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Matthew begins by making a threefold claim about Jesus (v.1): Jesus is the Christ, the Son of David, and the Son of Abraham. But Matthew does not base this assertion on his own authority; he supports this threefold claim by tracing the genealogy of Jesus. This genealogy, drawn largely from the OT (see Ru 4:18-22; 1Ch 2:1-15; 3:1-24), establishes the truth of these assertions regarding Jesus.
The term Christ (Christos) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah,” meaning “anointed one.” In the OT, persons whom God chose for special service were frequently anointed for their tasks. At the very outset of the gospel, then, Matthew indicates that Jesus has been uniquely anointed by God for the work that he will begin in 4:17.
In this particular context, however, the role of Jesus as Christ takes on a specific meaning, which is indicated by the very structure of the genealogy. Matthew brings the genealogy to its climax with the birth of Jesus, who is called Christ (vv.1-16). By means of this climactic development, Matthew shows that Jesus is Christ in the sense that God has chosen him to be the climax, or culmination, of the history of God’s dealings with his people, beginning with Abraham (v.16). The whole of OT history thus finds its purpose, meaning, and significance in Jesus as Christ. This affirmation stands behind Matthew’s repeated insistence that individual happenings in the life of Jesus fulfill OT prophecy (e.g., 2:5-6). In his role as Christ, Jesus gives meaning to the OT as a whole and to every event and passage found within the OT.
This passage also declares that Jesus is the son of David and son of Abraham (1:1, 6, 17). The meaning of these titles is discussed in the introduction.