Matthew begins his genealogy by proclaiming that Jesus is the “son of David, the son of Abraham.” These two covenantal forefathers are so significant that Matthew mentions them before starting the actual genealogy. So, we will also begin by discussing the significance of Jesus as the son of David, the son of Abraham
We begin with David. In many ways, the OT has been building up to this point. There has been great anticipation and expectation throughout the history of the OT for the coming of this messianic son of David. Remember, the Lord made a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, promising that one of his children would always be on the throne and rule over his people. Throughout Israel’s history, this was true. Kings and Chronicles records political upheavals, social turmoil, and the moral and religious collapse of God’s people. But through it all, a descendant of David was always on the throne. This is evident when we examine the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which was consistently ruled by the sons of David. In other words, there was only one dynastic line of kings, the line of David. That line was frequently threatened, but the Lord sovereignly protected it. In contrast is the kings of the Northern Kingdom, which was in a constant state of dynastic succession. In total in the north, there were nine dynasties of nineteen kings (all were evil).
However, what good were they? Israel’s history also records that these kings often rejected the Lord and worshiped foreign gods. They often pursued their own agendas, not the Lord’s, which they often saw as an inconvenience and obstacle to their own personal gain. In fact, they found it appealing to not only worship foreign gods, but to encourage the people to do the same.
In spite of these corrupt kings of David, the promise that God made to David was a blessed one. What became immediately clear is that they needed an ideal, perfect king. They needed a king that fit the description in Deuteronomy 17:14-20: a king who would trust in the Lord and obey His commandments. Not only would he follow the covenantal norms, but he would also encourage God’s people to do the same. During the Judean restoration, this was the expectation of the son of David, especially as he is described in the Psalms, the Prophets, the Wisdom books, Chronicles, and the Apocalypse—all these texts pointed to the coming of this Ideal Son.
The people of God waited, year after year, decade after decade, century after century. Finally, Matthew 1:1 tells us that the wait is over! He is here, in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is that Great, Ideal, Perfect Son of David. And now we know why the OT depicts him this way. He is not just a Godly Man, He is the God-Man (Matt 1:21). And his victory is not merely over earthly foes, but against sin and death. And in his great victory is ours, so that sin and death also no longer reign over us!
No wonder Matthew began with Jesus as the true, eschatological “son of David.
Redeeming Chillingworth 