Real Hope: The Jesus Genealogy - What's the Point?Sample

The Root Supports You

Paul wrote to the church of Rome about their condition before coming to Christ. They were the uncircumcised or gentiles. Paul cautions them in Romans 11 that they should not boast about the Jewish people, for ‘it is not you that supports the root, but the root supports you’.

As Matthew opened his Gospel, he wrote a genealogy. Why does Matthew start like this? First, I believe he wanted God’s people in future generations to remember that Jesus came from this line: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not from Ibrahim, Ishmael, Esau and Mt Seir.

A second reason to start with this genealogy is to prove to his audience, principally in those first-century days, to the Jewish people before the temple was destroyed, that the Messiah had come and He is validated. The true Messiah was required to come through the tribe of Judah and more specifically from King David.

A third reason to include the genealogy was to highlight certain personages and their, dare we say this, less-than-holy life. Matthew seems to be saying this: if Jesus could come onto the scene through the likes of these wayward folks, then there is a great likelihood that He could continue to do so through you. No one is out of God’s capacity to forgive and through whom He can demonstrate His favour. No one.

Written by BOB MENDELSOHN