Yes — Matthew 1:1 places Jesus squarely in the Old Testament promises by naming Him the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, so the New Testament opens in continuity with God's earlier covenants.
Les Feldick teaches that Matthew presents Jesus as the King, and a king must have a genealogy. The verse deliberately goes back only to Abraham because the promise of a coming King comes out of the Abrahamic covenant, not from the promise made to Adam. This makes the New Testament a continuation of what God began with Abraham, not a sudden break from the Old Testament.
Matthew 1:1 — This is the verse in question; it introduces Jesus as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, tying the New Testament to the Old Testament royal and covenant promises.
Luke 3:38 — Shows the contrasting genealogy that goes all the way back to Adam, highlighting why Matthew's genealogy stops at Abraham.
Matthew 1:1 begins the New Testament with these words: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." The verse does not begin with Adam or with a general human genealogy. In Luke chapter 3, the genealogy is traced all the way to "the son of Adam, the son of God." Isaiah 9:7 also links the coming King with "the throne of David." These passages show that the New Testament opens with Jesus as the promised descendant of Abraham and David.
For Les Feldick, Matthew's opening verse is deliberate. Matthew is the Gospel that depicts Christ as the King, and in order to be a king you have to have a genealogy, because a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family [Clip 4]. So Matthew's genealogy stops at Abraham—not because Abraham is the beginning of the human race, but because His becoming the King is based upon the promise made to Abraham [Clip 1]. Les stresses that everything regarding the coming of the King and Kingdom began with Abraham, not Adam [Clips 5,7]. Therefore the genealogy proves Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of David, and the New Testament is introduced in continuity with the Abrahamic covenant [Clips 2,3,6].
Les teaches that Matthew presents Christ as the King, so the Scripture only goes back to the part of Scripture that promises a King, which is the Abrahamic covenant [Clip 2]. Everything that is going to take place with regard to the coming of the King and the Kingdom began with Abraham, not Adam [Clip 5]. The first verse therefore stops with "the Son of David, the Son of Abraham," because the entire promise of a coming King comes out of the Abrahamic covenant [Clips 1,7].
In Matthew, the genealogy is Joseph's and it stops at Abraham because Christ is being presented as the King [Clip 1]. In Luke chapter 3, the genealogy of Mary goes all the way back to Adam, because Mary's line is the bloodline of Christ and all of us are sons of Adam [Clips 1,6]. The royal throne requires the line through David and Abraham, while the physical bloodline goes back to Adam.
Les says the New Testament introduces Jesus genealogically to prove that He is the rightful heir to the throne of David, by being a Son of David [Clip 3]. Matthew presents Christ as the King, so the opening verse reaches back to Abraham rather than Adam, because the concept of a coming King comes out of the Abrahamic covenant [Clips 2,7]. The New Testament message therefore rests on what God had already begun through Abraham, rather than setting aside the earlier Scriptures [Clips 1,2,3,7].
Why the New Testament Starts With Abraham — Matthew 1:1 Explained
Senior Citizen Center, and in the Wilberton class we're in the Gospel of John. Wednesday night we meet up here at Tulsa at the Helmrich Library most of the time, and in Tulsa we're in the Book of Acts. Thursday night we meet at McAllister in the First National Bank Building, and down there we're in the Book of Exodus.
Genealogy Stops at Abraham
Les explains that Matthew 1:1 stops at Abraham because Jesus' becoming King is based on the promise to Abraham, and he contrasts this with Luke's genealogy.
King and Abrahamic Covenant
Les shows that since Matthew presents Christ as King, the genealogy only goes back to the Abrahamic covenant, which is where a King is promised.
Rightful Heir to David's Throne
The New Testament presents Jesus genealogically to prove that He is the rightful heir to the throne of David.
A King Needs a Genealogy
Les shows that Matthew depicts Christ as the King, and because a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family, a genealogy is required.
King and Kingdom Began With Abraham
Les stresses that everything related to the coming King and Kingdom began with Abraham rather than Adam, explaining why the genealogy stops there.
Luke's Genealogy Goes Back to Adam
Les contrasts Luke's genealogy, which goes back to Adam as the bloodline of Christ, with Matthew's royal genealogy, which stops at Abraham.
Coming King Out of Abrahamic Covenant
Les says Matthew throws the reader back only to Abraham because the coming King and His worldwide reign come out of the Abrahamic covenant.
Matthew 1:1: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
This opening verse personally ties Jesus to the covenant promises made to Abraham and to the royal line of David.
Luke 3:38: Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Luke's genealogy extends to Adam, showing the human bloodline of Christ and contrasting with Matthew's royal genealogy.
Isaiah 9:7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah connects the coming King to the throne of David, matching Matthew's presentation of Jesus as the King.
Because Matthew presents Jesus as the King. Les Feldick teaches that the concept of a coming King comes out of the Abrahamic covenant, not anything promised to Adam, so the genealogy only reaches back to Abraham. Luke's genealogy goes back to Adam because it presents Jesus' human bloodline.
Yes. Matthew's genealogy shows Jesus as the Son of David, which makes Him the rightful heir to the throne of David. Les says a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family, so the genealogy is the legal proof.
No. Matthew 1:1 shows the New Testament begins by connecting Jesus to David and Abraham. Les says the New Testament introduces Jesus genealogically to show He is the rightful heir to the throne of David, so it builds on what God promised through Abraham and David rather than starting over.
Watch the Teaching: Why the New Testament Starts With Abraham — Matthew 1:1 Explained