Have you ever seen the aftermath of a major storm and been amazed at how many trees that once looked so sturdy and unmovable were toppled and tossed about as if they were a child’s toy?  Many years ago that was what I thought when Hurricane Sandy left her mark on the East Coast.  Countless trees were uprooted and overturned thanks to her high winds.  You could still see tree service trucks cleaning up broken tree limbs from roof tops and front lawns months after the storm subsided.  Branches of a different kind are of interest in the Bible.  Not the branches which sprout from the trees in our landscaping, but the family tree branches from which God promised to fulfill His promise of salvation in Genesis 3:15.  As the thread of this promise is woven through the tapestry of Scripture we learn that it will stem from Judah (Gen. 49:8-10) and eventually be specifically completed in the line of David (2 Sam. 7:8-16).  And it is with this thought in mind that Matthew begins his account of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus with a genealogy.  For Matthew what is about to follow is deeply rooted in one extremely important promise/agreement to one particular man, David, the son of Jesse.  We call this promise “The Davidic Covenant”.

          The Davidic Covenant carries within it three specific promises from God to David.  First, God promised that David’s physical line of descendants would endure forever (2 Sam. 7:16; 2 Chron. 21:7; Ps. 89: 3-4, 36).  Second, God promised that David’s “kingdom” would never pass away permanently.  This meant that the kingdom might not be functional at all times throughout history, but that God could always restore it.  And thirdly, God promised David that his “throne” or his authority to rule, would also never cease permanently.  This does not mean that there would always be a descendant of David on the throne in Jerusalem, but it did mean that the possibility of one of David’s descendants being able to ascend to the throne would always be a reality (2 Chron. 7:18; Ps. 89:3-4; Jer. 33:17).  All these promises relied solely on God’s ability to make them happen.  They did not rest upon David or his ability to bring them about.

          David acknowledged God’s faithful promises as his life drew to a close and affirmed them in 2 Sam. 23:1-7.  He likens God’s ability to fulfill this covenant to nature’s ability to make a branch grow and calls to mind other passages with the same imagery (Is. 4:2; 11:5; Zech. 3:8; 6:12-13; Jer. 23:5; 33:15-16).  In Ps. 132 David repeats the details of this wonderful promise: that God has sworn it (v. 11), that it is David’s descendants the promise is concerned with (v.12), and that Jerusalem is where the eternal throne will be established (v. 13).  Once again in verse 17, David affirms that it is God who will cause this branch to grow.  If you have ever seen a bush, such as a Forsythia, trimmed to the ground in the Fall send up new shoots in the Spring, this is the picture being drawn here.  Bushes are one thing, but a whole line of human descendants cut off and then rejuvenated?  Crazy, right?!
This aspect of the Davidic Covenant truly appears to be a contradiction then when the nation of Judah is led into exile (2 Ki. 25:1-11; 2 Chron. 36:15-20).  The rule of David is never fully restored after 586 B. C. for even though the King of Persia eventually allows the Jews to return to worship in Jerusalem, the nation will remain a vassal state in one form or another until 1948 A. D.!  Yet the promise to David remains a strong undercurrent in the flow of history.  Today’s Promised Land looks different than it did at the time of Jesus’ birth border-wise, but the fulfillment of the promise to David involved more than a physical throne.  It hinged more specifically on the One who would sit on the throne.  Thus, the genealogies found in Mt. 1 and Lk. 3 highlight Christ’s physical connection to David (through Joseph’s line in Mt. and Mary’s in Lk.).  Matthew is especially concerned with this in light of the role and purpose of the Messiah, whom he is establishing to be Jesus via His lineage and association with David (Mt. 1:1).

          The three aspects of the Davidic Covenant come to fruition in Christ as the rightful heir to the throne.  Christ’s reign will not come to an end (Lk. 1:31-33), Christ will sit on the throne and reign from Jerusalem (Acts 2:30), and His reign will be eternal (Is. 9:7).  The Bible is clear that the Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled (Ps. 89:28-37; Ps. 132:11; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:14-17; 20-21; Lk. 1:31-33).  These passages show there was never any doubt that the Covenant would not be fulfilled.  So, if God is so specifically faithful to His promises to David (Mt. 1:22-23), we know that all He has promised to us will be fulfilled as well (Jn. 14:26; Rom. 8:38-39; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Thes. 5:24; 1 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 22:20 to name a few!).

