Matthew has introduced his Gospel with Jesus being the fulfilment of the Davidic and Abrahamic Covenant promises and gives a genealogy from Abraham to Joseph to demonstrate the human lineage and that Jesus will be a descendant of David’s kingly line.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit;

Matthew begins verse 18 with an explanation of how Jesus’ birth came about. This requires explanation because to the original audience this is a brand new concept. We take for granted our Christian legacy, we have two thousand years of writings and elaborations on the subject but to the Jew’s of the first century this was novel and it should be, because Jesus is novel.

First century Jewish marriages are divided into to stages, a betrothal which proceeds the consummation and the, for the lack of a better term, “full marriage” where the couple who have entered covenant with each other live together. In the first stage of the marriage process, Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. This in itself is a mystery and we accept it on faith, it is before they live together that this occurs in the “fuller” stage of marriage. Joseph becomes aware of this.

19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly.

Despite not consummating the marriage, Joseph is still referred to as “her husband” this is important, even in the first stage of the Jewish marriage process without the consummation, he is still considered the husband.

Joseph is a just man and since he is not aware of the divine mystery that has occurred seeks to settle this situation quietly because he does not want to shame Mary. In this culture, as is similar to our own, if a women had conceived a child from a man who is not her husband, it would call for some public shaming. Worse than our own culture, the ancient Jews would practice the public punishing act of stoning the committers of adultery. So Joseph, being just, does not want to humiliate her not see her killed for adultery so he “resolves” to send her away quietly. This would be some subtle way of ending the marriage process without any public announcement.

20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit;

While Joseph is considering how to send Mary away quietly, an Angel appears to him in a dream. On a typological note this is very interesting, Joseph receives messages through dreams very much like the Joseph of the Book of Genesis receives messages through dreams. The Angel calls to him by the title “Joseph, Son of David” this is Joseph’s position in salvation history, not a sense to diminish his role but actually to raise it. He is the one who will bestow the royal lineage through the marriage covenant with Mary to Jesus. The Angel settles Joseph’s worries, the child is not from another man but of the Holy Spirit, he should not fear to take Mary as his wife.

21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Angel continues telling Joseph that Mary will bear a son and he is charged with calling him Jesus. This is not a throw away detail, in this time period and culture it was the fathers responsibility to name the child and they would take a name from their family line to bestow upon the child. In this case the Angel says for Joseph to name the child “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Hebrew name “Yeshua” from which the anglicised latinized name Jesus comes from, means “God is my Salvation” or “God Saves”. This phrasing, if you pay attention, is a declaration of divinity in Chapter 1 of Matthew. He is basically saying “He is called God Saves but he is God and he will save his people”. Another explicit declaration is that this saving is from sins, not a worldly saving from the Romans or a restoration of the earthly kingdom, they are being saved from much deeper bonds.

22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew narrates for his audience that this event with Joseph and the incarnation occurs to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. Matthew here quotes from the Septuagint, as will most of the authors of the New Testament books over eighty percent of the time as the more modern translations like the Masoretic text do not say “virgin”. It looks very much like the Masoretes changed this translation when they wrote out their manuscripts between the seventh and tenth centuries AD to get away from this implication, who knows what else they changed to avoid Jesus but that’s my own speculation.

Matthew also tells us and his original audience what the name “Emmanuel” means and as he explains, it means “God with us” a further declaration of Jesus’ divinity. He is God with us.

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife,

25 but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

Joseph wakes up from his sleep and does exactly as the Angel told him, understanding that it was God, (“The Lord”) who commanded this through the Angel. He takes Mary to be his wife now that he knows, at least what has been revealed to him, of the divine plan for salvation.

The lectionary actually ends at verse 24 but for sake of context we will also talk about verse 25.”but knew her not until she had borne a son” This phrase is often misunderstood as implying that Joseph and Mary had marital relations after Jesus’ birth.

However, “until” (Greek: ἕως οὗ, heōs hou) does not indicate change afterward. The term simply emphasizes what was true up to a certain point without making any claims about what happened after. For example:

2 Samuel 6:23: “Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death”

Does not imply she had children afterward.

Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, to (heōs) the close of the age”

Does not imply Jesus will abandon his disciples after the age ends.

