Who is invited to heaven, and how do we get there?

Joshua Clark
Mar 17
7 min read

Updated: May 15

Matthew 1:1-17

What better way to start a bible study than to read a long list of names!? Can you feel the changes in your soul yet? For modern readers, nothing is more gruesome than toiling over the names of a genealogy. Most of us can only go back a few generations in our family lines. However, back when this was written, genealogies were crucial. Not only did they speak to their heritage and connect them to the traditions of their people. They were also to keep their citizenship and rights to retain their inheritance. What Matthew records here is more than a list of names; there is history in their names and power hidden within.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

The genealogy forefronts Jesus’s fulfillment of prophecy. For thousands of years, the Jewish people held onto the promises of their ancestors of a coming messiah that would save the world and their people. When reading this genealogy, the first-century Jews would recall the promises God made to Abraham that all the world would be blessed through his offspring [1]. They would also remember that the Kingdom of God would come through the line of David [2]. People spent their entire lives holding onto the promise that the Messiah would come. They held this close to the end of their life and passed it to the next generation. More than 42 times this happens, life-to-death from Abraham to Joseph, a promise passed on. Finally, he arrives as a baby. The main lesson from the genealogy is that Jesus fulfilled thousands of years-old prophecies with his birth, setting the stage for everything to follow.

Gender

Matthew follows the typical approach to genealogies, sequentially listing names from the father to the son. He moves from the earliest record of Abraham down to David and ending with Jesus. However, he puts an interesting twist on the list. He includes five women. During this time, women were not typically listed within the genealogies. This was tracked through the male line. However, Matthew decided to include women here. These are women found through the Old Testament, and several have questionable ethical characters. One reason for including them in the genealogy is to show that women also belong to Jesus, who provides salvation to sinners (all of us: men and women). This challenged society's view back then, where the status of men was exalted over women. However, Matthew wants to make clear that women are just as much a part of the story and are equally worthy of salvation through Jesus. Undoubtedly, women and men are made different from one another, but God values both equally. A Christian viewpoint on gender should always view the two as equal in worth.

Kings and Prostitutes

This genealogy has no rhyme or reason for the type of person included. The names of Abraham and David are held high in readers' view, then and now. They are heroes in Jewish heritage and role models for all. However, within the same bloodline of the Messiah, there are also some not-so-royal people. Some with dispelling stories and questionable character. Throughout this list, there are incest, ruthless killers, and prostitutes. People expected a savior to come from a royal bloodline. Yet, the savior of the world comes from a rocky history; this perfect life rises from the ashes of the imperfect. There are both kings and prostitutes in his family line. This tells us today that despite someone’s upbringing and past, they still have an opportunity to His Kingdom. They are given the same promise we all are: salvation through Christ.

[1] Genesis 12:1-3 and 22:18

[2] 2 Samuel 7:11b-16

Matthew 1:1-17: Reflection Questions

Reflect on these questions and use the spaces below to write down your thoughts.

From memory only, write down your own genealogy. How far back can you go? What type of people are in your bloodline? Are they royalty or far from it?
God’s promise of salvation is available to everyone. Men and women, rich and poor, royalty and the humble. What does this mean for you?
In your own lifetime, you have had royal moments and royal mess-ups. Is your worth based on how many royal moments you have? What would true forgiveness for your royal mess-ups mean to you? Would it change anything from now on?

Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew sets the stage with the genealogy and then dives into the meat of the story. A virgin conceives a child from the holy spirit. Not just any child but the messiah – the long-awaited savior of their people. This story begins with conflict. It was a Jewish tradition for newlyweds to enter a period called betrothment. A yearlong commitment legally binding the two as if they were married. This is like an engagement today but more permanent. The expectation was for the two to remain virgins, and only after the wedding would they move in together and consummate the marriage. During the betrothment, Mary conceived Jesus, yet she and Joseph were never intimate. So, when he finds out, he questions his wife's faithfulness and plans their divorce. That is, until the holy spirit informs him of the divine plan. What a time this would have been. A genuine trial to face for the newly engaged couple. Devout in their faith, living a humble life, they would have never imagined such an intense shift in their story. However, God had different plans and chose these two people to raise the coming messiah.

