If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at Matthew’s account. Matthew is trying to communicate Jesus is part of something bigger that God has been doing all through history. And, as God has redeemed the history of the people of Israel - our past can also be redeemed.

Matthew 1:3

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.

Matthew 1:5

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.

Matthew 1:6

Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.

Matthew 1:17

All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.

But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”