Joseph fulfills his legal role as Jesus’ father by naming Him, as instructed by the angel (Matthew 1:21). This act underscores Jesus’ divine mission—“he will save his people from their sins”—and Joseph’s integral role in God’s plan for salvation.

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

Matthew begins his Gospel with a tolodot. A toledot is a Hebrew term and framework concept for the accounts of something or generations of. The same concept is used in the Book of Genesis or Book of Genealogies. Many think that only John starts his Gospel by reaching back to Genesis, but Matthew does it right here in a rather hidden Jewish way. The purpose of a toledot is like a camera zoom on a main character of a movie, starting from the wide focus into the narrow. Here Matthew illustrates the framing of Jesus and is focusing in from the wider frame of David and Abraham.

Matthew says “the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” Jesus being the first name and Christ or Christos being the Greek term for “Anointed One”. He is establishing Jesus of Nazareth as the Anointed One, the Messiah who is to come. He then relates Jesus as the Son of David and Son of Abraham. He is obviously not the son of two men separated by history but he is a son of their lineage and more specifically the “son” of the promises made to them. The figures of David and Abraham are the two titanic prophets of the Hebrews because of the covenants made to them by God.

Abraham in Genesis 15:5 is promised by God that his descendants will be like the stars, he will also promise that he will be blessed and his descendants will bless the whole world. The covenant with Abraham is made “physical” through that of circumcision which will endure through Judaism even till today. David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 is promised by God that a descendant of his will rule on his throne and kingdom forever. Matthew is saying Jesus is the fulfilment of these patriarchal promises. It is to these promises that the Hebrews are waiting on being fulfilled.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Matthew begins the historical genealogy with Abraham, through whom the covenant was begun. Abraham is the first person to enter into a covenant with God after God disinherits the nations at Babel. He is the beginning in this sense of historical salvation history. Abraham will father Isaac, Isaac will father Jacob. Jacob will become Israel and father the twelve Patriarchs. Matthew chooses to highlight only Judah by name, as this is the line from which Jesus will come and also that this is the prophetic line of leadership, as made clear in Genesis 49:9-10 when Israel blesses Judah:

“Judah is a lion’s cub… The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

Judah will father Perez and Zerah by Tamar, this is the first woman mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy. Tamar is most likely a gentile and deceived her father in law Judah into thinking she was a prostitute and bore him children through this deception, scandalous in many ways. A curious individual for Matthew to highlight but this is not the first time he does this. Perez fathers Hezron and Hezron, Ram.

4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Ram is listed as an ancestor of David in the genealogies. For example, in 1 Chronicles 2:9-10, Ram is the son of Hezron and the father of Amminadab. Amminadab is mentioned in Exodus 6:23 as the father of Elisheba, who marries Aaron, Moses’ brother. He is also noted in Numbers 1:7 as an ancestor of Nahshon. Nahshon, son of Amminadab, is prominent in the Exodus narrative. He is identified as a leader of the tribe of Judah in Numbers 2:3 and Numbers 7:12. Jewish tradition often highlights Nahshon as the first to step into the Red Sea before it parted. Salmon is mentioned in genealogies, such as Ruth 4:20-21 and 1 Chronicles 2:11, as the father of Boaz, making him an ancestor of David. According to tradition (though not explicitly stated in the Old Testament), Salmon married Rahab, the Canaanite woman from Jericho who aided the Israelite spies (Joshua 2).

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

The second woman mentioned by Matthew is named, Rahab. Another curious choice to highlight as Rahab was a gentile and prostitute that helps the Israelites hide from their enemies. Rahab is the mother of Boaz and Boaz will marry Ruth. Ruth is also a gentile, she and Boaz will beget Obed who is the father of Jesse.

6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

Jesse is the father of King David, David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. Matthew does not include Bathsheba by name but everyone knows who she is. Bathsheba’s name can actually imply gentile origin. Bath meaning daughter and Sheba, although a Hebrew term for Oath, could be referring to the place Sheba, which was a land of gentiles, descendants of Ham. Curiously another name for Bathsheba is Bathshua which has similar connotations, since “Shua” is the name of the Canaanite man whose daughter marries Judah in the book of Genesis.

