Lesson overview:

“This lesson walks through Matthew 1–2, where Jesus enters the world through real people, real families, and broken stories. You’ll see why Matthew starts with a genealogy, how God works through imperfect family lines, and why your past doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus today.”

When we open the New Testament, many of us expect fireworks right away—angels, miracles, bold declarations from heaven. Instead, Matthew begins with a genealogy.

Names. Generations. Family lines.

It’s the part of Scripture most people skim, yet Matthew deliberately slows us down. He wants us to understand something before Jesus ever speaks a word: Jesus did not arrive in isolation. He stepped into real history through real people.

Matthew introduces his Gospel like this:

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)

With one sentence, Matthew connects Jesus to two promises: the covenant with Abraham and the royal line of David. This is not a detached Savior. This is a Messiah deeply rooted in humanity.

The Stories God Did Not Erase

As the genealogy unfolds, Matthew does something unexpected. He includes people whose stories are complicated, painful, and even scandalous.

There is Tamar, whose life involved deception and desperation. Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho. Ruth, a Moabite—an outsider to Israel. Bathsheba, identified not by name but through the tragedy surrounding her.

Matthew didn’t have to include these names. Ancient genealogies often excluded women altogether, especially those associated with shame. Yet Matthew highlights them.

Why?

Because from the very beginning, Matthew is teaching us that God’s redemptive work does not require clean backstories or perfect lineage. It moves through brokenness, repentance, and grace.

For anyone who has ever looked at their family history or personal past and thought, “God works through other people, but not through this,” Matthew offers a gentle correction. God has always worked through imperfect people.

By the time the genealogy concludes, the message is unmistakable: God’s plan does not stall because of human failure. His purposes move forward through willing hearts.

Righteousness That Chooses Mercy

After tracing Jesus’ lineage, Matthew narrows his focus to Joseph.

Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, and he knows the child is not his. The situation is devastating. His reputation, his future, and his understanding of what God is doing all seem to collapse at once.

Scripture describes Joseph as “a just man,” but notice how that justice expresses itself:

“Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” (Matthew 1:19)

Joseph’s righteousness is not loud or vindictive. It is merciful.

Before Joseph receives any divine explanation, he chooses compassion over humiliation. Then God speaks into his confusion through an angel, beginning with two familiar words: Fear not.

God often says this when obedience feels most costly.

Joseph listens. He trusts. He stays.

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.” (Matthew 1:24)

This is what faith sometimes looks like—not dramatic gestures, but quiet obedience when no one is watching.

God With Us

Matthew pauses again to explain the meaning of Jesus’ birth:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Then he adds:

“They shall call his name Emmanuel… which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

This is not a distant God observing from heaven. This is not a God waiting for humanity to improve itself.

This is God with us—entering human weakness, stepping into ordinary life, choosing presence over distance.

When Light Reveals the Heart

In Matthew chapter 2, the story shifts again. Wise men arrive in Jerusalem asking where the newborn King can be found. Their response is joy, worship, and generosity.

Herod hears the same news and is deeply troubled.

Same child. Same announcement. Completely different reactions.

The presence of Jesus reveals what is already inside the human heart. For some, His nearness brings peace and wonder. For others, it feels like a threat to control and power.

Jesus does not force worship. He invites it.

You Are Not Disqualified

Before Jesus preaches a sermon or performs a miracle, Matthew makes something clear:

Your past does not disqualify you.
Your family history does not disqualify you.
Your mistakes do not disqualify you.

Jesus came through broken people so broken people would know they belong.

Your story is not a barrier to Christ. It may be the very place He chooses to enter.

He still comes quietly.
He still comes gently.
He still comes with us.

Next Lesson:

In Day 2, we move into Matthew chapters 3 and 4, where John the Baptist calls people to repentance and Jesus steps forward to be baptized—marking the beginning of His public ministry.

The journey has just begun.

Time Stamp:

  • 0:00 – Welcome and 26‑week New Testament journey

  • 0:24 – Introduction to Matthew’s gospel and today’s focus

  • 0:59 – Reading Matthew 1:1 and why the genealogy matters

  • 1:26 – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba: difficult names in Jesus’ family line

  • 2:18 – Main principle: Jesus comes through broken stories, not perfect families

  • 2:53 – Turning to Joseph’s story in Matthew 1:18–19

  • 3:23 – Joseph’s quiet mercy and choosing kindness before revelation

  • 3:50 – “Fear not”: the angel’s message and Joseph’s obedient discipleship

  • 4:21 – Jesus as Savior and “Emmanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:21–23)

  • 4:46 – Matthew 2: wise men, Herod, and how different hearts respond to the same Jesus

  • 5:23 – Reflection: When Christ draws near, do I feel peace or threat? What gift can I bring?

