The New Paradigm in the Book of Matthew

Going through these names right at the beginning is very important to Matthew's original audience because they don't want to hear anything about anybody who's maybe a messiah unless they are demonstrably descended from David. So we cover both of those things with this opening genealogy. And then as we move on from there into the book of Matthew, it might be a little disorienting if you just turn the page from Malachi, because 400 plus years have passed. We clearly are going to need God to introduce a new paradigm in order to bring about redemption," he says.