Matthew 1-4, Chuck Smith teaching (C2000, 1979 to 1985)

Read as you listen: Chuck Smith on Matthew 1

Read the opening of his teaching

Let's get into the Gospel According To Matthew.

Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaum before he was called by Jesus Christ to be a disciple. He was also called Levi.

And he opens his gospel by giving to us the genealogy of Jesus Christ back to Abraham, as he said in chapter one, verse one,

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (1:1).

Now the Lord had promised to Abraham, "through thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed"(Genesis 22:18). By that was understood that from Abraham's seed the Messiah would come, the one who would be a blessing to all of the nations of the earth. So anyone who would seek to lay claim as the Messiah, would first of all have to be able to prove that he was a descendant of Abraham because God had made that special promise to Abraham.