Verse 1 could refer simply to the genealogy, but most likely it is referring to the whole book of St. Matthew's Gospel. It begins "Biblos Geneseos" in Greek, which should bring to mind not "a book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ," but instead "the book of the Genesis of Jesus Christ."

The following genealogy is not actually a real genealogy. First, it is missing four names between David and the Exile. Secondly, it has women in it, which is highly unlikely for a 1st century genealogy. Finally, and the most important, is the inclusion four times in close succession of an EVENT in the genealogy. The Exile to Babylon is the most important aspect of this list.

Rather than seeing a contradiction between this genealogy and Luke's is not to think of this as a genealogy, but a mission statement of Matthew for the rest of his Gospel. The book begins "the book of the Genesis of Jesus Christ," and the genealogy has three sets of fourteen generations. This is two times seven...a second creation "week." Beginning with Abraham shows He is the Messiah promised to Abraham. The mention of David is to highlight someone in the Old Testament who was prophet, priest, and king. This is something Jesus will fulfill.

The genealogy also contains several women's names, and two are quite interesting. If Matthew was written in ~50AD which seems the most likely as it refers to Jewish anti-Christian activity "to this day," then his Gospel is a form of both teaching for the church, and an apologetic against the Jews. This later meaning comes out in the genealogy. One Jewish assertion against Jesus as the Messiah is that He was an illegitimate son, which would make Him "invalid" for the job of the Christ in their eyes. But Matthew turns the tables on them. For their pride of being Jewish, he reminds them that they had as a king, Solomon, one born from a sexual union between David and Bathsheba, or as the Gospel says "the wife of Uriah the Hittite." This also brings to mind a righteous Gentile wronged by a Jew who many viewed as great.

This further polemic against the Jews is carried into the slaughter of the Holy Innocents in chapter 2 of Matthew's Gospel. The Exile was mentioned four times in the genealogy, and is referenced when Matthew quotes Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." The idea is that the slaughter of the innocents of Bethlehem is punishment for Israel's rejection of Christ. After all, Herod and ALL ISRAEL with him were worried when news of Christ's birth reached his ears (2:3). This is also why the Jeremiah passage from the EXILE is mentioned. This event in Matthew refers back to the instant in the Old Testament where Israel is "un-nationed." Israel will never be a true nation again because all the tribes are no longer in existence.

In conclusion, from the genealogy we get that Matthew's Gospel is about the "Genesis" (new creation) of Jesus Christ. We get a book that is a polemical apology against the Jews, and we get the three fold office of Christ (prophet, priest, and king).

Matthew 1:1-17