March through Matthew in a Month:

Matthew 1



During the season of Lent in March 2026 we are going on a daily faith journey with Jesus by reading through the Gospel of Matthew.  Just one chapter a day--28 chapters. I will provide points to ponder, additional information, questions, and personal application. Pray God strengthens our faith on this spiritual journey through the God’s Good News for us in the Gospel of Matthew.

Basic Background Info on the Gospel of Matthew:

1. Matthew was written about 50 AD

(AD=Anno Domini=”the year of our Lord”) 

2. Matthew (aka Levi--see Mark 2:13-14) had been a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised and hated by the people, often dishonest, and considered unrepentant sinners by the religious authorities. 

Yet, this sinful tax collector named Matthew is who Jesus called and transformed to be one of His Disciples (see Matthew 4:18-20)! 

3. As a disciple of Jesus, Matthew was an eyewitness of much of what he records in his Gospel. The account where Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him is recorded in Matthew 9:9-13.

4. Matthew clearly shows that Jesus fulfills God’s Old Testament covenant made with Abraham (Genesis 15, 17). Matthew specifically magnifies for a Jewish reader that Jesus is the long awaited, promised Messiah Who fulfills all of God’s prophecies and promises of salvation for them (and us)!

5. Matthew traces the genealogy (or family tree) of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph. Obviously, Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. As the husband of the virgin Mary, Joseph was the legal father of Jesus, and Joseph’s ancestry connects Jesus with the line of David.  

6. The Name “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21, 25) derives from the Hebrew name “Joshua” or “Yeshua” and means: “He saves” or “Savior.”

7. When an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, one of the names given to the baby of Mary is Immanuel, which means: “God with us” (El=God & Immanu in Hebrew=”with us”). This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 made almost 800 years earlier.

8. Has anyone in your family produced a family tree? Do you have a copy of a family tree? If so, where is it? Is it updated? Who are the oldest relatives you knew or remember from your family tree? 

9. Who is a deceased relative I remember that was an interesting and inspiring person or character (aka sinner), and was also a strong believer in Jesus who had a significant impact on my life? In what way(s)?

Matthew 1 begins by listing the family tree and geneology of Jesus by listing our Savior’s lineage in 3 sets of 14 generations from Abraham to Joseph.

A bunch of old names in a long genealogy may sound boring, but it is actually fascinating! NOTE some of the notorious sinners included in Christ’s family tree! Matthew 1:5 lists Rahab as part of the family tree of Jesus. Rahab was the Gentile prostitute who helped the Israelites spy on Canaan before Jericho was destroyed (Joshua 2). Likewise, Matthew 1:6 says “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” Remember, Uriah was the man David arranged to be killed as part of his affair with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba! Yes, Jesus came from heaven to earth in the midst of sinners to save sinners (like all of us)!   

The Lutheran Study Bible(LSB) provides profound comments on Christ’s sin-filled family tree (p.1578 of LSB): In the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew makes no effort to hide sinners. Instead, he highlights them. Jesus’ancestors include prostitutes, adulterers, violent men, and other sinners of all descriptions. Though this might surprise us, the truth is that there were no people other than sinners to make up His genealogy. Jesus’ ancestors needed a Savior just a much as we do. If God, in His grace, can use such flawed and sinful people, how much more can He bless and use sinners who witness the Messiah’s sinless sacrifice and believe in Him today!

+Prayer+ Lord Jesus, thank You for including me, a sinner, among those You came to save. Amen.

Matthew 1 (ESV)

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

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

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed 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, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 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, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

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.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

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 from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, 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 given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Good News and story of salvation through the Gospel of Matthew. You sent Jesus to save sinners--like us. During our March through Matthew’s Gospel, help us to grow in the grace and joy of Jesus and be mindful of Your presence and love in our lives. In the Saving Name of Jesus, Amen.

Pastor Scott Schmieding

Senior Pastor

Immanuel Lutheran Church and School

115 S. Sixth Street

Saint Charles, MO 63301

636.946.2656

www.immanuelstcharles.org