Advent Passage: Matthew 1:1-17 and Genesis 12:1-5

Like Luke, Matthew includes a genealogy in his Gospel account (1:1-17), but his purpose differs. While Luke’s genealogy focuses on Jesus’ earthly family through Joseph, Matthew seeks to establish Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises through Mary.

Matthew’s goal is evident in the first line of his gospel: “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, son of David, son of Abraham” (1:1). Matthew traces Mary’s lineage through the royal line of David’s son, Solomon, to confirm Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise to establish an eternal king from David’s offspring. In addition, Mary’s genealogy begins with Abraham, highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise of blessing.

God made a covenant of blessing with Abraham in two parts. First, God promised Abraham he would “make him into a great nation” and bless them (Genesis 1:2). Next, God vowed to“bless all the peoples on earth” through him (Genesis 12:3).

When God made these promises, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children. Another 25 years would pass before Sarah bore one child, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah certainly questioned God’s promise, but they remained faithful. Another generation (and a whole lot of drama) later, Abraham’s great-grandsons became the twelve tribes of Israel. Through them, God fulfilled His promise to make Abraham into a great nation.

Within God’s provision of the law, the Israelites experienced the blessing of living in community as a nation with God. However, God still had a bigger promise to fulfill: to bless all people through Abraham.

So, over 2000 years after God’s conversation with Abraham, Mary gave birth to the One who would deliver God’s promise to Abraham to bless all people. Before Jesus, the Israelites enjoyed community with God through the fulfillment of the law. This system required adherence to ritual standards and sacrificial atonement for sin so that God’s people could relate to His holiness. The law looked a lot like the covering God provided for Adam and Eve in their shame.

Jesus came to be the once-and-for-all covering for humanity’s sin so that all people could relate to God through Him. As fully human and fully God, Jesus took on all the things that seek to divide, distort, and destroy our communion with God. He fulfilled the law to become the way for all people to relate to God’s holiness.

When Mary sings, “From now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:50), she pronounces her place as Abraham’s descendant in the blessing of God’s people. She understood her place in the lineage, but she did not know the extent of God’s plans to bless all people through Jesus. She had no idea that we would share in that blessing and join her chorus over 2000 years later. God’s plans to bless us are always so much bigger than we can imagine!

© 2025 Lori Myers Berry

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