Genealogy Whistle Stop

Bible readers have to stop at Matthew 1:6 when they note that the Spirit dropped in king when referencing David as a place-holder in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. No one else gets a handle in the flow of the names. Up to verse 5, and then picking up the account on to verse 7 and past, it's standard family-tree information, albeit, a royal one. But the train, noticeably, has pulled into Kingsville.

Some reinforcement on the importance of Matthew's use of the king with reference to David comes from the lone son of Jacob mentioned in verse 2, Judah. Jacob had twelve sons, only Judah is noted here. Genesis 49:10 tells us that Judah will have the scepter, that's reinforcement about royalty in the line from Judah to David.

The Gospel writer lays out quite a bit of literary groundwork with the Old Testament sweep of history, starting out the genealogy on a note of David (v. 1) and ending it on a note about the same royal figure (v. 17). Then Joseph is called the son of David (v. 20) at the very point of doubting the Spirit's work of conceiving this One within Mary. David's line is in full view.

Matthew 2:2 then gives us the question from the wise men on the whereabouts of the One born King of the Jews. Why is Matthew arranging his Gospel this way? His story about the baby Christ in Matthew 1:18-25 and 2:8-21 is the story of the One who has legal right to the crown. And this King brought His Kingdom in order to bring relief from sin's warfare and oppression (1:21). He is the Son of David, the son of Mary, and He is God with us.

G. Mark Sumpter