  • 5:47 – Core takeaway: your family history, past, and mistakes do not disqualify you

  • 6:15 – Closing blessing, invitation to subscribe and share, preview of Lesson 2 (Matthew 3–4)

Transcript:

0:00
Hello and welcome to Gospel First. I'm your host, Joe Cerillo, and I'm grateful that you're here. Today, we begin a 26‑week journey through the New Testament.

0:09
Not to rush through scripture, but to let scripture shape us slowly. From Monday through Friday, we'll spend 10 intentional minutes a day—small, faithful moments that over time form a life of trust.

0:21
Now today we begin at the very start of Matthew's gospel, where Jesus enters the world through real people, real families, and real stories. So let's begin together.

0:54
Today we are studying Matthew 1:1–17. Matthew opens the gospel with these words in verse one: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

1:06
Now, most of us tend to skim genealogies, don't we? They feel distant and difficult to connect to. But Matthew does not rush past it. He leans into it because Jesus did not arrive out of thin air. He entered a real family line.

1:22
And Matthew also intentionally includes difficult names. Tamar—she's connected to deception and scandal, which is found in Matthew 1:3. Rahab—she's a prostitute from Jericho (Matthew 1:5). Ruth—a Moabite, an outsider to Israel (Matthew 1:5). Bathsheba—she's referred to as “the wife of Uriah” (Matthew 1:6).

1:50
Matthew did not have to name these women, but he does. Why? Because from the very first chapter, Matthew teaches us this truth: that Jesus comes through broken stories, through repentance, failure, and grace.

2:04
If you've ever looked at your own family—past or present—and thought, “God works through other people, but not through this,” Matthew gently says, “Look again.”

2:17
So what's the principle here? Matthew 1:16–17 shows that God's redemptive work does not require perfect family lines—only willing hearts.

2:28
Then in Matthew 1:18–2, Matthew turns our attention to Joseph. When, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18).

2:43
Now, Joseph knows the child is not his. And scripture tells us in Matthew 1:19 that “Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily”—in other words, privately.

3:02
Now Joseph, you can tell that he's hurt. He's confused and likely ashamed. But notice how righteousness appears here: not in his anger, not in his punishment, but in his mercy.

3:14
Before Joseph ever receives revelation, he chooses kindness. Then in Matthew 1:20, the angel speaks: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.”

3:27
“Fear not.” God often speaks those words to people standing at impossible crossroads. Joseph listens. He obeys. He stays.

3:40
Then Matthew 1:24 says, “Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.” Sometimes discipleship is quiet. Sometimes it looks like faithful obedience when no one is watching.

3:54
Here are two questions that you might want to reflect on: Where am I choosing mercy when judgment would be easier? Do I believe quiet faithfulness matters to God?

4:03
Now, let's go to Matthew 1:21–23. Here is where Matthew pauses to explain what all of this means: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.”

4:18
Then he adds, “They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14).

4:32
Not God above us, not God disappointed in us, not God waiting for us to fix ourselves. God is with us. Jesus does not rescue humanity from a distance. He steps fully into mortal life.

4:46
Now we turn to Matthew chapter 2, where the wise men arrive in Jerusalem asking, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”

4:55
Now King Herod here reacts very differently. In verse three we read, “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

5:06
Notice that it's the same child, but very different hearts. Light always does this—it reveals what is already inside of us, doesn't it?

5:14
The wise men rejoice in Matthew 2:10. They fall down in worship (Matthew 2:11). They open their treasures. But in verse 16, Herod clings to power, and fear turns violent.

5:28
Here is the quiet truth: Jesus never forces anyone to worship him. He invites.

5:38
Here is something to reflect on: When Christ draws near, do I feel peace or threat? What gift might I place before him today?

5:47
So, in closing, have you ever thought, “My family history disqualifies me. My past disqualifies me. My mistakes disqualify me”?

5:59
Matthew answers before Jesus ever preaches a sermon. The answer is no. Jesus came through broken people so broken people would know they belong.

6:06
Your story is not a barrier to Christ. It may be the very place he chooses to enter. Matthew 1:23 says that he still comes gently, quietly—with us.

6:15
So, thank you for being with us today. May the Spirit continue to fill your heart and draw you closer to Jesus Christ.

6:24
If this message blessed you, I invite you to subscribe and share it so that we can spread the gospel of Jesus Christ together.

6:34
I'll see you in lesson two, where we will cover Matthew chapters 3 and 4. See you then. God bless.

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