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            Our journey had finally come to an end.  We’d traveled thousands of miles across a vast wilderness and through the rugged Judean hills.  Jerusalem lay before us with its spectacular Temple glistening in the sun, but this was not where we were headed.  Our destination lay on Jerusalem’s southwestern side- the palace of King Herod.  We were ushered in to the main hall with great pomp and circumstance.  The man’s reputation had certainly preceded him, but we had one question that only he or his advisors could answer, so here we were, seeking an audience and hoping we would be leaving with the answer we sought.  After Herod and his sages determined the royal star we’d seen in the heavenlies had announced a king was to be born in Bethlehem, we made the short journey to the sleepy little suburb as quickly as possible.  Amazingly, after we found Him, we were warned by a dream that Herod would soon turn on us, so we left immediately taking the alternate route home.

            This brief synopsis of the Wisemen’s journey may be imaginary but it does summarize the events recorded in Mt. 2:1-23.  The Biblical account, in its succinct and direct way, also accurately portrays what history has revealed of Herod’s leadership and the reputation he held in the ancient world.  Herod took on the role of governor in Galilee in 47 B. C. at the age of 25.  By 37 B. C. after murdering several rivals, a wife and two sons, surviving a bloody civil war and using his ability to ingratiate himself with all the right Roman rulers, Herod was appointed kingship.  He did this by demonstrating unfailing loyalty to the interests of Rome. 

            His position was always precarious; not with Rome but with the people he ruled.  Herod was an Idumean, technically a “half-Jew, half Edomite”.  In the eyes of the Jewish people and according to Scripture, he was unfit to rule in Jerusalem because of this lineage.  As a client king of Rome, he also symbolized foreign domination, especially to those who were descendants of the Hasmoneans, the ruling class he had all but eliminated to gain his position.  In an effort to gain support and favor in the eyes of the Jews he had divorced his Idumean wife and married Miramne, woman of Hasmonean royalty, but the plan failed miserably.

            During the years of 25-14 B. C. a time of unmatched prosperity took place in Judea.  During this time Herod made his mark as one the greatest builders in the ancient world.  Ancient Samaria was rebuilt, a harbor port was constructed at Caesarea Maritima, luxury vacation palaces were constructed at Jericho and Masada, and a massive fortress/burial ground was built just outside of Bethlehem for him.  But Herod’s greatest attempt at placating the Jewish people was also his greatest blunder in winning their favor.  He undertook renovation of Zerubbabel’s Temple which was first dedicated in 515 B. C.  Begun in 19 B. C. the project was not completed until 64 A. D., long after Herod’s death in 4 B. C.  Although the general improvements were probably needed, the Roman insignia Herod placed over the door frame which led into the Holy Place and Holy of Holies was offensive to everyone who worshipped there.

            While Herod may have been a talented builder, he was horrible person.  Overly suspicious, ruthless, and paranoid, no one was safe from his murderous hands.  Days before his death he murdered his third son even though he had been designated as Herod’s successor.  One of his most notorious acts of murder was connected to the visit of the Wisemen.  These astronomer/astrologists had come to him for information concerning a king they determined was the reason for the celestial phenomena they’d been tracking through the desert.  When they did not return to tell him where they’d found the “king”, but knowing they’d gone to Bethlehem, he ordered the execution of any male child under the age of two in that area (Mt. 2:16) to protect his legacy.  However, just like the Wisemen who were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, Joseph had also been warned to leave Bethlehem and to take his family to Egypt (Mt. 2:13-15), which he did.

            Herod’s paranoia drove him to do unthinkable things.  He ordered the murder of those innocent children thinking that he could stop something that was ultimately God’s plan (2 Sam. 7:12-16).  Matthew notes that even though Herod intended to eliminate the child, his command actually brought about the fulfillment of a prophecy about the Messiah (Mt. 2:14; Jer. 31:15; 40:1).  Herod’s kingship was not only illegitimate, it was one marked by death.  Matthew’s exhaustive list of Jesus’ ancestors proved His kingship was indeed legal.  But more importantly, Jesus as David’s descendant gives life to all who put their trust in Him (Mt. 20:25-28; Jn. 5:21; 17:1-3).  The Wisemen knew who to trust.  But the question must also be asked you.  Who do you trust- earthly “kings” like Herod or the King of Kings, Jesus Christ? 

