The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 36

of 1mrpassing excellence. In the whole human family there is no one to compare with him, per~onally, officially, relatively. (2) These titks indicate him to be the" Seed" promi~ed in the covenant, 1md the Seed to whom alsc, the blessir.gs of the covenant arc promised. God made his coven11nt "unto Abraham and his Seed." Mark, "not seeds, as of many; but as of one, which is Christ" (G~l. iii. 16). In him all the families of the earth are blessed. 2. To assert this is obviously the evangelist's intent-ion. So we understand his words, "genealogy of Jesus the Ghrist." (1) Jesus is the Antitype of all sacredly anointed persons-prophets, priests, kings. lie alone united in himself all these offices. (2) His anointing and Cbristship wero of the Holy Ghost, The oil of anointing typified the Spirit of God. (a) In its lustre. Hence the "unction of the Holy One" is said to convey spiritual teaching and heavenly knowledge (1 John ii. 20, 27). (b) In its softening, mollifying, lubricating influences. So the oil of anointing is put for the graces of the Holy Spirit. (c) Jesus was "anointed with the oil of glad~ ness above his fellows," viz. not only in the kind, but also in the degree. He received the Spirit "not by measure." (3) How favoured are the sons of Jesus! They are through him the seed of the covenant (see Gal. iii. 29). They are Christians, anointed ones, viz. in a spiritual and very noble sense (2 Cor. i. 21), II. THE PEDIGREE IS GIVEN FOR OUR BENEFIT. 1. Jesus had no personal glory from it. (I) Some of the ancest-0rs were princes of the aristocracy of virtue-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, ZerubbabeL But J-,eus himself was immeasurably superior to the best of !hem. (2) Some were perso1111 of sullied fame-Rehoboam, Abijah, Uzziah, Ahaz, Manasseh, Amon, Jechoniah. Note: (a) Virtue does not run in the blood. (b) Jesus appeared II in the likeness of sinful flesh." ( c) None are too vile to be saved by him. 2. To us it certifies his Messiahship. (1) The patriarchs from David upwards were common ancestors of Joseph and Mary. 'hie later pat1iarchs in this list were ancestors of II Joseph the husband of Mary," therefore here, of JesWJ putatively, who was II supposed to be the Son of Joseph." Yet as the reputed or adopted Son of Joseph his title to the throne of David was valid. (2) But that Jesus was also the Son c,f David in blood as well as in law is evident from the genealogy in Luke, which carries his line up through Mary, Joseph, whose father was Jacob according to Matthew, is in Luke called "the son of Heli" (viz. jure matrimonii"), in compliance with the Jewish cWJtom of tracing all genealogies through males. Every way, then, whether by law or by blood, Jesus is proved to be the Son of "David the king" (ver. 6), and entitled to the throne, (3) In these genealogies there are difficulties which we are now in no position to solve. These, however, were no difficulties to the contemporaries of the evangelists, familiar with Hebrew customs and having acceBB to the national records. It is too late, now the records are lost, for sceptics to make capital out of these difficulties. (4) But, on the other hand, the records being lost, no pretender to Messiahship can now establish descent from David. Surely the Jews, who require this mark, should be convinced that Jesus, in whom alone it is found, is very Christ (cf. eh. :xii. 23; ui. 9; :xxii. 44). (5) He is the II Son of David" in the grandest sense, viz. that of being also David's tord. Attributes of Divinity are ascribed by King David to the II King's Son" (sec e.g. Ps. l:u.ii.), which lily no pretence of II Oriental hyperbole" can be limited to Solomon. These superhuman claims, in which lie the source and secret of all the blessings of salvation, Jesus asserted for hiwself and fully vindicated. 3. It enccurage• the hope of the Gentiles. (1) Signi- ficant of this gracions end, we notice that the seed of the covenant was conveyed through younger sons. .Abraham himself was a younger son of Terah; so was Isaac of Abraham; i;e was Jacob of Isaac; so was Judah of Jacob. Phares and Zara are both mentioned in the genealogy, evidently to emphasize this principle; for here Phares, the younger of the twins, was chosen. David likewise was a younger son of Jesse, And in the family of David, Solomon the ancestor of Joseph, and Nathan the ancestor of Mary, were both younger sons (cf. Luke xv. 11-32; also Rom. ix.12, 30). (2) Note, further, that of the four women, beside the virgin, whose names are introduced, two were Gentiles, viz. Rahab and Ruth. (3) "The children of the promise," whether Jew or Gentile, ever have been "counted for the seed." It was so in the family of Abraham. It is so in the family of Jesus (Gal. iii. 29). Election is "through faith." Tho Old TcBlament begics with" the generation of the heavens and the earth;" the New, with the generation of him by whom they were created. 'J'he glory of the gospel cxceede oH, 1. 1-26.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 23