7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa,

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba and the third king of Israel. He is renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. His reign is detailed in 1 Kings 1–11 and 2 Chronicles 1–9. He is the author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and the Book of Wisdom. Key events include his request for wisdom from God (1 Kings 3), the construction of the Temple (1 Kings 6), and his later apostasy due to foreign wives and idolatry (1 Kings 11).

Rehoboam was Solomon’s son and successor. His reign marked the division of the united kingdom of Israel into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). His story is told in 1 Kings 12–14 and 2 Chronicles 10–12. Rehoboam’s harsh policies led to the rebellion of the northern tribes, resulting in Jeroboam becoming the king of Israel, while Rehoboam retained Judah.

Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, became the king of Judah after his father’s death. He reigned for three years. His reign is described in 1 Kings 15:1–8 and 2 Chronicles 13. In 2 Chronicles 13, Abijah gives a significant speech emphasizing the legitimacy of David’s dynasty and Judah’s faithfulness to God compared to the idolatry in the northern kingdom.

Asa, the son of Abijah, was one of Judah’s righteous kings who reigned for 41 years. His reign is detailed in 1 Kings 15:9–24 and 2 Chronicles 14–16. Asa is commended for his reforms, including removing idols and renewing the covenant with God (2 Chronicles 15). However, later in his reign, he relied on foreign alliances instead of trusting God, leading to criticism from the prophet Hanani (2 Chronicles 16).

8 and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,

Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah, succeeding his father Asa. He reigned for 25 years (around 873–849 BC). His reign is detailed in 1 Kings 22:41-50 and 2 Chronicles 17–20. Jehoshaphat is remembered as a righteous king who followed God’s ways. He instituted religious reforms, sent officials to teach the Law of God throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7-9), and strengthened Judah’s defenses.

Joram, son of Jehoshaphat, became king of Judah and reigned for 8 years (around 849–841 BC). His reign is covered in 2 Kings 8:16-24 and 2 Chronicles 21. Joram married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, which led to the introduction of Baal worship in Judah. Joram’s reign saw calamities, including a rebellion by Edom and Libnah and an invasion by the Philistines and Arabs. He received a prophetic rebuke from Elijah and suffered a painful death as judgment for his wickedness (2 Chronicles 21:12-19).

Uzziah was the tenth king of Judah and reigned for 52 years (around 791–739 BC), though part of his reign included co-regency with his son Jotham. His reign is recounted in 2 Kings 15:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 26. Uzziah is remembered for strengthening Judah militarily and economically. He expanded Judah’s territories, fortified cities, and built up the army. He was faithful to God in the early years of his reign, leading to his prosperity (2 Chronicles 26:4-5). Later in life, Uzziah grew prideful and unlawfully entered the Temple to burn incense, a duty reserved for priests. As a result, God struck him with leprosy, and he lived in isolation until his death (2 Chronicles 26:16-21).

9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Jotham was the son of Uzziah (Azariah) and reigned as king of Judah for 16 years (around 750–735 BC). During part of his reign, he ruled as a co-regent with his father, Uzziah, due to the latter’s leprosy. His reign is described in 2 Kings 15:32-38 and 2 Chronicles 27. Jotham is described as a good king who “did what was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 27:2), following in the godly ways of his father, though he avoided entering the Temple as Uzziah had.
He fortified Judah by building the upper gate of the Temple and strengthening city walls and fortresses (2 Chronicles 27:3-4).

Ahaz, the son of Jotham, reigned for 16 years (around 735–715 BC). His reign is marked by significant unfaithfulness to God. His story is told in 2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28, and mentioned in Isaiah 7–8. Ahaz is remembered as one of the most wicked kings of Judah. He introduced idolatry, even sacrificing one of his sons in the fire to pagan gods (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3). During his reign, Judah was attacked by Israel and Aram (Syria) in what is known as the Syro-Ephraimite War. Instead of trusting God, Ahaz sought help from the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III, offering treasures from the Temple as payment (2 Kings 16:7-9). Ahaz’s rejection of God is addressed in Isaiah 7, where the prophet Isaiah gives the famous Immanuel prophecy, a sign of God’s ultimate faithfulness despite Ahaz’s failure.

Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, reigned for 29 years (around 715–686 BC) and is considered one of the greatest and most faithful kings of Judah. His reign is detailed in 2 Kings 18–20, 2 Chronicles 29–32, and parts of Isaiah 36–39. Hezekiah led significant religious reforms, removing high places, destroying idols (including the bronze serpent made by Moses), and restoring proper Temple worship (2 Chronicles 29).

10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,

Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah and reigned for 55 years (around 697–642 BC), the longest reign of any king of Judah. His reign is described in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. Manasseh is remembered as one of the most wicked kings of Judah. He rebuilt pagan high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed, worshiped idols, practiced sorcery, and even sacrificed his son in the fire (2 Kings 21:1-9). His actions are said to have led Judah into greater sin than the nations God had driven out before Israel.

Amon, the son of Manasseh, reigned for only two years (around 642–640 BC). His reign is described in 2 Kings 21:19-26 and 2 Chronicles 33:21-25. Amon followed in the sinful ways of his father Manasseh before his repentance. He worshiped idols and did not humble himself before God (2 Chronicles 33:22-23).

Josiah, the son of Amon, reigned for 31 years (around 640–609 BC) and was one of the most faithful and righteous kings of Judah. His reign is described in 2 Kings 22–23 and 2 Chronicles 34–35. Josiah renewed the covenant with God and led the people in a nationwide commitment to follow God’s laws (2 Kings 23:1-3). He also reinstitutes the Passover celebration.

11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

The Kings: The list includes a mix of faithful (e.g., Hezekiah, Josiah) and unfaithful kings (e.g., Manasseh, who led Judah into idolatry). Their stories reflect the fluctuating spiritual condition of Israel. This concludes the kingdom (both united and divided) period. It marks a turning point in Israel’s history, emphasizing the consequences of unfaithfulness to God. This event serves as a symbol of exile and restoration, themes fulfilled in Jesus.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of She-alti-el, and She-alti-el the father of Zerubbabel,

Jechoniah’s presence is notable because Jeremiah 22:30 appears to curse his descendants, saying none would sit on David’s throne. Jesus circumvents this curse as He is born of Mary, not Joseph, preserving His legal claim to the throne through Joseph without biological descent. She-alti-el fathers Zerubbabel who was a governor during the return from exile, connected to the Davidic line and the rebuilding of the Temple (Haggai 2:23).

Zerubbabel is a significant figure in the post-exilic period of Judah. He was a descendant of King David through the line of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) and served as the governor of Judah after the Babylonian exile.

13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,

15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,

Abiud to Jacob, listed in Matthew 1:13-15, are largely unknown figures in recorded history because the Davidic kingship was dissolved after the Babylonian exile. When the monarchy ended, genealogical records for royal descendants were no longer officially maintained. This obscurity was further compounded by the turbulent period of foreign rule (Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman) during the intertestamental period.

Despite the lack of centralized records, Jewish families preserved their genealogies through oral tradition and private documentation. Knowing one’s tribal and familial heritage was important, especially for descendants of the Davidic line, who carried the hope of the promised Messiah.

This preserved knowledge ensured that by the time of Jesus’ birth, the Davidic lineage was still recognized, allowing Matthew and Luke to document His genealogy as fulfillment of the messianic promises.

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Joseph is presented as “the husband of Mary,” not the biological father of Jesus, this Matthew uses to clearly state the virgin birth. Referring back to the start of the toledot, Matthew reaffirms Jesus’ identity as “Christ”, the Anointed one. So this narrative goes from Jesus is the Messiah, zooms out, zooms in and states that first statement again. The structure is very reminiscent of a proto-creedal statement, the Hebrews focus on lineage gives a flavour of inheritance instead of doctrine but the format is the same in the sense of its catechetical nature.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Structure of 14 Generations: Matthew uses this numerical symmetry (14 = 2 x 7) as a literary device: It highlights Jesus as the culmination of history, the “seventh seven,” symbolizing divine completeness and rest or sabbath day. In Hebrew, the name “David” (דוד) has a numerical value of 14, reinforcing Jesus’ Davidic identity. The numerical symmetry is not just literary device, Matthew did not come up with this on his own. The Holy Spirit through the author is announcing that patterns that God has worked in. Many see the genealogy as a boring list of names but if you have ever heard the concept of “God draws straight paths with crooked lines”, nothing really summarises that as efficiently as Matthews very own introduction to his written witness of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus and his close disciples have just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration. This is where Jesus’ divine glory is shown to the inner circle of apostles and Moses and Elijah have appeared to speak to Jesus about the Exodus he is to accomplish later at Jerusalem. Jesus has commanded his disciples to tell nobody of what they have seen until after his resurrection.

