Here are a few observations I made recently after reading Matthew chapter 1. They are not real in depth but pretty basic. However, a book could easily be written on all of these points (I'm sure some have already).
1. The genealogy or Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. I think the book of Matthew is stressing that Jesus is 1) the royal seed descended from David and therefore the legitimate Messiah (cf. 2nd Samuel 7 // 1 Chronicles 17) and 2) a descendant from Abraham, the person through whom all nations would receive blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). Wow - how significant are these?
2. There are a number of flawed people in Jesus' genealogy, just as there are a number of flawed individuals in Jesus' family...and among the disciples, and among the early church, and among the patristics, and among ancient Israel, and among the modern church...a reoccurring theme in biblical and church history. This raises a good question: what is the difference between a flawed person God can work with and one he cannot?
3. The virgin birth is critical, as it allows for Jesus to be both 100% human and 100% divine. Certainly many books written on this.
4. Jesus mission is described as saving his people from their sins. What a mission. It is interesting to note that the job of the king in ancient Israel was to fight the peoples battles (see the books of 1 Samuel 8:20). Here, the text explains that it is the Jesus the king is fighting everyones personal battle - the battle with sin. Also note the need of the Hebrews of the exodus to be saved not only from the Egyptians but also from their own sin (see the golden calf incident).
5. Jesus is Immanuel. I think we all know this means "God with us." Matthew is stressing the divinity special status of Jesus by wordplay on the name of (probably) Isaiah's 8th century son (see Isaiah 7). Note the end of Matthew, where the text ends with Jesus saying "I am with you always." This must be a significant theme in the book.
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Stupid question...So is it "Emmanuel" or "Immanuel?"
ReplyDeleteI like seeing you post on NT.
The rendering in English depends on your translation. I think it is flexible. The Hebrew of Isaiah is probably best rendered "Immanuel." The Greek is more flexible, I think. But I would render it "Immanuel" since it seems to be a transliteration of the Hebrew.
ReplyDeleteAlso something I think is interesting in chapter 1 of Matthew is the 17th verse. The way the history of the nation of Israel is divided. Three main events: 1.)Abraham to David, the King 2.) from David's reign to the exile in Babylon 3.) from the exile to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Very interesting and very important.
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