Matthew 1

The New Testament can be divided into four sections:  

1. The Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John (testimonies of Christ) 
2. Acts (work of the apostles, especially Peter's work among the Jews and Paul's work among the Gentiles)
3. Epistles (letters from Church leaders to the  ancient Saints)
4. Revelation (revelation received by John on the Isle of Patmos)

The Prophet Joseph Smith renamed these 4 gospels:  The Testimony of Matthew; The Testimony of Mark; The Testimony of Luke; The Testimony of John.  These are their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why are there 4 gospels?  If you have a testimony of Christ, is it the same as the testimony of someone else? Because we each have personal experiences and no one has an experience like the next "feller or gal," we are able to bring to the world a different perspective.  Our life experiences and our stage of life will influence our testimony.  My testimony has changed from when I was young--it has matured as has my commitment to study and learn.  I have to assume that the authors of the 4 gospels came from different walks of life and had different purposes for what they wrote.

This brings me to the next question:  
Why are the first 3 gospels called "The Synoptic Gospels?"  What does synoptic mean? 
Synoptic means

presenting or taking the same point of view; used especially with regard to the first three gospels of the New Testament

These 3 presented the narrative of Christ's life, ministry, etc from a point of view held in common by all three, and with close similarities in content, order, etc.  We might call it a synopsis.  With this background, I will begin sharing the questions I have had from my initial reading.  I will hopefully find answers as I read many sources available and I will share what I have learned.

The Testimony of Matthew
1.  Who was Matthew?
2.  What was his motive or desire in writing his testimony?
3.  Why was the gospel of Matthew placed first when the canonical sequence of the four Gospels, and eventually of the entire New Testament, was crystallized?
4.  Is there evidence in Matthew that shows the Old Testament will play a role in this gospel?     How?
5. Why is Christ referred to in three different ways in Matthew 1:1?
6. In what way does the name Jesus foreshadow the Savior's calling?
7.  What does the title Emmanuel or Immanuel teach us about the Savior's divine nature?
8.  Why did Matthew feel it necessary to list the genealogy of Jesus?  What was his hidden  
     message that the Jews would have understood?
9.  What would be the purpose of including Abraham in this list?
10. Why would Matthew single out 4 women to be included in the genealogy?
11. Why does Matthew focus on the genealogy of Joseph when he is the stepfather of  
      Jesus and not his biological child? What do we learn from this genealogy about the blood 
      relationship between Joseph and Mary?
12. What did it mean to be espoused and when were girls espoused in this time period?
13. How is Joseph persuaded to stay betrothed to Mary when he discovers she is with child?
14. Why is it necessary for an angel to declare to Joseph "that which is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Ghost"?
15.  What does it mean to "put away privily," and why was this action a compassionate choice  
       for Joseph and Mary?
16.  From where did Joseph get the ideas for being just or righteous?

1.  Who was Matthew?  In Mark 2:14 we learn Matthew was aka Levi, the son of Alphaeus.  He was a hated tax collector until he was converted.  This led him to follow the Savior and to become one of His disciples.

2.  Why did Matthew write this book?  What was his motive or desire?  Several commentators have suggested Matthew wrote the book to persuade the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. This was his target audience.  It will be important to identify ways in which he tried to persuade them.  Maybe place a star by evidence given.

      3.  Why was the gospel of Matthew placed first when the canonical sequence of the four Gospels, and eventually of the entire New Testament, was crystallized?  Again, it was suggested Matthew’s presentation referred most frequently to the Old Testament, making it form a most smooth and natural transition between the Old and New Testament.  He emphasized that Jesus was the Son of David—the royal lineage, which entitled Him to be called King. 

Side note:  It is important to realize Matthew was an eyewitness of the ministry of Jesus Christ.  About 42% of his account is unique and different from the other gospels.

4.  What is some evidence in Matthew 1:1 that shows the Old Testament will play a role in this gospel?

a.      The very beginning verse tells the genesis of Jesus—an accounting of His family history.  Genesis means “the beginning” in Greek.  Also, Genesis is the Greek term that was given for the first book of the Hebrew Bible.  In the Hebrew Bible it’s the beginning of the world, the earth, history, etc.  Matthew is likely wanting his readers to recall the book of Genesis.

b.    There is an Haggadah on Moses.  The term Haggadah is used in rabbinic scholarship.  Rabbinic work oftentimes divides the rabbinic materials into Halakah and Haggadah.  Halakah refers to the teachings that are about how we should live, whereas Haggadah are stories that are about the patriarchs or great figures, and they are meant to make a moral lesson, but not straightforward teachings.  They tell stories and that’s how Matthew starts out—telling a story of the birth of Jesus.  Think about Herod wanting to kill the baby Jesus because he’s afraid that he will threaten his right to the throne. The story tells of the escape from Egypt and then of a child that comes out of Egypt.  Who does this sound like? It is meant to remind us of Moses.  Jesus is portrayed over and over again like Moses or like Joseph.  Of the different gospels, it’s the most Jewish looking and sounding. 

 c.  Another important connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament can be attributed to Jesus' name. The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua” or "Yeshua."  This name draws our attention back to the successor of Moses and the liberator of God’s people--Joshua.  This is an important connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  As a descendant of David, Jesus comes as an Israelite king.  As a descendant of Abraham, Jesus comes to bless all the nations of the earth.  
d.  The genealogy selects just enough ancestors to create three sets of 14 generations, probably employing gematria (the numerical value of the sum of the Hebrew consonants of a given word).  The names in the genealogy begin with Abraham and is listed to David, David to the Babylonian captivity, and this captivity to the birth of Jesus Christ.  The 3 consonants in David’s name have specific numerical value:  D=4; V=6.  Add the 3 consonants together:  4+6+4=14.  Biblical scholars suggest the sets of 14 might be one way Matthew testified to the Jews that Jesus was truly the son of David.  Other scholars suggest because books or scrolls were not readily available as reading material for most people, these writers used patterns to make lists easier to remember.  It could be the pattern of 14 generations was nothing more than a memory device. A third suggestion is the one that most matches the first suggestion.  The number 14 is a representation of the Messiah.  This is my conclusion:  Matthew's hidden message is that Jesus is the Messiah and the Jews would have understood this.

From:  LDS Gospel Doctrine Plus:
Beginning with the next few verses, as Matthew told the story of Christ's life, he noted 14 prophecies from the scriptures available in that day--what we now call the Old Testament--that were fulfilled by Christ so that the readers, the Jews, would recognize Jesus as Jehovah, their God of the Old Testament, their Deliverer descended from the House of David.  These prophecies were noted with phrases marking them as fulfillment of prophecy.  For example, "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying..." (Matthew 1:22).  Ezra had brought these prophecies back into the life of the common Jew several hundred years before, and so the Jews were now very familiar with the scriptures and would have recognized this prophecy as they read Matthew's testament. 

Look at the following list:
FOURTEEN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES NOTED BY MATTHEW

1. 1:23 (Isaiah 7:14) A virgin will conceive and bear a son who will be "Emmanuel," "God With Us."
2. 2:6 (Micah 5:2) The Governor will come from Bethlehem.
3. 2:15 (Hosea 11:1) The Son will be called out of Egypt.
4. 2:18 (Jer. 31:15) Rachel will weep for her children.
5. 2:23 (Lost from our OT) He will be from Nazareth.
6. 3:3 (Isa. 40:3) The voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.
7. 4:15-16 (Isa. 9:1-2) The people who were in darkness will see the Light
8. 8:17 (Isa. 53:4) He will take our infirmities.
9. 12:18-21 (Isa. 42:103) He will not harm even a bruised reed.
10. 13:14-15 (Isa. 6:9-10) The people's heart gross, their ears dull.
11. 13:35 (Psalm 78:2) He will speak in parables.
12. 21:5 (Zech. 9:9-11 or Isa. 62:11) The King will come riding upon a donkey.
13. 26:56 (possibly Zech. 13:6) People come out with staves against him, although they were previously companionable
14. 27:9 (Zech. 11:13) He will be sold for 30 pieces of silver.

(Sources:  Harper-Collins Study Bible, footnotes on each individual prophecy; Camille Fronk [Olson], The Four Gospels, Know Your Religion Lecture given in Logan, Utah, January 1998; David Bokovoy, A Literary Analysis of the Four Gospels, BYU Education Week Lecture, August 2002)

5. Why is Christ referred to in three different ways in Matthew 1:1? Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew title of Messiah.  Matthew was thus, asserting the divine origin of Jesus as the Messiah. In Jesus' day, the term "Son of David" was a title for the messiah--the long-awaited Righteous King who would once and for all secure victory for God's people.  The reason for this term has everything to do with David himself. God had speically promised David that one of his descendants would be the messiah who would reign forever as head of God's kingdom. David reigned as King of Israel about 1000 years before the time of Jesus.  Therefore the Jewish people became very familiar with the prophecy as the centuries passed.  The Jews longed for the coming of the Messiah to restore the fortunes of Israel, and they knew the Messiah would come from David's line. For all of these reasons, the term "Son of David" became a title for the messiah.  While David was an earthly king who advanced the kingdom of Israel in his day, the Messiah would rule for all eternity.  

6. In what way does the name Jesus foreshadow the Savior’s calling?  Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew or Aramaic for "Yeshua."  "Yeshusa" means “the anointed life giver.”  This name tells the mission of the child born to Mary.  He was to save His people from their sins.  He came to deliver each of us from personal sin and to deliver each of us from the judgment associated with sin.

7.  What does the title Emmanuel or Immanuel teach us about the Savior’s divine nature?  He had human attributes from His mortal mother and the divine attributes from His Eternal Father and inherited powers and intelligence from Him.  He was thus “God with us.”  He was never called Immanuel, but it is a title of his divine nature and of who His father is.

8.  Looking at the remaining list of people in the genealogy, what do we learn about Jesus’ heritage?  Jesus descends from patriarchs, from kings, and commoners as well as from the Holy Spirit.

9.   What is the purpose of including Abraham in this list? Jesus furthers the promises made to Abraham.  He is the father of all nations, including the Gentiles. This mention of Abraham helps Matthew look forward to the ending of his Gospel, when the disciples would take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations.  (See Matthew 28:18-19)  These verses are called “The Great Commission” because this is Jesus telling his disciples after his resurrection to go out and proclaim the Gospel throughout the earth, not just to the Jews.

10.   Verses 3-6 references 4 women in the genealogy.  Who are they and why should these 4 be singled out?  Tamar (Genesis 38); Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21); Ruth (Ruth 2); Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12) These 4 were either Gentiles or married to a Gentile (Bathsheba).  They were also women who were under suspicion, rightly or wrongly, of illicit sexual relations.  Again this emphasis of their being Gentiles may again foreshadow the gospel being taken to all nations.

Side note:  Jesus’ mother was named Mariam, but modern convention has changed the name to Mary.  Some Greek manuscripts spell the name as Marias or Maryam. The ending of a name with "ias" means Jehovah and the "Mar" means "loved."  Marias could then be interpreted as "loved Jehovah." Mary could also be interpreted as "wished for child."  Mary could then be interpreted "wished for child Jehovah." I found this interesting and meaningful speculation.

11.    Why does Matthew focus on the genealogy of Joseph when Joseph is but the stepfather and what do we learn about the relationship between Joseph and Mary?  His focus on the personal pedigree of Joseph traces the line back to Adam.  As we look at the ancestral lines on both sides, we learn Joseph and Mary are first cousins with the same ancestral lines.

12.   What did it mean to be espoused?  The couple was engaged and this was just as sacred as if they had already married.  To breach the engagement was tantamount to adultery.  To dissolve an engagement was the same as getting a divorce—same procedure.  It might be months before a marriage would occur after the engagement.  Mary would have been betrothed between the ages of 12-15. If she was 12 it seems reasonable the engagement would have been delayed so her body could more fully develop.  The fact Mary is pregnant while espoused puts Joseph in a very difficult situation as to what to do about the marriage. 

13.   How is Joseph persuaded to stay with Mary?  Joseph had to receive direction from an angelic vision to be persuaded to stay with Mary.  He was pondering the circumstances and trying to decide the best way to proceed.  We are only given a small part of the vision he received.  It would be interesting to know all the things Joseph saw in the vision.

14.    Why is it necessary for an angel to declare to Joseph “that which is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Ghost"?  There was no way for anyone to know and declare the generation of the Son of God, except by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.  Joseph had to learn by powers beyond those exercised by mortal men that Mary’s child was God’s Son.  Until Joseph had a testimony of these things, their marriage could not be completed and their union consummated.  This had to happen so that Joseph could provide proper paternal influence during the infant and maturing years of Jesus.  He had to be shown all that he would have to do in order to be the kind of parent needed to raise Jesus.  He had to be shown all the things he would need to teach this child.

15.   In verse 19 we are told Joseph did not want to make Mary a public example and thought he would “put her away privily.”  What does it mean to “put away privily,” and why was this action a compassionate choice?  Joseph could have divorced Mary and exposed her to shame. There were only about 400 people living in Nazareth at this time and everyone knew the business of the villagers.  Mary would have been scorned and subjected to all kinds of ridicule and abuse. The death penalty was rarely, if ever, executed for this offense.  The divorce required a document with two witnesses and the rest of the world did not need to have known, but they would have known.

16.   From where did Joseph get the ideas for being just or righteous?  He knew and followed the Law of Moses.  His actions to divorce Mary would have come from this law.  Matthew focuses on the issue of public embarrassment.  Joseph could have publicly embarrassed Mary, but I believe he loved her and did not want to shame or hurt her.  It speaks volumes about his character and why he was chosen before he came to earth to perform this mission.

I am adding a short article by Randal S. Chase that gives more insight into Joseph:

The Importance of Joseph’s Role

Though he is sometimes the “forgotten person” of Jesus’ nativity, Joseph was, without a doubt, an essential part of Jesus’ birth and upbringing. His love for Mary is evident in his mercy upon learning of her pregnancy, and in his loving care thereafter as he sought in vain to find her some comfort when the day of the baby’s birth arrived.

As a man, he courageously provided for and protected the Savior’s life, taking Him into Egypt for a time to avoid the murderous plots of Herod. He was the earthly guardian of Christ, treating Him as his own son in every respect, teaching Him from the scriptures, and teaching Him the craft of carpentry to sustain Him in his early manhood. Thus, Joseph was the role model for Christ in both temporal and spiritual things.

Joseph was also the father of a later Apostle—James, the brother of the Lord, who wrote the book of James in our Bible. And he was the father of Jude—not an apostle but an inspired leader and writer who wrote the book of Jude n our Bible. All of these important sons were raised and trained by Joseph the carpenter.

Legend suggests that Joseph did not survive to the time of Jesus’ ministry. We do not hear of him in the scriptures after the time of the Savior’s youth. He may have been older than Mary. But they clearly loved each other and are eternal companions now.

Joseph remains, for me and for others, a hero—a man who did not react with macho anger or abuse but rather gentle forgiveness when he learned of Mary’s plight. His faith, his loyalty, his willingness to play the role of earthly father to the Son of God, all of these bear witness that he was a chosen man in God’s plan for the birth and childhood of His Son.

If you have something to add to what is here, please do so in your comments.  Identify which question you are addressing and what you have learned.  Feel free to post questions you have and we can work together to determine answers.  I know my questions are not terribly exciting.  I would like to spend some time finding scriptures that address these questions rather than always relying on commentaries.