The Good News Arrives

1.17.16

The Old Testament's promise of a messiah, a savior, is fulfilled in the arrival of the Good News which is Jesus Christ. As we explored in the Good News-Prologue, the four gospels present the arrival of Jesus in various ways. In Mark there is no mention of his birth. Jesus appears on the scene and starts his ministry. John reaches back to before the founding of the universe and connects Jesus with the very foundation of creation - the Word of God.

In the gospel of Matthew, we find a different approach. Matthew 1:1 gives a brief but powerful introduction: "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of Davis, the son of Abraham." The term messiah comes from the word "anointed".  It denotes that Jesus was different. He was set apart and special. He is understood in the historical perspective of the Jewish nation to be a King. The King was anointed, set apart, and special. Matthew's listing him as the son of David confirms that Jesus is a king. Listing Jesus as the son of David also gives Jesus the status of fulfillment to the promise God gave David that his son would sit on the throne of Israel forever (cf. 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 132:11). Matthew establishes in his first sentence that Jesus was the expected savior and king. He also writes that Jesus is the son of Abraham, which is a fulfillment to Abraham that one of his seed would be a blessing to the whole world (cf. Genesis 22:18).

Matthew's genealogy follows the line of Joseph back to Abraham. The story of Jesus' birth begins immediately following his heritage credentials with the introduction of Joseph, the soon to be husband to Mary. Matthew 1:18-25 tells the story of how an angel appeared to Joseph and convinced him that the baby was not the result of Mary's unfaithfulness, but was the result of the Holy Spirit. Being in the lineage of David and historical heir to the throne, it is appropriate that the angel would make the announcement to Joseph. It is the proclamation of an new King!

But there is a problem. In Matthew's listing of ancestors, he uses the line of descendants coming from Jeconiah. The problem here is that Jeconiah was so evil  God cursed him saying that “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.” (Jeremiah 22:30) So how can God grant Jesus the throne of David if he is a child of Jechoniah? Luke rescues us from this question in his lineage. In Luke 3:31 Luke lists David and then his other child, Nathan. Nathan was not cursed, so it is permissible for Jesus to claim the throne. 

Luke begins his story of the arrival of the Good News by telling the story from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Luke 1:26-38 we read the announcement of the pregnancy and the promise of this special Son of God to Mary. Mary is the vessel by which the whole world will be blessed! Her heritage allows Jesus to assume the throne. Luke also extends the heritage of Jesus past David and Abraham all the way back to Adam. Luke is demonstrating that Jesus is a descendant of man, as well as God. This heritage allows Jesus to atone for the sins of man, because a man must be punished by God for the sins of man. Luke demonstrates that Jesus is just such a man. 

Three things we can take away from the prologue and arrival of Good News?

1. We are the recipients of the New Testament (New Covenant).

2. We have four gospels so that we have a more complete picture of who Jesus was and is.

3. Jesus is the fulfillment of an everlasting king to David and the blessing promised to Abraham.