Matthew 1:1 says, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." The book of the genealogy is, in Greek, the title of the 'Book of Genesis,' pointing to a new beginning. This may not seem like the most exciting way to start a story, but it is essential for the Jewish people. To understand the point of this passage, you need to know that Matthew was written to convince Jews that Jesus was God's Messiah. Now a Jew would have at least two questions: one, was Jesus an Israelite, and two, was he an heir to David's throne?

Joseph adopted Jesus as his son, which made him an heir to the Davidic throne, and the genealogy stops at Abraham because the questions were answered. Two important points stand out in this first chapter of Matthew. First, God kept his promises by working through people in King David's line, even in dysfunctional families and sexual sinners. Second, God brought Christ into the world through the miracle of the virgin birth. The virgin birth did not make Him divine. He had always been divine, from all eternity, but Jesus was conceived by a virgin from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew begins to reveal the identity of the Savior through the names and titles mentioned in these verses, starting with "Jesus Christ" (1:1). For many readers, 'Christ' is nothing more than a surname of Jesus, but it is a title for the Messiah of God, the true king of Israel in the line of David, whose coming was eagerly awaited. "Jesus" means "the Lord saves" or "the Lord is salvation" because, as the name suggests—the problem of sin is the root cause of all human trouble.

Joseph was a quiet carpenter. There is no record of Joseph speaking in the Gospels, which earned him the nickname "quiet Joseph." What are you supposed to do when you receive news that your wife is pregnant but she is not carrying your child? Amid his pain and deliberation, the story of Christmas comes to life—God unexpectedly comes to him.

‌Jesus entered the world he created as a baby, fulfilling his promise. Jesus came to save his people from their sins. God came to be with us in the flesh. Joseph was more than just the quiet carpenter; he was the adoptive father with royal blood in his veins who conferred the status necessary for Jesus' mission as the Son of David. Joseph is an example of receiving God's word by faith and obeying without question.