10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

The disciples posit the question to Jesus, after seeing Elijah at Jesus’ Transfiguration and being told to say nothing until after the resurrection “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”. It is important to clarify a few things here about what the Jews believed.

The disciples knew their scriptures even if they were, as some scholars suggest, illiterate. The practice of memorizing the Law from a very early age was the standard and further study on the Prophets was common too. The important component for context here is that the Scribes occupied the position of authoritative interpretation of the Law. So the Scribes say, as according to Malachi 4:5-6, that Elijah must come before the day of the Lord. They knew this prophecy from their studies but the authorities of the Law add the gravity to their understanding, they do not interpret scripture by themselves. They have just seen Elijah appear, so obviously, they’re thinking “oh this is it” but Jesus is going correct this in interpretation.

11 He replied, “Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things;

Jesus confirms the prophecy of Malachi, Elijah does come and he is going to restore sons to their fathers and all things but the way he comes is not what they just observed.

12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.”

Jesus continues telling the disciples that Elijah has already arrived and he was not recognised when he came. “They did to him whatever they pleased”. This is of course in reference to John the Baptist who came in the spirit of Elijah and was imprisoned and killed. Then Jesus says, “So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands”. Jesus invokes the divine messianic title of his as he says that he will suffer something similar to that of John. He will be arrested and killed.

13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

This explanation that Jesus gives seems to suffice for his disciples to understand that he was referring to St John the Baptist. A rare moment considering usually they are more confused by his explanations.

Jesus has just finished telling the crowds how great John the Baptist is, that he is the culmination of all the prophets up to this point but many in the crowd do not acknowledge John or Jesus as who they really are.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates,

Jesus addresses the crowds surrounding him and asks what he should compare them to. He refers to them as “this generation” which is a term coated with Old Testament connotations as this was the language used to describe the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness who rejected God. Typically thought of as the “wicked generation”. This phrasing can be seen in Numbers 32 and Deuteronomy 1. So although he is referring to his contemporaries he is also comparing them to the wicked generation who rejected God.

Jesus gives a short parable to make his comparison clear. He speaks of children sitting in the public areas around a market who call to their playmates. A little explanation is necessary to explain some of the following verses extending from part B of verse 16. In this time and place, young boys were used to sing, play music and dance at weddings and girls were used in solemn mourning practices of funerals.

17 ‘We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

One group of children calls to another that they “piped” or played something equivalent to a flute and the other children do not dance for the wedding festivities. Another wails for the funeral mourning practices the others do not mourn. Jesus will clarify later that the leader of these little bands are himself and John.

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’;

John is presented as the leader of the wailers who are to call people to mourn and lament, he does this through ascetical practices like fasting and abstaining from alcohol as a witness to his call for peoples repentance but the people do not respond to him as they should, like the little children in the parable, when John wails, the people do not mourn, in fact, they go so far as to accuse him of being possessed.

19 the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Jesus calling himself by the Messianic Title says that he comes as the piping and dancing child but the people do not respond correctly. They again, like John, accuse him of evil things. Considering the pipes and dancing aspects of weddings, its fitting that Jesus applies this part of the parable to himself as scripture does confirm him to be the divine bridegroom. It is supposed to be a sign of joy for the people but instead they spread calumny about him and call him a drunkard. The truly wise will understand these signs but the truly wise are humble whereas the intelligentsia of ancient Palestine were very learned but not humble.

The point is that whether the people are presented with a sign of sombre repentance like John, or a sign of joy like the Messiah, this generation refuses to play ball with either. It isn’t that they reject the way they do their ministries, it’s that they reject those who have been sent by God. Jesus later will say that “this generation” does not know how to understand the times and signs presented to them.

Before these passages take place, disciples of John the Baptist have been sent by John, who is in prison, to inquire of Jesus’ ministry. They to ask if Jesus is the one who is to come or should they wait for another. This perceived doubt is on the part of the Baptist’s disciples, not John’s. We know this since it was John himself who will point Jesus out as the Lamb of God and who must increase whilst he decreases before his imprisonment.

