Why Does it Matter that Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham?
Matthew 1:1
Matthew opens by mentioning Jesus as the “son” of two people.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: (Matthew 1:1)
There are a lot of other names mentioned in the genealogy (Matthew 1:2-17) - what is the importance of David and Abraham?
Son of David.
Jesus being the Son of David would have reminded a Jewish reader of the promise God made to King David 900-1,000 years earlier.
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
The promised “seed” of David would be David’s descendant and also God’s son.
The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 shows that He is a direct descendant of David.
When the Jews thought about the “Son of David,” they thought of a powerful King over God’s kingdom. Matthew would demonstrate Jesus to be the mighty King over the kingdom of heaven.
Son of Abraham.
Jesus being called the “Son of Abraham” would have reminded the Jewish readers of the promise made to Abraham some 1,800-1,900 years before the first century.
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Matthew would show the Jewish reader that the promise to Abraham was ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ. The promise to Abraham was something that the Jews held dear. They found their identity in this promise. So when Matthew calls Jesus the “Son of Abraham,” he is speaking of something near and dear to the heart of the Jewish people.
What Matthew did in the first verse was to hook the Jewish reader’s attention by saying, “Jesus is the one you have been waiting for - He is the Messiah and the King.”