"The Genealogy of Christ"

“Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,  and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.” (Matthew 1:2-6 ESV)

Many ask what the purpose of the genealogy of Christ is at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, and Luke's, for that matter. The purpose is to show God’s faithfulness to His creation. It is to show that God’s plan of redemption told to Satan in the Garden of Eden came to fruition, and how, despite the many attempts on the line, God’s plan could not be thwarted. It also reveals some other interesting points on God’s plan for His creation.

Matthew continues in his genealogy of Christ for several more verses than what we first examined today. To be precise, the genealogy spans sixteen verses and is summarized in the seventeenth verse. In the Garden after the fall of man through the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Archaeologists have found the victims of crucifixion were not nailed through the feet but through the heel.

"Jonathan Cheek conducted excellent research into the Hebrew verb’s meaning, including a detailed analysis of contextual nuance and parallelism. Cheek favors a “strike” or “crush” interpretation, noting that the traditional (King James) English translation as “bruise” is misleading today because “bruise” in Old English carried the sense of “batter or crush,” which the modern English term has lost. Moreover, Cheek favors translating the Hebrew as “strike his heel” over “crush his heel” because “strike” reflects more what a snake does, although he notes that “crush his head” better captures the asymmetry of the head versus heel injuries and the implied fatal nature of the head wound."1. It is completely amazing, based on Cheek’s research, as to how the protoevangelium (The first announcement of Christ foretold in the Bible) is accurate right down to the nailing of Christ on the cross.

If we then look at the genealogy of Christ, through the names recorded, we see the challenges each person faced. Abraham’s challenges of faith, Judah and his brothers in Egypt, and so on. Have you ever looked for each person in Christ’s genealogy in scripture?

All of the primary names are in scripture; however, Matthew also skipped some for brevity.

Another interesting thing is that Matthew lists four women. Tamar, who deceived her father-in-law, Judah, into fathering a child, ensured the survival of the Messianic lineage. Then there was Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who protected the Israelites spies in Jericho and came to faith in God. Rahab was the wife of Judah. Then Ruth, the Moabite, who, after being widowed, stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi, and by God’s grace married Boaz, who was her redeemer. Also mentioned, but only as the wife of Uriah, was Bathsheba; she was the reason for David’s sins of murder and adultery. And lastly, Mary, the virgin who through the Holy Spirit conceived the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

What is amazing, at least about the first four, is that they were Gentiles. Gentiles who came to faith in the one living God. They were adopted into the Judaic culture and used by God in the Davidic line leading to Christ. Even in the Old Testament, God revealed the inclusion of the Gentiles in His plan of redemption. Mary showed that a child bride of pure heart could be the surrogate mother of Jesus.

What is the purpose of the genealogy of Christ? Well, I hope you can see it is not just a list of names. Each person faced their own challenges, which were overcome through God’s grace. If you have not taken the time to read about each person, you should. It will help you understand God's providence and that God’s plan, even when unknown to us, never fails. Remember, God said, “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” (Isaiah 46:10)

Has God called you? He has a plan for your life; seek Him now. Even if you do not know Him yet, He knows you, He did before our time even began. Find salvation in Christ alone. If you have questions, reach out to us here at In Messiah Ministries. We can show you the scriptures that reveal salvation through Christ

1. John Bloom, Can Archaeology Shed Light on the First Prophecy about Jesus in the Bible?. The Good Book Blog, February 26, 2024, quoting: Jonathan M. Cheek, “Bruising, Crushing, or Striking: The Translation of שוף and the Promise of Victory in Genesis 3:15,” Journal of Biblical Theology and Worldview 2/1 (Fall 2021) pp. 17- 32. https://seminary.bju.edu/files/2021/11/JBTW2.1_Article02_TranslationGn3.15_Cheek.pdf