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Jesus begins with “truly” but he actually says “amen”, which is a residual trace of the Aramaic that Jesus was speaking. By prefacing His statements with “Amen,” Jesus emphasizes His own authority to declare absolute truth.

Then he says that among those “born of women” no one has risen greater than John the Baptist. This phrase represents life in the natural order, under the conditions of sin and death inherited from Adam and Eve. Eve receives her name because she is the “mother of all the living”.

The word (meizon) means “greater” or “superior” and can indicate preeminence in various ways, such as dignity, importance, authority, or moral excellence. The context of the passage suggests that John’s greatness is not material or worldly but spiritual and tied to his role in God’s plan as the forerunner of Christ. The verb egeiro, (“has risen”) often connotes being raised up by God, emphasizing divine commissioning that was extended to the Prophets before him rather than individual human sanctity.

All the prophets up to this point in salvation history have played their part in a timeline, the greatest of these will be John since he is the one that proceeds the Messiah, the greatness is that of proximity to the Christ who every other prophet and patriarch as been oriented toward.

Jesus juxtaposes all of these prophets including John, being the greatest, with the least in the New Covenant. The least in the New Covenant, the Kingdom of Heaven, will be greater than John was. This speaks to what Paul was referring to in Galatians 4:7 “So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.” The Old Covenant relationship was that was of servitude, in the New Covenant our very nature is transformed by Christ through Baptism, we are no longer born of women but born of the Spirit. We are now Son’s of God, occupying the trifold office of Prophet, Priest and King in Jesus Christ, so even the least, is higher in the state of order than John. This is not to say John and the prophets of old are excluded from Heaven just in the order of time that it arrives.

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force.

This verse can be really confusing and there are a lot of varied interpretations of it. In the time period between Johns ministry “until now” which is typically perceived as a two year period as we are in approximately the second year of Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and men of violence take it by force.

“Suffered violence” ( biazetai in Greek). This verb can be understood as either passive (“is being subjected to violence”) or middle voice (“is forcefully advancing”). If it is passive then the kingdom is under assault by external forces but if the middle voicing is used then the kingdom is advancing with forceful effort. The same with the phrase “Men of violence” we have biastai which similarly could mean those who attack the kingdom, like the Pharisees for example or it could mean those who zealously fight for it like the Apostles. The nature of the word choices make the interpretation very difficult, both views are acceptable and are true.

Personally I am inclined toward the forceful advancement of the Kingdom by the Apostles, this comes from the context of the previous Chapter of Matthew where the disciples are granted authority to exorcise demons by Jesus. They begin their part in the divine conquest of the Kingdom of Heaven just before this episode with John’s disciples approaching Jesus begins.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John;

Now Jesus positions both the Prophets and the Law as the prerequisite to John himself, although many prophets lived to see the immediate and lesser fulfilments of their prophecies, like Jeremiah, the true fullness of Salvation history pointed toward Christ which they did not see and neither did Moses who was the writer of the Law but it still points toward Jesus. John on the other gets to see the person that is the fulfilment so the prophets and the law only prophesied until John, they only got to look forward to what would happen whereas John sees it.

14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

Jesus here posits John the Baptist as “Elijah who is to come”. Elijah was expected to return to prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah and the final judgment. His role was one of reconciliation and restoration.

Malachi 4:5-6 says “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

The Jews knew that the forerunner would be Elijah and Jesus says “if you are willing to accept it” referring to the spiritual blindness of his contemporaries, that John is the fulfilment of this expectation. Earlier in the Gospel accounts, John is described as being dressed like Elijah and coming in his spirit.

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

In verse 15 Jesus uses a phrase he has used elsewhere. All people have ears to hear, at least most people do, so Jesus is referring to a type of hearing that requires a disposition change. Considering the context of other moments this is used, like the parable of the sower and in John’s Revelation, it is obviously a type of spiritual hearing, particularly that of humility.

