“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1).
Again taking our cue from the first verse in the New Testament we will speak more particularly of Jesus Christ. In considering the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants we discovered the reasons why Matthew’s introduction of Jesus Christ stated his connection with these two men of Old Testament history. The Jews were familiar with the sworn promises God had made to Abraham and David, and with this knowledge in the public mind, Matthew’s brief statement was sufficient to give Jesus priority over all who came before or after him.
If he was that “Seed” of Abraham and that “Son” of David, then the birthright was his. He was the heir of the world, he was the rightful heir to David’s throne, and the dispenser of the promised blessings to all the families of the earth. He was none other than the promised Messiah.
In all Israel’s checkered career of persecution they were sustained by the hope of the promises made unto their fathers (Acts 26:6,7). Because of their sins, the Kingdom of Israel had been overturned and the throne cast down since the reign of Zedekiah (Kings 25; Ezek. 21 :28 ; Psa. 89 :44) .
A restoration of the kingdom was promised, however, and the dynasty, or “tabernacle of David” was to be rebuilt that the Gentiles might seek after the Lord and share in the blessings promised to Israel. (See 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Acts 15:16; Isa. 16:5).
God had promised that a King of his appointment, infinite in power and wisdom and righteousness, would ascend the throne and make the whole world his dominion of equity and righteousness (Jer. 23:5,6; Psa. 72).
In the first century we find the Jews, having returned from Babylonian captivity, humiliated and chaffing under the Roman yoke, anxiously hoping that their God would again act in their behalf as He did in the days of old. If we ponder these facts and think as they must have thought, and feel as they felt, we can understand the tremendous impact of Matthew’s announcement on the Jewish mind when he announced.
“Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
This perspective enables us to understand the enthusiasm and excitement with which the common people received Jesus when he began preaching the good news of his kingdom.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14).
Mark says in Ch. 12:37,
“And the common people heard him gladly.”
They tried to take him by force and make him king (Jno. 6:15). They said,
“Never man spake like this man” (Jno. 7:46).
On one occasion he had to speak from a boat so the people could not press upon him (Matt. 13:2).
“We have found the Messiah (Jno. 1:41).
“We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write” (v. 45).
“Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (v. 49).
These are a few of the passages that show the reaction in the mind of those who heard the preaching of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
The gospel, or good news, of the Kingdom of God was subject matter of his message as he went up and down the country preaching.
“I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:13).
And anyone who reads the New Testament will be struck by the great number of times the Kingdom of God is mentioned — it is everywhere.
Jesus appointed 70 preachers of the kingdom, in addition to the 12 apostles. He sent them into the cities of Israel where he was to also come preaching later, and he told them they could not be able to preach in all the cities until he would arrive (Matt. 10:23, and Lu. 10:1).
The whole record shows urgency in trying to perform a great work in a short length of time. And those who believed the message and became followers of Jesus did so with a zeal difficult to understand in these days when religion is viewed with indifference. They cast aside every worldly consideration that they might secure the things Jesus had to offer them.
The message of the kingdom contained the “pearl of great price,” it was the “treasure hid in the field” (Matt. 13). But why all this excitement over the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached? The blessings promised in the covenants given to Abraham and David explain it. And nothing else can explain it.
The good things promised in covenant to Abraham and David and to be realised during the Messiah’s reign, are a real, tangible solution of everything that is wrong with ourselves and the world about us. The men of war and all oppressors are to be broken to pieces (Psa. 72), the earth is to yield her increase, the evils of society are to be restrained by an iron hand, sickness and disease are to be banished from the earth, infant mortality done away with, and all natural human life extended.
And for those found worthy and acceptable by the King, death will be swallowed up in the victory of immortality. Can the human heart conceive a more glorious prospect?
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One