Podcast Introduction

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This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. Stick around, and before you know it, a year will have gone by and you’ll be able to say you’ve read the entire Bible. Every time I read through the Bible again, I’ve learned something new. I hope you’ll be able to say the same thing. 

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Thoughts on Matthew 1-2

Introduction to Matthew

Since this is our first reading of The Gospel According to Matthew, let’s start with an introduction, shall we?

First, the word “gospel” means Good News. It’s the good news of the salvation that Jesus of Nazareth brings to anyone who believes in Him.

Matthew was one of the twelve disciples. Before Jesus called him, Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus was on Earth, Israel was under Roman rule. And Matthew, a Jew, collected taxes for the Romans, so most Jews considered Matthew a traitor. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews, not only because they were working for the Romans but because they often took much more in taxes than were actually owed, and whatever excess they took in, they kept for themselves. And many of them became rich.

The book of Matthew was probably written somewhere between 55 and 65 A.D. during the early life of the church. At that time, most Christians were Jewish converts. This is probably why much of what Matthew wrote with a very Jewish perspective. He shows, by often quoting from the Old Testament, how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah.

The Genealogy

Chapter one begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and if you are familiar with the Old Testament, many of the names in this genealogy will be familiar to you. Some highlights are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (of course); Judah (you may have heard Jesus referred to as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”); Amminadab; Boaz and Ruth; Jesse and his son David; and Solomon.

As we read the OT, more of the names in Jesus’ genealogy will become familiar to you. I used to think that this was just a long list of boring names, but the more we learn of these men, the more interesting the list becomes.

For example, did you know that one of Jesus’ ancestors was a prostitute? Another was a murderer? Stick around.

The Birth

After the genealogy, Matthew tells us the account of the birth of Jesus. The betrothal of Joseph and Mary. That Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, how Joseph wanted to break off the marriage agreement when he learned that she was pregnant, etc.

What a special family God the father chose to raise the Messiah in. Think about this. At this point in human history, God had been silent for 400 years. Many Jews were Jewish in name only. A bit like today, in fact. Sure, they went to temple but they didn’t have a true faith in God. They lived their lives by the Law of God, not the love of God.

But this man Joseph was a godly man, and a compassionate man. When he learned that his fiance was pregnant, he could have had her stoned to death. At the very least he could have disgraced her publicly. But an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and told him that the baby Mary carried was by God the Holy Spirit. And when he awoke, he did what the angel told him to do. He married Mary.

He could have chalked the dream and the vision up to a bad meal the night before. But Joseph was a man of faith. This was the perfect man to be step father for the Messiah.

And the young girl Mary. We don’t know her exact age, but she was most likely a young teenager. And despite her youth, her faith and humility were astonishing. We aren’t told much about her here in Matthew, so I won’t spend any time talking about her here. We’ll do that when we get Luke’s Gospel.

The Timing

God waited until the perfect time in history to begin a new agreement, a new covenant, a new testament with humankind. And according to the Old Testament prophecies, it would come through the lineage of David. And both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David. And they were humble and God loving. The perfect family for the Messiah to be born into.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 GW

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