Todays Gospel readings from the lectionary are the conclusion of Matthew Chapter Eleven. Proceeding this, Jesus has heard of the imprisonment of his cousin John the Baptist. He questions the crowds of why they even went out to see John in the wilderness if they did not believe him to be a prophet and if they did, why did they not hearken his message? Jesus quotes Malachi 3:1 ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.’. Positioning John as a forerunner and he himself as the Lord. Jesus then proclaims his woes on the cities he had done works in but who did not repent. He then thanks his Father for revealing what has been revealed the humble and not the wise. He concludes with:

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus invites all who labor and are heavy laden. The Hebrew people have been heavily bound by the Mosaic Law in general and it offers no rest or salvation.

Jesus will go on to say later in Matthew 23:4 “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people ‘s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”. He is talking of the Pharisees who had the right to bind and loose the religious observances of the Jews and they did not make it easy. The whole point of the observance of the Law was to bring people to God but as Jesus will say elsewhere, the Pharisees in their legalism and misunderstanding will lead many to hell.

Jesus is positioning himself as the avenue to be closer to God, the mystery of the Incarnation itself is that of “God with us”. The Greek word for rest is Anapauō which in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures carries a divine tone. The Sabbath rest on the seventh day of creation, when the Lord gave the people rest in Joshua 21:44 and David in the Psalms speaks of the rest that the Lord will give.

It may seem like Jesus is talking about the busy work day and in the anagogical he is but in the literal sense, Jesus is promising that in his person is the eschatological Sabbath rest in God. He is not offering rest in a particular maxim or law but in his person. “I will give you rest”.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus offers his “yoke” or zygos in Greek. This was essentially a wooden device that would fit around a beast of burden like an Ox in order to plow a field. Its spiritual usage was in that of oppressive laws, for example the yoke of the Pharisees or the yoke of slavery. A slave might not literally have any chains at all but he is still legally owned and bound by another individual. The same would go for observant Jews who do as the Pharisees say, as they sit in the seat of Moses. They might not be physically attached to a yoke but the oppressive Laws placed upon them by the Pharisees were like a spiritual yoke.

Jesus in contrast to the yoke of worldly slavery, the yoke of pharisaic legalism and the troubles of the times offers his yoke and by doing so, learn from him for he is gentle and “lowly in heart”. Lowly in heart means he is humble. It is in this yoke of gentleness and humility of the person, Jesus Christ that our Souls will find the eschatological Sabbath rest.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus tells us that his yoke is “easy”. The Greek word here is chrēstos which does not really translate very well. It properly means “fit for use” or “virtuous” so essentially we could see it as his yoke is the correctly ordered one for us. After contrasting again his yoke with those of his time he also contrasts the burdens. His burden is light. Again it is in the person of Jesus that this light burden is found. It is still a load that we have to carry but it is lighter than what the world extends to us.

We are in Chapter 18 of Matthew which is considered the Church Chapter. It contains many sayings of Jesus which are considered to be the instructions to the Apostles about how they are to act and manage the New Covenant community when Jesus is gone. He has spoken about how they must become like a little child and that anyone who misleads these littles ones should be thrown into the sea. He also laments the temptations people have to sin but especially to those who are the cause of temptation in others.

12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?

In this time period agriculture was the way of life so Jesus tells a parable with imagery of a shepherd and his sheep. These are common things to his listeners and he uses the common elements to teach things that are maybe not so common to them.

He announces a common scenario where a shepherd loses one of his sheep. Jesus uses this as an ontological leverage point to demonstrate how God perceives those who are lost from his fold. The man loses one of his sheep and he will willingly leave his other ninety-nine in the safety of the mountains in order to pursue the one who is lost. From the perspective of his audience this is obvious, of course the shepherd would do this but Jesus uses this to teach them how God functions.

13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

When the man finds it, he will rejoice over the lost sheep being found more than he does over the ninety-nine that never left. The reason why finding the sheep causes him to rejoice, as Jesus audiences knows, is because sheep are valuable to the owner.

14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Jesus closes the lever of the parable, pointing to what it was ontologically referring to. Just as the man rejoices, so it is not the will of God the Father should lose a little one, because they are valuable to him. This could mean literally littles ones as in children but it could also mean those new to the faith. Since this takes place in the “Church” chapter of Matthew, it would make sense that it applies to both. Jesus is teaching his disciples the necessary pastoral approach they are to have to children literally and to children in the faith when they go astray. They are all valuable and God the Father wishes us to find every single one of them regardless of how we may personally feel about it.