Why Include The Genealogy Of Jesus In The Gospels?

When you zoom out and take a helicopter view of the nativity story what do you find?  Well, first thing I find is that Matthew and Luke include a genealogy in their gospel account. Their intention was to tell us the lineage of Jesus. They wanted us to know about the humanity and historicity of Jesus. He did not just drop from the sky, His family tree is traceable and relatable. But much more, they wanted us to know about His divinity, hence Luke started his genealogical account by describing Jesus like this, “He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, son of Heli…” (Luke 3:23, NIV) and end it by identifying Jesus as “…the son of God” (Luke, 3:38, NIV). So, as we approach Christmas, it is important to know we are not just dealing with humanity and history, we are dealing with divinity. We are talking about God, who in His love and mercy made Himself known to mankind, by revealing Himself in human form -Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. 

A thoughtful reading of the genealogy of Jesus in the gospels is quite revealing. Matthew starts with Abraham, Issac and Jacob, patriarchal fathers of the Jewish nation. Faithful and God fearing men, who were not without their own faults, but held in high esteem. And then you have names of disobedient and evil King’s like Ahaz and Manasseh, who killed innocent people, including children. It won’t be long before you realise, like Steve Mathewson did that Jesus “came from a dysfunctional family line.”

However, we know that Jesus was not dysfunctional. He was perfect. The fact gospel writers did not edit out historic detail that might seem inconvenient in the gospel story is telling. It shows that God can bring good out of evil, perfection out of imperfection and a saviour out of an evil brood. It also shows that He, (God) is not about to give up on humanity with all its flaws and propensity for evil. He wants to save us from our sins. He wants to save you. Note what the angel said about Jesus “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew, 1:21, NIV). This Christmas, will you let Him?

As Mathewson notes, “Even more intriguing is the inclusion of four women (five, counting his mother, Mary). It was rare for women to be listed in Jewish genealogies. These aren’t the women we might expect, either. Instead of Sarah or Rebekah, we get Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah. Why? For starters, all four have some past connection to sexual immorality. Tamar seduced her father-in-law, and Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth was part of the Moabites, a people group with origins in incest (Gen. 19). The child born to Uriah’s wife was conceived as a result of an adulterous relationship with King David. But there’s more. All four women had Gentile connections. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites; Ruth was a Moabite; Uriah’s wife was married to a Hittite. Here we encounter a theme that runs throughout Matthew: the expansion of “his people” (Matt. 1:21) to include Gentiles who join with the godly Jewish remnant (Matt. 3:9; 8:11; 28:19).”

The story that started with one man Abraham, and Adam before him, is your story and mine. It is God’s story of redemption, forgiveness and salvation. The genealogy of Jesus, shows us the undeserved Grace of God that qualifies unqualified people. It shows us that no matter how messed up our lives are, the power of God can change us from inside out. Darkness will not win the day, Good will triumph over evil. The truth of God will prevail over the lies of the devil. Jesus, the light of the world has come. He is still shining in our world. Let Him shine in your hearts.