The Bloodline

In the New Testament, Matthew writes a book.

In the book written by Matthew, there’s a Jewish man named Levi. Levi was a tax collector who collected the taxes from the people. Levi could also take extra money from the people and keep it for himself with no consequences to himself.

The Bible tells us he lived very well because of the size of his house compared to most of the people around him.

He was comfortable, life was great - he was so much better off than everyone else.

One day, Levi had a personal encounter with Jesus.

When you encounter Jesus in a real and personal way - you it’s hard to stay where you are -

Unfortunately, many people DO stay where they are, and a few choose to follow - His Way.

Levi chose Jesus - His Way, His Truth, His Life.

Then he shaped his life as a response to his NEW BELIEF in Jesus.

Jesus changed Levi’s name to: Matthew.

Matthew chose to stop hoarding money from other people in his lucrative career as a tax collector.

He met Jesus and he chose to walk away from all he had been doing so that he could follow Jesus and His Way.

Matthew wrote a book, a bestseller! Translated into more languages on planet earth than any other book.

Each week his book sells more copies than any other book - they no longer list this Book on the bestseller’s list.

He wrote his book in the year 85 A.D.

The Book of Matthew included in the New Testament of the Bible - tells the story of Jesus. Matthew was an eyewitness to the accounts that he recorded in is book.

He wrote his book in Hebrew, Matthew was a Jew - and in reading it, it’s obvious that he wrote his book for the Jews.

He starts out his book with the BLOODLINE of Joseph of Nazareth.

Matthew 1:1

“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham.”

Father Abraham - The Father of the Jews

He starts the record from this point in the bloodline:

Father Abraham - The one who made a Blood Covenant with God that all mankind would one day be blessed through Him.

He ends his record of the bloodline like this:

Matthew 1:16

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,

Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”

The entire record of descendants is of Fathers who begot sons, and yet - “Joseph, was the husband of Mary, Mary was the Mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”

Messiah is the Hebrew word for: “Anointed One”

The Jews were waiting for a Messiah. An anointed One who would be a King sent by their God that would save the Jewish people.

They were waiting for their God to send them an earthly King - so that they could be rescued.

In His Word, God had said over and over that HE was going to do it one day….

Matthew wrote his book, to show the Jews that - JESUS was the Messiah.

The Bloodline Continues….

Luke writes a book.

He’s a gentile, not a Jew.

He’s a Doctor, well-educated, accurate and detailed, and he has a passion for Jesus. He wants to get these stories circulating about Jesus …CORRECT.

He wrote his book in Greek, and it’s clear through his writing, that he wrote his book for ALL mankind to believe in Jesus - the perfect man.

It seems he wrote his book for someone: a man named Theophilus.

Theophilus is a Greek word that is translated to - “friend of God” in English.

Luke 1:1-4

“Most honorable Theophilus:

Many people have written accounts of the events that took place among us.

They used as their source material, the reports circulating among us from the early disciples

and other eyewitnesses of what God has done in fulfillment of His promises.

Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summary for you,

to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught.”

In the next verses he starts recording a historical time stamp, and then he records the story of the Angel who visits Zechariah.

Unlike the other 3 books, Luke gives detailed insights into the birth of John the Baptist, the details about the Angel Gabriel

appearing to Mary to announce that she would conceive a child, the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary,

the angels appearing to the shepherds, the birth of Jesus, and his later circumcision,

and His childhood story of being left behind in the temple when He was 12.

He must have been talking to Jesus’s Mother to have recorded down such detail, taking great care of the information.

In Luke 3 he starts recording a family line, ancestors - names that were usually memorized and passed down from generation to generation orally.

The family he records in his book goes ALL THE WAY back to Adam.

He wrote his book to show that Jesus is the Savior for ALL mankind.

Luke 3:23

“Jesus was about 30 years old when He began His public ministry.

Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.

Joseph was the son of Heli.”

Because Mathew 1:16 states:

“ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.”

It is believed that Luke has recorded Mary’s side, and that Heli was most likely Joseph’s Father-In-Law.