Matthew 1

“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:” v1

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’” v.23

Matthew starts his account of the life of Jesus by stating two very important details, 1) His Genealogy, and 2) His Virgin Birth.

First, why is his genealogy so important? Great question. In Jewish tradition a persons family line proved his or her standing as one of God’s chosen people. By showing that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and a direct descendant of David, thus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s line. The fact of this ancestry were carefully preserved. This is the first of many proofs recorded by Matthew to show that Jesus is the True Messiah.

Second, why is the Virgin Birth so important? Another great question. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. (That whole Garden thing really messed things up for you and I.) Because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being, but as the son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

So why is this important to us? Because Jesus lived as a man, we know that he fully understands our experience and struggles with temptation. The Difference, He never sinned. Because He is God, He has the power and authority to deliver us from sin. This is great news, we have a God that understand our struggle, but has the power to help in any situation when we ask.