Matthew's Specific Purpose.
Matthew opens his Gospel in a way that feels unusual to modern readers: with a genealogy. Today, many people skim past long lists of names, but Matthew’s original Jewish audience would never have done that. For them, a genealogy was a declaration of identity, legitimacy, and covenant standing. It told you who someone was, where they came from, and whether they had the right to make the claims they were making. That’s why Matthew begins with the bold thesis of Matthew 1:1; Jesus is the Son of Abraham, the child of promise, and the Son of David, the rightful King. Before Matthew tells a single story about Jesus’ life, he tells you exactly who Jesus is.
Matthew’s genealogy is not simply a historical archive; it is a theological announcement. Matthew writes as an evangelist, not a modern historian, and he shapes the genealogy to proclaim Jesus’ messianic credentials. His goal is to show that Jesus stands in continuity with Israel’s story fulfilling the long-awaited promise of a Davidic King. Every name in the list is chosen to reveal something about God’s faithfulness and Jesus’ identity. Matthew is not trying to satisfy modern expectations of precision in a historical sense. Matthew is strategically building a case for Jesus as the rightful heir of David’s throne. Genealogical records prior to the 17th century were typically flawed and incomplete. The Bible is frequently criticized for its inaccurate records. These criticisms come without a recognition of the progression of historical communication and the intention of so called historians throughout history.
14-14-14 Structure
One of the clearest examples of this purpose is Matthew’s famous 14–14–14 structure in Matthew 1:17. Matthew divides Israel’s story into three major movements: from Abraham to David, where God’s promise is established; from David to the Babylonian exile, where the kingdom rises and then collapses; and from the exile to the Messiah, where Israel waits for restoration and fulfillment. These three eras are not just historical markers for Matthew but reveal God working to prepare a way for Jesus. Matthew highlights the number fourteen because, in Hebrew gematria, the name “David” adds up to fourteen. Gematria is a traditional Jewish method of assigning numerical values to Hebrew letters. Every Hebrew letter has a number attached to it. When you add the letters of a name together, you get its numerical value. David would be a 3-letter word who sum is 14.
(ד (Dalet)=D with value of 4, ו (Vav)= V/W with a value of 6, ד (Dalet)=D add another value if 4.
Now add them: 4+6+4=14. By repeating this number three times, Matthew is emphasizing David’s name like a drumbeat. He wants the reader to see that Jesus is the true Son of David, the long‑awaited King who brings Israel’s story to its climax. The structure itself is a message.
Not Historical Accurate
The strategic nature in contrast to its historical accuracy is obvious. When you compare Matthew’s genealogy to the Old Testament, you notice that the chronology doesn’t line up perfectly. The period from Abraham to David spans roughly a thousand years, with long patriarchal generations, while the period from David to the exile covers about 424 years with rapid royal succession. Matthew compresses these eras intentionally. The genealogy is not inaccurate; it is selective. Ancient genealogies often skipped generations to highlight key figures or create memorable patterns. Matthew’s structure serves meaning, not precision, and his audience would have understood that immediately.
In fact, the Old Testament itself shows that Matthew intentionally omits certain kings Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, and Jehoiakim. 1 Chronicles and 2 Kings confirm their place in the royal line, but Matthew leaves them out to maintain his theological structure. This wasn’t deceptive or contradictory. Matthew was not misinformed nor did he make a mistake. This was normal Hebrew practice. In biblical language, “father of” can mean “ancestor of,” and “son of” can mean “descendant of.” Genealogies in Scripture often function this way, including Ezra’s. No first‑century Jewish reader would accuse Matthew of error because they understood the conventions he was using. Matthew is shaping the story to highlight its meaning, not hiding information.
Jesus: Son of David
This emphasis becomes even clearer when you look at how Matthew uses the title “Son of David.” The phrase appears nine times in the Gospel (ten verses if counted individually), and Matthew places it at key moments. He begins his gospel with it in the beginning, repeats it throughout Jesus’ healing ministry, during the Triumphal Entry, and even in Jesus’ own teaching in Matthew 22. What’s striking is who uses the title: blind men, a Canaanite woman, crowds, and children. Those on the margins recognize Jesus’ kingship before the religious leaders do. And while “Son of Abraham” appears only once, “Son of David” dominates the Gospel, showing that Matthew’s primary focus is Jesus’ royal identity.
What is meant by the title I will only briefly mention. It should not be understood in a merely political sense. In Matthew 22:41–46, Jesus affirms His descent from David but challenges the narrow expectations attached to it. By quoting Psalm 110, Jesus shows that the Messiah is not only David’s son but also David’s Lord. His kingship is not limited to earthly politics; it is divine and eternal. Jesus fulfills the title, but He also expands it beyond what anyone expected.
All of this leads to Matthew’s larger theological message. The genealogy is a declaration that God governs history with purpose and validates Jesus’ claim to the title, “Son of David”. Human failure, even the collapse of a kingdom, cannot overturn God’s promises. Jesus stands at the climax of Israel’s story, the fulfillment of the covenant, and the center of redemptive history. Matthew wants his readers to see that the arrival of Jesus is valid and intentional. It is the moment toward which the entire biblical story has been moving.
In the end, Matthew’s genealogy matters because it roots Christianity in real history. Jesus is not a spiritual idea or a mythic figure. He has real roots and did not appear from thin air. He is the promised King who stands in the line of Abraham and David. The genealogy announces that God keeps His word and that all of history bends toward Christ. Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy because he wants us to understand from the very first sentence that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything God promised.
