Podcast Introduction You know, a lot of you are new to the show, and I would love to know what brought you here. How did you find the show? Did a friend tell you, did you hear about the show on another podcast? If so, which one? Email me at st***@li*************.com, and use the subject line “Here’s where I found you”.  This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. Stick around, and before you know it, a year will have gone by and you’ll be able to say you’ve read the entire Bible. Every time I read through the Bible again, I’ve learned something new. I hope you’ll be able to say the same thing.  I’m always open to your comments, and I’ll read some of them on the show. You can comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com Thoughts on Matthew 1-2 Introduction to Matthew Since this is our first reading of The Gospel According to Matthew, let’s start with an introduction, shall we? First, the word “gospel” means Good News. It’s the good news of the salvation that Jesus of Nazareth brings to anyone who believes in Him. Matthew was one of the twelve disciples. Before Jesus called him, Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus was on Earth, Israel was under Roman rule. And Matthew, a Jew, collected taxes for the Romans, so most Jews considered Matthew a traitor. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews, not only because they were working for the Romans but because they often took much more in taxes than were actually owed, and whatever excess they took in, they kept for themselves. And many of them became rich. The book of Matthew was probably written somewhere between 55 and 65 A.D. during the early life of the church. At that time, most Christians were Jewish converts. This is probably why much of what Matthew wrote with a very Jewish perspective. He shows, by often quoting from the Old Testament, how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. The Genealogy Chapter one begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and if you are familiar with the Old Testament, many of the names in this genealogy will be familiar to you. Some highlights are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (of course); Judah (you may have heard Jesus referred to as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”); Amminadab; Boaz and Ruth; Jesse and his son David; and Solomon. As we read the OT, more of the names in Jesus’ genealogy will become familiar to you. I used to think that this was just a long list of boring names, but the more we learn of these men, the more interesting the list becomes. For example, did you know that one of Jesus’ ancestors was a prostitute? Another was a murderer? Stick around. The Birth After the genealogy, Matthew tells us the account of the birth of Jesus. The betrothal of Joseph and Mary. That Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, how Joseph wanted to break off the marriage agreement when he learned that she was pregnant, etc. What a special family God the father chose to raise the Messiah in. Think about this. At this point in human history, God had been silent for 400 years. Many Jews were Jewish in name only. A bit like today, in fact. Sure, they