12 Days of Christmas: Day 1
This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations.
(Matthew 1:1, 17)
Seriously, is there anyone out there still awake? I mean, really, what could possibly be more exciting or invigorating than a good genealogy read? However, this isn’t just any genealogical presentation. It is the genealogy of our Lord and Savior’s earthly ancestors and the list is packed full of insight into God’s amazing grace.
Matthew was written by the tax-collector-turned-Jesus-follower, one of the original twelve Apostles. It is an eyewitness account of much of our Lord’s earthly ministry. Matthew writes his gospel primarily to a Jewish audience. It is fitting that he begins his writing by connecting Jesus back to the two great covenants of Jewish history—the Abrahamic (Genesis 12 and 15) and the Davidic (2 Samuel 7)—by including a detailed lineage of Christ. This genealogy shows that God is ever faithful to His promises and will make good every word He has spoken, though the performance of the fulfillment may be long deferred.
Anyone claiming to be the King of the Jews at that time would have been asked by their fellow Jews if he was indeed a descendant of King David. Matthew clearly gives a definitive “Yes!” to Jesus being rightly related to King David by detailing His lineage.
Interestingly, Matthew makes mention of five women in his genealogy of Jesus. He also includes some men of questionable character. The genealogy of Jesus demonstrates the gift of God’s grace: Tamar, an adulterous Canaanite; Rahab, a prostitute and a Canaanite as well; Ruth, a Moabite; Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, an adulteress; and Mary “of whom was born Jesus,” the “of whom” being a feminine relative pronoun indicating Jesus was the physical child of Mary, yet Joseph was not His physical father. I think it is extremely interesting that Matthew, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, mentions Uriah’s name in lieu of Bathsheba’s, as he had been her husband and the one that King David had killed in an effort to cover his own sin with her. I think it sweet of God to recognize Uriah in this significant place rather than Bathsheba, once again reminding us that Uriah was an honorable man.
We see God’s grace throughout the Bible, reaching back many generations through his covenant, and going forward through the sacrifice of his only Son.
Become More
“No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.” —Robert J. Morgan
“Grace is the grand and only resource for us all. It is the basis of our salvation; the basis of a life of practical godliness; and the basis of those imperishable hopes which animate us amid the trials and conflicts of this sin-stricken world. May we cherish a deeper sense of grace, and more ardent desire for glory!” —C. H. Mackintosh
“Delays of promised mercies, though they exercise our patience, do not weaken God’s promise.” —Matthew Henry
Read the Word
Matthew 1:1–17
1:1 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 1:4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, 1:6 and Jesse the father of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah), 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 1:10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 1:11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
1:12 After the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 1:16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations.