I love that the New Testament (Heb. habrith hachodesh) begins with the genealogy of Jesus. I love this because the Old Testament (Heb. Torah) begins the same way with the repeated genealogical theme found in Genesus (Heb. Breshith). The phrase “these are the generations of…” is the primary, macro-structuring feature of the book of Genesis. This repeated phrase reminds the reader that the book of Genesis is all about origins (which is what the Greek word genesis means).
In the book of Genesis, we read about the origins of creation (Gk. cosmos), the origins of humanity, the origins of sin, the origins of the chosen people of Israel in Abraham and the other patriarchs, and the origins of the story of salvation. Genesis is the start of God’s salvific work.
Matthew echoes back this theme of origins by beginning with the genealogy of Jesus. While there is an echo in the sense that it repeats what is said in Genesis, it also amplifies, or expands the theological theme of origins. With Matthew, we have the beginning of the end. We have the beginning of the NEW Covenant in Yesshua, the promised messiah (Heb. meshiach).
This genealogy also reminds us that the New Covenant does not replace the Old, but rather continues and completes the story of redemption found in the Old Covenant. That the story of Jesus reaches as far back as Abraham (and Luke reminds us that the story or Jesus reaches even to Adam). God began a work that ultimately leads to Jesus.
The origins of salvation, both yours and mine, are found in Jesus.
