Study Chart 1-6
Study Chart 1-6
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Study Chart 7-12
Study Chart 7-12
Study Chart 13-18
Study Chart 13-18
Study Chart 19-24
Study Chart 19-24
Study Chart 25-27
Study Chart 25-27
Chapter Overview
Chapter Overview
Matthew opens his Gospel by answering an important question: Who is Jesus?
Matthew opens his Gospel by answering an important question: Who is Jesus?
Before describing what Jesus taught or the miracles He performed, Matthew establishes His identity.
Jesus stands in the line of Abraham and David.
He is connected to God's covenant promises, Israel's history, and the royal line of David.
The genealogy also shows something beautiful about God's grace.
The family line leading to Jesus includes faithful people, deeply flawed people, kings, outsiders, men, and women.
God worked through imperfect human history to accomplish His perfect purpose.
The second half of the chapter turns from generations of waiting to the arrival of Jesus Himself.
Mary conceives by the Holy Spirit. Joseph faces a painful and confusing situation but receives God's direction and responds in obedience.
Two names reveal the heart of the chapter:
Jesus — the One who saves.
Immanuel — God with us.
Matthew begins his Gospel by declaring that the promised King has come, God has drawn near, and salvation has entered the world.
MATTHEW CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW - MATTHEW 1 — BIG PICTURE
MATTHEW 1 — BIG PICTURE - Infographic
MATTHEW 1 — BIG PICTURE - Infographic
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:1
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 1
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 1
Matthew 1:1 — Jesus Christ: Son of David, Son of Abraham
Matthew 1:1 — Jesus Christ: Son of David, Son of Abraham
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 1
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 1
Matthew 1:1 — Jesus Christ: Son of David, Son of Abraham
Matthew 1:1 — Jesus Christ: Son of David, Son of Abraham
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Matthew wastes no time telling us whom his Gospel is about: Jesus Christ.
Calling Jesus the Son of David connects Him with God's promise of a coming King.
Calling Him the Son of Abraham reaches even farther back to God's covenant promise that blessing would ultimately extend through Abraham's family.
So the first verse is much more than an introduction to a family tree. Matthew is announcing that the long story of God's promises is moving toward its fulfillment in Jesus.
Jesus does not suddenly appear disconnected from everything that came before Him. His arrival is part of a plan God had been unfolding for generations.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:1
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:1
The opening verse connects Jesus with both God's promise to Abraham and God's royal promise through David.
Matthew is telling us from the beginning: Jesus is the promised Messiah.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
God keeps His promises, even when their fulfillment takes longer than we expect. We can trust God's faithfulness even when we cannot yet see the entire plan.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness through every generation. Help us trust Your promises even when we cannot see how You are accomplishing Your purposes. Help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, the One toward whom Your plan of salvation points. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 2
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 2
Matthew 1:2–16 — The Family Line Leading to Jesus
Matthew 1:2–16 — The Family Line Leading to Jesus
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 2
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 2
Matthew 1:2–16 — The Family Line Leading to Jesus
Matthew 1:2–16 — The Family Line Leading to Jesus
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
2 Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
4 Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse became the father of King David. David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah's wife.
7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.
8 Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.
14 Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
At first glance, a genealogy can look like nothing more than a long list of names. But Matthew is showing us the faithfulness of God across centuries.
Some people in this family line are well known. Others are barely mentioned anywhere else. Some followed God faithfully. Others failed badly.
Yet God's purpose continued.
Notice also the women Matthew includes: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the woman who had been Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. Their stories are very different, and several contain painful or complicated circumstances.
That is an important picture of grace.
God did not construct Jesus' earthly family line out of people with spotless histories. He worked through real human lives marked by faith, failure, suffering, redemption, and grace.
Then Matthew carefully changes the wording in verse 16. Joseph is identified as the husband of Mary, and Jesus is born from Mary. Matthew is preparing us for what he will explain next: the conception of Jesus was unlike every birth listed before it.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:2–16
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:2–16
God worked through generation after generation to bring His redemptive plan to its appointed moment.
