Matthew 1
About MatthewWritten by AI
Matthew is the first of the four Gospels, the accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Early Christians said it was written by Matthew, the tax collector Jesus called to follow Him. The book itself does not name its author, and scholars differ on its date, though many place it in the later first century.
Matthew writes with Jewish readers especially in mind. He opens with a family line reaching back to Abraham and David, and he keeps showing how Jesus fulfills what the prophets said. He also gathers Jesus' teaching into five long sermons, starting with the Sermon on the Mount, set between stories of healing, conflict, and the road to the cross.
Watch for the phrase "the kingdom of heaven," and for how the book is bookended by God's presence. Jesus is named Immanuel, God with us, at the start, and at the end He promises, “And surely I am with you always.”
Before you read Matthew 1Written by AI
Matthew begins with a family tree, from Abraham through David to Jesus. Look for the surprising names in it, including four women besides Mary, some of them outsiders. Then Joseph learns that Mary is with child by the Holy Spirit, and an angel tells him to name the child Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.
The Genealogy of Jesus
This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
and Hezron the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David the king.
Next:
David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
and Abijah the father of Asa.
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers
at the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
and Eliakim the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
and Achim the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
The Birth of Jesus
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son,
and they will call Him Immanuel”
(which means, “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and embraced Mary as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.