May 19, 2025; Matthew 1

Daily Dose of Hope

May 19, 2025

Day 1 of Week 8

 

Scripture – Matthew 1

 

Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you on this Monday, as we start a new week, with both humility and gratefulness.  You are so powerful, so holy, and so wise.  We need you.  We seek you.  We are desperate to hear a word from you today, Lord.  We also know that we have failed over and over again.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, for the ways we fall short.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Jesus, help us stay focused on you and your Word today.  In Your Name, Amen.

 

Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start the book of Matthew.  While the author does not identify himself, most scholars agree it was written by Matthew the tax collector.  He actually mentions himself a couple times in the Gospel.  The events in the book take place in the first 40 or so years of the first century.  It was actually written somewhere between 50 and 90AD.

 

Let’s keep in mind that all the Gospel accounts were passed down and taught orally for about 30-40 years before they were written down.  Each Gospel author collected and arranged these accounts to highlight certain themes about Jesus.  Mark, who we just finished, emphasized Jesus’ authority.  Matthew, on the other hand, very intentionally uses his Gospel to demonstrate the continuation and fulfillment of the whole Biblical story of God and the people of Israel.  Thus, he emphasizes how Jesus is the Messiah in the line of David, and he focuses on how Jesus is Immanuel (which means in Hebrew, God with us.)

Matthew 1 starts with a genealogy.  Sometimes, our inclination is the brush over the genealogies, but this one is pretty unique.  First, we can see the connection between the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. As we read through the names on the list, we get a picture of God’s history of redemption for his people.  Abraham and David are highlights, as both were recipients of God’s promises for the people of Israel, significant parts of redemptive history. 

Another reason I love this genealogy is that five women are specifically mentioned. This was at a time when women were basically never mentioned in the history of patriarchal societies. And here we are, five very unique and interesting women–Tamar (who was quite tricky to achieve her purpose), Rahab (at one point a prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), Uriah’s wife (Bathsheba), and Mary.  

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