Pastor Allen Victor began by asking the congregation to look at the single page between the Old Testament and the New Testament, explaining that it represented the 400 years of silence when God no longer spoke through prophets. He reminded the church that God’s silence did not mean He had abandoned His people, but that He was preparing to do something great. When God seemed silent, believers were called to wait, trust, and watch for what only He could accomplish.

Pastor Allen Victor then introduced the Gospel of Matthew, explaining that there were four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each presenting the life of Jesus from a different perspective. He described Matthew, Mark, and Luke as the synoptic Gospels because they shared similar narratives of Jesus’ life, while John focused more deeply on theology and revealed Jesus as God in the flesh. Pastor Allen Victor explained that Matthew, writing primarily to a Jewish audience, emphasized that Jesus was the promised Messiah and King of the Jews.

Providing background on Matthew himself, Pastor Allen Victor reminded the church that Matthew had been a tax collector, a profession despised among the Jewish people because tax collectors worked for the Roman government and often took more money than required. Yet when Jesus passed by and simply said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 9:9), Matthew immediately left his career and wealth behind. Pastor Allen Victor explained that Matthew understood the truth of Jesus’ words that gaining the whole world meant nothing if a person lost their soul.

Turning to Matthew 1:1, Pastor Allen Victor explained that the genealogy of Jesus was more than a list of names—it was proof that Jesus fulfilled the promises of God. Matthew showed that Jesus was the Son of David, fulfilling God’s promise that the Messiah would come through David’s royal line, and the Son of Abraham, fulfilling the promise that through Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22).

Pastor Allen Victor then walked through several figures in Jesus’ family tree and showed that it was far from perfect. Abraham demonstrated faith but also created conflict when he tried to “help God” fulfill His promise by having a son through Hagar, producing Ishmael and a family division that still echoed in the world today. Isaac struggled to accept God’s plan regarding his sons, and Jacob became known for deception, even tricking his own father to receive the blessing meant for the firstborn.

The message continued by highlighting the dysfunction within the family. Jacob’s household was filled with jealousy and rivalry between Leah and Rachel, which ultimately led to conflict among their children, including the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers. Pastor Allen Victor explained that these stories showed that even in deeply broken families, God was still working out His redemptive plan.

Pastor Allen Victor also pointed out the scandals found in Jesus’ genealogy. Judah became involved in a shocking situation with Tamar, while King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the death of her husband Uriah. Yet despite these sins, God continued His work through imperfect people.

Another remarkable feature of this genealogy was the presence of women such as Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Pastor Allen Victor explained that genealogies in Jewish culture typically listed only men, yet God intentionally included these women—some of whom were Gentiles and some associated with scandal—to demonstrate that His plan of salvation extended beyond cultural boundaries. He reminded the church of the truth expressed in Galatians 3, that in Christ there was neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all were one in Him.

Through this passage, Pastor Allen Victor emphasized that the genealogy of Jesus revealed God’s grace. Even within a family filled with deception, jealousy, scandal, and sin, God was restoring what was broken and fulfilling His promise of a Savior. The message reminded believers that no family background, failure, or past mistake was beyond God’s ability to redeem.

This message was shared by Pastor Allen Victor at Calvary Chapel West Jacksonville.

#RestoringABrokenFamily #Matthew1 #GenealogyOfJesus #GodsGrace #BrokenPeopleRedeemed #Messiah #CalvaryChapel #BibleTeaching

Scriptures referenced in this message: Matthew 1, Matthew 9:9, Genesis 22, Galatians 3