The Generation of Jesus Christ

Matthew, then, is "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." To Abraham it had been promised, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. 22:18. This seed is Christ as Gal. 3:16 tells us. Again to David the promise had been made, "I will raise up thy seed after thee... and I will establish his kingdom.... I will be his Father, and he shall be My son." 1 Chron. 17:11, 13. This prophecy is applied to Christ (Heb. 1:5). The Spirit of God takes care to prove the Messiah's descent from those two heads of the Jewish race.
The introduction of the names of four of the mothers into this genealogy is remarkable. When we consider what Scripture reveals to us about them, surely we may say that we get an indication that it was only on the ground of grace that the Jews got any blessing. And more than this, the blessing was not about to be confined to them, but would flow out towards the Gentiles. Tamar and Bathsheba teach us the former lesson the latter we learn from Ruth and Rahab who were Gentiles.
The genealogy is divided into three sections:
1. From Abraham to royalty in David
2. From royalty to the captivity in Babylon
3. From the captivity to Christ

Here we may notice that between verses 8 and 9, three kings are omitted, not an uncommon thing in Jewish genealogies, to make the numbers even. This account differs from that of Luke. Luke consistent with his line of things, gives the mother's line, or human pedigree. Matthew gives the father's line, or legal pedigree. Mary was descended from Nathan, Joseph from Solomon.
In like manner Joseph is the prominent figure in Matthew and the one to whom all the directions are given. Mary is selected in Luke. Surely God's ways are wisdom itself, and all harmonize so completely one with another.