Matthew 1 Bible Study Notes

*You can download these notes on our website under the “Resources” tab.

These notes are part of our larger Bible study series through the New Testament. I hope you find them helpful in your pursuit to know God better.

READ MATTHEW 1:-17:

Why does the writer of the book of Matthew begin his book with a genealogy? 

• Because the genealogy acts as a credentialing for Jesus. 

• The Messiah was prophesied to be a Jew (a descendent of Abraham) and a descendent of David (Genesis 12:1-3; 2 Samuel 7:16; Jeremiah 23:5-6)

• The Jews kept very detailed genealogical records and Matthew uses these records to prove that the man around which his book centers met the qualifications for the identity He claimed. 

• If Jesus couldn’t fulfill these prophesies, He would instantly be identified as a fraud. 

• Verse 1 highlights Jesus’ qualifications right-off-the-bat. 

• Several important names are brought to our attention in the genealogical records

  • Abraham – Father of the Jewish nation. God promised him that through his descendants all the world would be blessed. 

  • Isaac – Abraham’s promised son. Married to Rebecca. 

  • Jacob – Father of 12 sons who would become the 12 tribes of Israel

  • Judah – One of the 12 sons of Jacob. Father of the tribe through which Jesus would descend.

  • Rahab – Prostitute that helped hide the Israelite spies in Jericho (Joshua 2)

  • Boaz and Ruth – Main characters in the book of Ruth

  • David – 2nd King of Israel 

  • Solomon – 3rd King of Israel

  • Rehoboam – Son of Solomon. During his reign, the kingdom divided into a northern and southern nation (Israel and Judah)

  • Hezekiah – King of Judah (2 Kings 18)

  • Josiah – Became king of Judah when he was 8 years old (2 Kings 22)

• Verse 17 records the number of generations between significant characters and events

  • 14 generations between Abraham and David

  • 14 generations between David and captivity in Babylon (606 BC)

  • 14 generations between captivity in Babylon and Christ (1 AD)

READ MATTHEW 1:18-25

• Joseph and Mary are betrothed to be married 

  • Betrothal is often compared to modern day engagement but was likely much more binding

  • A betrothal may have involved formal agreements between the involved families and the exchange of a dowry. 

  • The union was not consummated until after the betrothal period. 

• Mary is discovered to be pregnant

  • Joseph, who was obviously shocked, planned to dissolve the union privately, not wishing to make a public spectacle of Mary. 

    • Joseph deserves credit for his approach to the situation 

    • Obviously, sexual unfaithfulness in a relationship like this would have been a significant betrayal and probably would have been a bit embarrassing for his family. 

    • That being recognized, Joseph didn’t attempt to publicly shame Mary as a means of vengeance

  • An angel appeared to him in a dream and explained the situation. 

    • Mary was innocent

    • Mary carried a child conceived by the Holy Spirit 

    • The child would be named Jesus and would save His people from their sins. 

    • Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14

    • Jesus was given another name, Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

  • After waking from his dream, Joseph was obedient to the angel and did not “put away” Mary. 

  • Joseph deserves a great deal of credit for his decision to remain with Mary. 

    • He probably did not imagine his new married life involve a scandal of either premarital sex or betrothal unfaithfulness. 

    • There was no easy way out of the situation for Joseph. 

      • Either people assumed the child was his and he had had a sexual relationship with Mary before their marriage

      • Or, people assumed Mary had been with another man during her betrothal. 

    • Either possibility would have reflected badly on Joseph but rather than run from the situation, he embraced the role God gave him to play.