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            One of the things that always intrigued me about my family tree is the journey my ancestors made from Scotland to the United States.  I gaze at the copy I have of the ship’s manifest that lists their passage and wonder what it must have been like crossing the Atlantic in the 1800’s from the land where your family had been for generations to a new country that boasted opportunities for a better life.  But this week a new thought entered my mind as I read Micah’s prophecy concerning the birthplace of God’s promised Messiah.  I wondered if you had asked William Hamilton, who was born in Hamilton, Scotland in 1783 where his great, great, great, great, great, grandson would be born, would he have been able to name the year (2010), let alone the place (Batavia, NY)!  An incredible 227 years separates William from my grandson Sam, but over 700 years passes before Matthew records the fulfillment of Micah 5:2!

            This thought sent me on a mathematical quest.  Now, I am not one for figures and calculations, so I let the internet do the dirty work for me!  And lo and behold, the probability that Micah would accurately predict the birthplace of the Messiah turns out to be 1 in 2.8 times 10 to the fifth power or roughly 1 in 7,150/2,000,000,000 that Bethlehem would be pinpointed as the birthplace.  If you understand math, you are probably thinking, “Impressive!” right now.  If you’re like me and struggle with numbers, you’re thinking, “WOW!!!!”  The truth is though, that this is only one of hundreds of prophecies concerning the Messiah.  Alfred Edersheim, the well-known scholar counted 456 of them!  Imagine the probability factor with any number combination of points fulfilled and the “chance” of them all occurring is staggering.

            The most ground-breaking documentation of this nature was conducted by Professor Peter Stoner* at Westmount College.  Working with a group of students, Stoner took eight of the most well-known prophecies concerning the Messiah and calculated that the ability of one man to fulfill all eight of them would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power.  Just how big is that number?  Well, 10 to the 17th power contains 157 zeros!  That’s astounding.  But let’s put a picture with it.  If we were to take 10 tickets, put a mark on one, put them in a basket, blindfold a man, and then ask him to pick out the ticket with the mark on it, his chances of doing so is 1 in 10.  But in the realm of Messianic prophecy, the picture looks more like this.  The BIG number with the 157 zeros represents a pile of quarters, with one quarter bearing some sort of mark buried within the pile.  Even without a blindfold, what do you think your chances would be of pulling out the one with the mark the first time?  Probably as close to how accurate William Hamilton would have been in predicting where his 7th generation grandson would be born!

            There are a number of prominent prophecies concerning the Messiah’s birth.  First, he was to be a descendent of David- Ps. 110:1; 2 Sam. 7:12; Mic. 5:2.  The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in Mt. 1:1-17, 22:43-44; Mk. 12:36; Lk. 3:23-38, 20:42-43; and Jn. 7:42.  Secondly, the Messiah would be born to a virgin- Is. 7:14 (and also noted in the Septuagint- Is.8: 8, 10) which is recorded as fulfilled in Mt. 1:20-23 and Lk. 1:34.  As we have already noted, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem- Mic. 5:2 and the Gospel writers take note of that in Mt. 2:4-6; Lk. 2:1-5 and Jn. 7:42.  Three other notable prophecies concerning the Messiah’s birth (but often overlooked) include the flight to Egypt (Hos. 1:1; Mt. 2:13-15), the slaughter of innocent children in an effort to deter the Messiah’s mission (Jer. 31:15; Mt. 2:16-18), and the Messiah’s Divine Sonship (Ps. 2:7; Lk. 1:35; Acts 13:32-33; Heb. 1:1-6). Undergirding these prophecies are the great promises of God found in the Adamic Covenant (Gen. 3:15), the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3), the Mosaic Covenant (Dt. 18:15 in particular) and the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:16).  While the prophecies concerning the Messiah are important, perhaps the more important issue behind them is God’s faithfulness to fulfill the things He has promised to His people, both Jew and Gentile alike.  And finally, as Stoner concluded, “Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world.”  The “odds” make it clear.  No man could possibly fulfill all of the prophecies as well as Jesus did unless He was God and that is the whole point of Matthew’s Gospel.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.                                                                                                                               
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

*Stoner’s ground-breaking book, Science Speaks, c. 1957 Moody Press, might be difficult to find in print but there a number of articles on the internet which quote the work extensively.  See www.israelsmessiah.com/prophecy/messiah/probability.htm for starters.

                                                                                                                                             

            The air is filled with anticipation.  Excited conversations fill the arena.  Children squirm impatiently in their seats.  Adults glance at their watches to check the time.  Suddenly the lights begin to dim and the chatter softens and disappears.  The air becomes clothed in darkness until a single spotlight shines on the curtains at the back of the stage.  To the delight of the crowd, a hand reaches through them and the Ringmaster steps through the curtains.  The crowd responds with applause.  “Ladies and Gentlemen and children of all ages,” he calls out as he proceeds to introduce the famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.  After the amenities have been dispensed the eager audience is rewarded with all the thrills and surprises of “the Greatest Show on Earth”.