The genealogy shows both God's faithfulness and God's grace.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
Our past does not place us beyond God's grace.
God can work through imperfect people and complicated circumstances to accomplish His purposes.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank You that Your grace is greater than human failure.
Help us remember that You work through ordinary and imperfect people.
Use our lives for Your purposes, and help us faithfully pass the truth of Christ to the generations that follow us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:2–16
2 Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
4 Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse became the father of King David. David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah's wife.
7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.
8 Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.
14 Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 3
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 3
Matthew 1:17 — Generations of Promise and Waiting
Matthew 1:17 — Generations of Promise and Waiting
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Matthew pauses to organize the genealogy into three great periods:
Abraham to David.
David to the exile in Babylon.
The exile to Christ.
Those periods include promise, kingdom, rebellion, judgment, exile, restoration, and waiting.
Through all of it, God's plan continued.
Human kingdoms rose and fell. Generations came and went. Israel experienced both great victories and terrible failures. Yet history continued moving toward Jesus Christ.
People living during those generations could see only their small piece of the story. God could see the whole picture.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:17
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:17
God was working through every period of Israel's history to bring about His redemptive purpose in Christ.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
We see only one small part of what God is doing. A season that feels like waiting to us may still be part of a much larger story.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, teach us to trust You during seasons when we cannot see what You are doing. Give us patience, faith, and confidence that Your purposes are greater than the small portion of the story we can presently see. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:17
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 4
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 4
Matthew 1:18 — The Miraculous Conception of Jesus
Matthew 1:18 — The Miraculous Conception of Jesus
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Matthew now moves from the long genealogy to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth.
Mary and Joseph were preparing for marriage when something happened that no ordinary human explanation could account for: Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew makes the central claim plainly. Jesus entered human history through a miraculous act of God.
Jesus is genuinely human—born from Mary—but His conception is unique.
The One whose family history Matthew has just traced is more than another link in that genealogy. With Jesus, something entirely new has happened.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:18
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:18
The birth of Jesus begins with God's supernatural action. Salvation is ultimately something God initiates and accomplishes.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
Christian faith begins with what God has done, not simply with what we can accomplish for ourselves.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank You for sending Jesus Christ into the world according to Your purpose. Give us faith to trust Your power and humility to remember that salvation begins with Your grace, not our own ability. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:18
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 5
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 5
Matthew 1:19 — Joseph Chooses Mercy
Matthew 1:19 — Joseph Chooses Mercy
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Joseph does not yet understand what God is doing.
From his perspective, the situation appears devastating. Yet even in his confusion and hurt, Joseph does not seek to humiliate Mary.
Matthew describes him as righteous, but his righteousness is accompanied by mercy.
He intends to end the relationship quietly rather than publicly disgrace her.
Joseph's understanding of the situation is incomplete, but his character is already visible. Before God gives him the answer, Joseph chooses restraint rather than revenge.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:19
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:19
True righteousness is not cold or cruel. Joseph demonstrates that doing what we believe is right should still be accompanied by compassion.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
When we do not know the entire story, we should be careful about judging quickly or causing unnecessary harm.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, give us wisdom when circumstances confuse or hurt us. Keep us from reacting in anger or pride. Teach us to combine truth with mercy and to treat others with compassion even when we do not understand everything that has happened. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:19
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 6
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 6
Matthew 1:20–21 — His Name Will Be Jesus
Matthew 1:20–21 — His Name Will Be Jesus
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Joseph is thinking carefully about what he should do when God gives him the information he could never have discovered on his own.
The angel confirms that Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Then Joseph receives an instruction: Do not be afraid.
He is to take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus.
Verse 21 tells us why that name matters: He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew therefore tells us Jesus' mission before describing a single miracle, sermon, or act of ministry.
Jesus did not come merely to teach people how to become better human beings. He came because humanity needed rescue from sin.
The Gospel begins with a Savior.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:20–21
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:20–21
Jesus' name points directly toward His mission: He came to save.
