Joseph, Jesus descended, by human accounting, from the royal line of David. He is the offspring of the kingly line. He is the heir of all Israel’s godly kings: Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, and the rest. He is the king of the Jews.

But Jesus is not just any king. He is the son of David (1:1). “Son of David” seems to organize the entire genealogy. There are fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen more from the rise of David to the end of his dynasty, when Israel went into exile, and fourteen more until the Christ, the son of David, was born (1:17).[3]

Son of Abraham – Matthew 1:1

The last title for Jesus in Matthew 1:1 is the son of Abraham. The genealogy in Matthew starts with Abraham, the father of Israel. By contrast, the genealogy in Luke starts with Adam, the father of mankind. Yet the point in Matthew is not that Jesus is only for the Jews, but that Jesus is for all the children of Abraham.[4]

The Christ (Jesus, the Savior) – Matthew 1: 17

The Lord’s titles both tell us who Jesus is and suggest the proper responses to him. He is Jesus, the Savior. Therefore let us receive his salvation. He is the Christ, the one anointed to restore his people. Let us turn to him to restore us when we falter. He is the son of David, the mighty yet tender healer. Therefore, let us turn to him for healing. He is the son of Abraham, the father of all the faithful, sent to fulfill the hopes of Jews and Gentiles alike. Therefore, let us welcome all to the family of God.[5]

[1] Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, The Incarnation in the Gospels, ed. Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 8.

[2] Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, The Incarnation in the Gospels, ed. Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 11.

[3] Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, The Incarnation in the Gospels, ed. Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 13.

[4] Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, The Incarnation in the Gospels, ed. Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 16.

[5] Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, The Incarnation in the Gospels, ed. Daniel M. Doriani, Philip Graham Ryken, and Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 19.


			


	

		
			




				
	
			



	
	
	
	
		

							
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