Matthew’s Gospel begins with a genealogy. By today’s standards, that’s not a particularly exciting way to begin. Wouldn’t you rather start with something attention-grabbing?

But in Jesus’ time, it would have accomplished just that.

In the ancient world, a genealogy functioned somewhat like a resume. If you wanted to know what someone was really liked you looked at their family tree.

With that in mind, Jesus’ genealogy is very attention-grabbing. It includes Tamar (a non-Jewish Canaanite who tricked her father-in-law into sleeping with her, see Genesis 38), Rahab (also a non-Jewish Canaanite who was a prostitute and who hid Jewish spies before the battle of Jericho), Ruth (a non-Jew from Moab), and Bathsheba (the woman with whom King David committed adultery).

I think this genealogy is meant to make us look backward and forward at the same time. In so doing it is meant to ready our minds for something: That the Messiah comes for all people, not just Jews with a squeaky clean C.V.

There’s more.

It includes Rehoboam (who abandoned God), Joram (who killed six of his brothers), Amon (who worshiped false gods and practiced evil), and Jeconiah (who killed his own father).

Again, I think this is meant to ready our minds for something: Jesus is not diminished or tarnished by other people’s sins. They are not greater than his grace.

Granted, there are many positive things about Jesus’ family line. It shows his connection to Abraham and to the house of King David. It also shows numerically that there is something special happening with the timing of his arrival. 

But nothing is hidden.

There’s a message in all of this for us today. The Messiah comes for all people, not just those with a squeaky clean C.V. He is also not diminished or tarnished by other people’s sins; they are not greater than his grace.

Jesus comes into your life with both eyes open. He is neither scared off by your past, nor unable to help with your future. “Come to me,” he says, “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

---

Notes:

–“For he will save his people from their sins.” Sermon. December 15, 2024. Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.