We begin our journey this year with Matthew 1:1-2:12
When a new year rolls around, folks start talking about doing better and trying harder. God does not start there. He starts by pointing us straight to His Son. Matthew opens with it plain as day, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” ~Matthew 1:1. God is laying the foundation first. This is the Christ He promised. This is not up for argument or adjustment.
Before Jesus ever walks a dusty road or opens His mouth to teach, God makes sure we know who He is. Not a good man. Not a religious figure. The Christ. If that part gets muddled, everything else falls apart.
The angel tells Joseph exactly why this child is coming, and it is not sugar-coated. “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” ~Matthew 1:21. That cuts straight to the heart of it. Sin is the trouble. Salvation is the mission. Jesus did not come to make life easier. He came to make sinners right with God.
Matthew goes on to say this child is “God with us” ~Matthew 1:23. Not God far off. Not God watching from a distance. God stepping right down into flesh and blood, knowing the cost, knowing the danger, and coming anyway.
By the time you get to chapter two, you see how people respond when the truth shows up. The wise men hear there is a King, and they get moving. They ask one question, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” ~Matthew 2:2. They travel hard miles, face risk, and when they finally see the child, Scripture says they fell down and worshipped Him ~Matthew 2:11. They did not argue. They did not stall. They recognized who He was and bowed.
Then there is Herod. He knew the Scriptures. He knew where the Christ was supposed to be born. But instead of worship, his heart hardened. Same truth. Same Bible. Different response. Scripture shows us early on that knowing the facts does not mean a man has surrendered.
That is where this passage presses us as we step into a new year. Matthew does not leave room for halfway living. Jesus is revealed as King, Savior, and God with us. Once that is clear, a person either bows or resists. There is no neutral ground.
This year is not about self-improvement plans or good intentions. It is about keeping your eyes on Jesus. Who He is. Why He came. What He demands. If our time in Scripture turns into talking about ourselves more than Him, we have missed the trail.
Matthew starts us off right. Keep it centered on Christ. Stay close to the truth. Walk straight. Bow where you ought to bow. Let everything else sort itself out.