Gossip

A divorce would have led to public shame and humiliation. Cheating on one’s husband and conceiving a child would have resulted in worse, in some cases, public execution. Joseph knew this. Despite the pain he felt from his fiancé's betrayal, this man decided not to share this with the community. Joseph was a fair and just man. He had every right to run Mary’s name through the mud but kept quiet instead. A visit from the angel clears up Mary's innocence, but for a moment, Jospeh felt betrayed, and Mary felt alone. If Joseph had spent that time sharing about the situation, it would not only have hurt Mary but would have hindered God’s plan. He chose Joseph for this role because he knew him to be a righteous man. He knew he would not gossip about the situation and would consider Mary’s feelings.

There is a lesson here for all of us who face difficult situations. We may have all the reasons in the world to share our issues with people, but what does this accomplish? Hurt, pain, public humiliation, the public execution of another’s reputation. We not only hurt those around us, but we, too, may be hindering God’s plan. Let us remember that Joseph felt the deep pain of betrayal for a moment. It could have been hours or weeks, but enough time to thoroughly think it through and still choose the righteous path.

Obedience

What a relieving moment it would have been for that angel to visit him. An answer to his prayers. Their life was shattered for a moment, but then the Angel visited Joseph. He reminds Joseph of his heritage, a son of David, and connects himself to the stories he’s heard his entire life. As a Jew, he would have been very familiar with the prophecies of the coming messiah from Abraham to now. However, Joseph and Mary are now given a significant role in this story. Matthew’s focus in this narrative is always Jesus, but he tries to highlight Joseph’s obedience to the Angel of God. Immediately after his encounter with the Angel, Joseph obeys. He goes into immediate action. As someone who overthinks, I must know for sure that I am taking the right path or that my information is valid before taking action. Joseph, on the other hand, was a man of action. He received the command and immediately followed. He did not need to verify with others if what he received was in fact from an Angel. He does not consult with experts or take time to think things through. No, he follows his command.

This young couple’s obedience to God would come at a cost. Indeed, they are criticized, questioned, or even mocked for their situation. People would likely criticize Joseph for believing that she was indeed a virgin. Mary would be labeled an adulterer. Yet, they hold firm to the truth of God. They did not waver in their obedience to God. How different would our lives look if we immediately acted when hearing from God? No, thinking it through, no delays, just action.

It may not always come from an Angel's voice, but God always speaks. He is the quiet whisper in our consciousness. The inner voice that compels us to act but is often muzzled by our thoughts. By our need for assurance. There is no complete assurance; Joseph still had doubts and chose to obey. Through his obedience, he got to see the wonders to come, but at that moment, even as the Angel spoke, he likely had questions. However, not letting those doubts consume him, he followed the command.

Salvation

Names have meaning; they define a person. Jesus’s name was common during his time on earth. The name Jesus means God saves. The Angel telling Joseph to name him Jesus foreshadowed the coming messiah’s primary purpose—salvation, a gift from God that we obtain through faith in Jesus. It is an invitation to eternal life, a golden ticket to heaven. In only Jesus is there salvation, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. He could have come to us with a brand-new name, something unique and powerful. God was called YHWH by the Jewish people—the only name of its kind with no vowels. Jesus could have a similarly unique name. Yet, he came with a commoner’s name, with a subtle reminder of salvation to come. A man and God in one. How graceful.

When we put our faith in Jesus, we, too, are given a new name[1]. This change symbolizes obtaining a new identity—a new heart[2]. When we read the rest of the Book of Matthew, we will see the story of Jesus’s life unfold. We will discern the true meaning of how God saves and how we fit into this. It entails an entire change in self, and there is no better way to symbolize this than with a new name.

[1] Revelations, 3:12

[2] Ezekiel 36:26-27. Notice that God replaces our hardened hearts and spirits with new ones. We cannot do this ourselves.

Matthew 1:18-25: Reflection Questions

Reflect on these questions and use the spaces below to write down your thoughts.

What is the last thing God told you? What are the whispers asking you to do? What is the first step you can take in obedience to this?

Quickly recall when you heard someone sharing information about your struggles or issues. What happened? How did you feel? From what you read about Joseph’s approach to gossip, what should have happened instead?

Now, think of a time when you shared information about someone else’s struggles or issues. What happened? If they found out, how would it make them feel? From what you read about Joseph’s approach to gossip, what should have happened instead?