The deepest human problem is sin, and Jesus came to deal with that problem at its root.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
Christianity is not simply advice about how to improve ourselves. It is good news about a Savior who came to rescue us.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Help us never reduce Him to merely a teacher or example. May we trust Him as Savior, follow Him as Lord, and live with gratitude for the grace You have given us through Him. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:20–21
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 7
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 7
Matthew 1:22–23 — Immanuel: God With Us
Matthew 1:22–23 — Immanuel: God With Us
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
22 Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Matthew now connects the birth of Jesus with the words of the prophet Isaiah.
This becomes one of the major themes throughout Matthew: events in the life of Jesus fulfill God's earlier promises.
The title Immanuel gives us one of the most important truths in the chapter: God with us.
Put verses 21 and 23 together and we get a remarkable picture of Jesus.
Jesus — God saves.
Immanuel — God with us.
The Savior does not rescue humanity from a safe distance. God draws near.
The Christian message is therefore not merely that human beings are searching for God. It is that God has come near to us in Jesus Christ.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:22–23
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:22–23
Jesus fulfills God's promise and reveals God's presence.
The promised Savior is God with us.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
Whatever circumstances we face, followers of Christ do not face them believing God is distant or indifferent. Jesus reveals a God who has drawn near.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank You for the promise of Immanuel—God with us. When we feel alone, afraid, or uncertain, remind us of Your presence. Help us live each day knowing that You have drawn near to us through Jesus Christ. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:22–23
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 8
COLLAPSIBLE GROUP 8
Matthew 1:24–25 — Joseph Responds With Obedience
Matthew 1:24–25 — Joseph Responds With Obedience
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
SCRIPTURE — WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE
24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;
25 and didn't know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
Joseph wakes from the dream and acts.
That detail matters.
He does not receive God's instruction and then spend weeks negotiating with it. He obeys.
Joseph takes Mary as his wife and accepts the responsibility God has placed before him.
Then he performs one particularly important act of obedience: he names the child Jesus, exactly as God commanded.
Joseph speaks no recorded words in Matthew 1. His faith is revealed through what he does.
That gives us a fitting conclusion to the chapter. God has acted faithfully through generations, Mary has received an extraordinary calling, Joseph has received God's word, and now Joseph responds with obedient faith.
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:24–25
BIG PICTURE — MATTHEW 1:24–25
Faith is more than hearing God's Word. Genuine faith responds to what God has said.
Joseph's obedience becomes part of the unfolding story of Jesus' arrival.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY
Sometimes obedience means trusting God before we understand everything. The important question is not simply, “Do I know what God says?” but also, “Will I act on what God says?”
PRAYER
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, give us hearts that respond to Your Word with obedience. When obedience is difficult or costly, give us courage to trust You. May our faith be seen not only in what we say we believe but also in the way we live. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INFOGRAPHIC SPOT — MATTHEW 1:24–25
MATTHEW CHAPTER 1 — CLOSING THOUGHT
MATTHEW CHAPTER 1 — CLOSING THOUGHT
Matthew 1 begins with a long line of generations and ends with one newborn child.
That movement is the message.
For generations, God had been working.
Promises had been made.
Kings had risen and fallen.
Israel had experienced triumph, rebellion, exile, restoration, and waiting.
Then Jesus came.
He is presented as the Son of David, the promised King.
He is the Son of Abraham, connected to God's ancient promise of blessing.
He is Jesus, the Savior from sin.
And He is Immanuel, God with us.
Before Matthew tells us anything Jesus does, he wants us to understand who Jesus is.
That is the foundation for everything that follows in the Gospel of Matthew.
MATTHEW 1 — CHAPTER TAKEAWAY
MATTHEW 1 — CHAPTER TAKEAWAY
God kept His promise.
The King has come.
The Savior has come.
God is with us.
NEXT CHAPTER: MATTHEW 2 — THE KING IS SOUGHT, WORSHIPED, AND OPPOSED
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