Gospels Part 066
The Messiah was not only a descendant of Abraham and David, but of other biblical figures, as Matthew demonstrates in Jesus’ lineage.
An easily overlooked point in Matthew’s genealogy is that the Messiah was not just to be the descendant of Abraham and David. He was foretold to be the descendant of several other individuals too. Throughout his Gospel Matthew shows that Jesus was the fulfillment of many prophecies of the Messiah, and a number of those prophecies concerned His physical lineage. Let’s look at them:
Genesis 22:18 prophesies that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham. God tells Abraham:
“In your seed [descendant] all the nations of the earth shall be blessed . . .”
Numbers 24:17 tells us the Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. This is found in Balaam’s prophecy:
“A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel [another name for Jacob].”
Genesis 49:10 declares that the Messiah would be a descendant of Judah:
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [another name for the Messiah] comes . . .”
Isaiah 11:1 foretells that the Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse:
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”
2 Samuel 7:13 says the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Through the prophet Nathan, God tells David,
“I will establish the throne of his [David’s] kingdom forever.”
The only way this throne and kingdom could be established forever is through a descendant—the Messiah—who could Himself live forever.
Haggai 2:22-23 states that the Messiah would be a descendant of Zerubbabel:
“I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
This is written as though it’s speaking of Zerubbabel himself, but obviously Zerubbabel didn’t do all this, so it’s prophetically speaking of his offspring—the Messiah.
And in Matthew’s genealogy, we see all six of these individuals listed, fulfilling these prophecies that Jesus would be a descendant of:
• Abraham in verse 2.
• Jacob in verse 2.
• Judah in verse 2.
• Jesse in verses 5 and 6.
• David in verse 6.
• And Zerubbabel in verses 12 and 13.
So, the Messiah was not to be just a descendant of Abraham and David; the Messiah had to be a descendant of all these other individuals as well. Matthew documents that Jesus of Nazareth did indeed fulfill all of these prophecies.
Next time, we’ll look at another not-so-obvious point Matthew embeds in his genealogy.
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
