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A New Beginning | Matthew 1

A New Beginning | Matthew 1

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 A New Beginning Written Into History Matthew 1 and the Meaning of Fourteen Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy that is anything but accidental. At first glance, it appears to be a straightforward family record tracing Jesus from Abraham to David, from David to the exile, and from the exile to Christ. But Matthew pauses to highlight something unusual: fourteen generations, three times over. That detail raises an obvious question. Why fourteen? And why does Matthew deliberately shape the genealogy to make it work? The answer is not sloppiness or ignorance. Matthew knows the Old Testament well. He intentionally omits certain names that appear in Chronicles, something Jewish readers would immediately recognize. Commentators across the board agree: Matthew is making a theological and literary point. The genealogy is not merely historical; it is interpretive. It preaches before the sermon even begins. --- Fourteen as Structure, Not Trivia Matthew divides Israel’s history into three movements of fourteen generations: From Abraham to David From David to the Babylonian exile From the exile to Christ This is not numerology for curiosity’s sake. It is storytelling with purpose. Matthew is showing that history is not random. It moves forward under the providence of God, according to promise, pattern, and fulfillment. Something decisive happens at the end of each set. --- From Promise to Pinnacle: Abraham to David The first fourteen generations build steadily from Abraham to David. God makes a promise to Abraham: a seed will come through whom all nations will be blessed. Generation after generation passes, and the promise seems delayed but never abandoned. Then, at the fourteenth generation, David arrives. This is the high point. The kingdom is established. A throne is secured. God adds a new promise on top of the old one: David will have a son who will reign forever. Matthew is saying, we were right on schedule. God did exactly what He said He would do. --- From Glory to Disappointment: David to Exile The second set of fourteen tells a very different story. Instead of ascent, there is decline. King after king fails to be the promised ruler. Covenant breaking, idolatry, bloodshed, and injustice dominate the narrative. This section is marked not by fulfillment, but by disappointment. The throne that once represented hope becomes a symbol of failure. Eventually, God brings judgment. Jerusalem falls. The people are carried away to Babylon. The throne of David sits empty. Fourteen generations end not in triumph, but in exile. --- Silence, Waiting, and an Empty Throne The final fourteen generations unfold under a shadow. There is no king. No prophet announces deliverance. The promises remain, but they seem suspended. The people return from exile, but the glory does not return with them. This is the long silence of Israel’s history. The throne remains vacant. The debt of covenant breaking remains unpaid. And then—at the precise moment Matthew has been building toward—Christ is born. --- Christ as the True New Beginning Regardless of how one interprets the symbolism of fourteen—whether through David’s name value, covenantal rhythm, or literary symmetry—the point is unmistakable: the birth of Christ marks a decisive new beginning. Where kings failed, Christ succeeds. Where the covenant was broken, Christ fulfills it. Where exile brought judgment, Christ brings forgiveness. Jesus does not merely resume the story; He restarts it. He comes not to extend a failing system, but to accomplish what it could never achieve. He comes to forgive sins, cancel debts, and restore what was lost. The empty throne is filled. The silence is broken. The promises are kept. --- From Israel’s Story to Ours Matthew’s genealogy is not just Israel’s history—it is a mirror of human experience. Long stretches of waiting. Cycles of hope and disappointment. The burden of failure and guilt that no human ruler can resolve. Into that mess, Christ comes. For Israel, His birth meant freedom from exile and sin. For all who are united to Him by faith, it means the same. What generations of effort could not accomplish, Christ completes in full. Matthew’s message is clear: history has a direction, and it leads to Jesus. The genealogy does not end in chaos or despair. It ends in Christ—because in Him, every true new beginning begins. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith
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