Why is this important?

I had a question from a church member that I think is very important for all of us. We have begun to study the genealogy of Jesus on Sunday mornings. Matthew 1:1 The genealogy of Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. The question is intriguing. Why is this important?  I have a couple reasons. First a short answer, then the long.

The short answer is that God put his genealogy into scripture. "All scripture is given by God and is good for teaching..." according to Paul. As such, we should study and learn what God has to tell us about Jesus.

The longer answer is this. Matthew is writing to the Jewish people who have been waiting for a king. But not just any king, the one who would sit on David's throne.

      Psalm 89:3-4 The LORD said,
      “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
      I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
      4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever
      and build up your throne for all generations.’ ”

To this day, the Jewish people are waiting for this messiah to come, not believing that Jesus is the one they have been waiting for. The genealogy shows that Jesus is from the line of David. His works that he has performed, his miracles prove that he is the long awaited messiah.

We do not worship a savior simply based on a story. All the prophecy of the old testament has come true in Jesus Christ. The genealogy is simply one more piece of evidence that the King has come. His name is Jesus and he is on his throne.