            We’ve all had to introduce someone to another person we know at some point in our lives.  While our introductions may not be as spectacular as the one in the circus, they are just as important.  Much like the Ringmaster who extols the daring feats of the acts you are about to see in the circus, the Book of Matthew serves as an introduction to the One whom the prophets have been promising would come, the Messiah.  Matthew does this by quoting the Old Testament 50 times and alluding to it 70 more times as he presents Jesus, first through His genealogy (Mt. 1:1-17), and then through the events of His life, death, and resurrection as well as the things He taught and did.  Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart divide the book in this way:  Prologue (1:1-2:23); Introduction (3:1-4:11); Proclamation (4:12-7:29);  Power and Mission (8:1-10:42); Questioning and Opposition (11:1-13:52); Opposition Continues (13:53-18:35) and Confession (16:13-20); Jerusalem Receives and Rejects Her King (19:1-25:46); and Jesus, the Messianic King, is Tried, Crucified and Raised from the Dead (26:1-28:20).

            Matthew does not present Jesus’ story in a strictly chronological fashion as we are prone to do when we retell events nowadays, rather he groups the important information about Jesus topically.   As you read through Matthew’s account you will find such literary highlights as The Sermon on the Mount which emphasizes that ethics go beyond the Law and into the heart (Mt. 5-7), Jesus’ use of parables in His teachings (Mt. 13:3-8, 18-23, 24-30, 31-32, 33-35, 36-43, 44, 45-46, 47-52; 18:23-35; 20:1-15; 21:28-31, 33-41, 42-45; 22:1-14; 25:1-13, 14-30), frequent references to the Kingdom of Heaven and what it means to be a citizen/disciple in that kingdom (Mt. 7:14 in association with Lev. 19:18; Mt. 16:24-27), the Olivet Discourse where Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure and return (Mt. 24), and the decisive moment where the disciples confess their belief that Jesus is the Messiah (Mt. 16:13-20). 

            One of the most striking features of Matthew’s Gospel is his frequent use of the formula, “this was to fulfill that which was spoken through the prophet…” signifying that every event in Jesus’ life happens according to God’s specific will- even the Cross.  The evidence of Scriptural fulfillment throughout Jesus’ life is quite impressive (Mt. 1:22-23/Is. 7:14; Mt. 2:5-6/Mic. 5:2; Mt. 2:15/Hos. 1:1; Mt. 2:17-18/Jer. 31:15; Mt. 2:23/Is. 11:1; Mt. 3:3/Is. 40:3; Mt. 4:14-16/Is. 9:1-2; Mt. 8:17/Is. 53:4; Mt. 11:10/Mal. 3:1; Mt. 12:17-21/Is. 42:1-4; Mt. 13:14-15/Is. 6:9-10; Mt. 13:35/Ps. 78:2-3; Mt. 15:7-9/Is. 29:13; Mt. 21:4-5/Is. 62:11 and Zech. 11:12-13; Mt. 27:9-10).  This aspect of His life and ministry stands as a testimony to the certainty that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  Jesus also quoted Scripture in reference to Himself (for example: Mt. 4:1-11; 5:21-43; 11:20-24; 15:1-9; 19:1-22; 24:25-30; 26:30-31; 27:45-50) as His own proof concerning this Divine mission and role.  A final literary piece of icing on the cake is Matthew’s inclusio, a literary device which serves as a set of bookends surrounding the bulk of what is written about a person, topic, or event.  In Matthew’s Gospel the inclusio is found in Mt. 1:23 and Mt. 28:20.  Both of these verses contain a statement about God’s presence.  Matthew is saying in an artistic and poetic way, “The Messiah has come.  He is God with us.  And here are all the things that prove it.”

            Many years ago a friend shared his unique story of faith with me and I have never forgotten it.  As a Jewish man he considered the “Christian Bible” (i.e. the New Testament) to be riddled with fairy tales and false information about God.  He was certain it was skewed.  But someone challenged him about his perception of the New Testament saying, “How do you know this?  Read through Matthew and tell me what you think.”  So to prove that person wrong he began to read it.  It turned out to be a powerful introduction to the promised Messiah and his life was never the same after that.  You and I have been sent on a mission to introduce people to the Messiah (Mt. 28:19-20).  Let’s take our inspiration from Matthew and get to it!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/