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

The End Of The Story

Titles matter whether you are in a bookshop or in a restaurant. We choose medications in the pharmacy by checking the label and making our decision. We pull up to the gas station and, whether by colour or name, we fill our car’s tank. In all areas of life, we seem to use the labels both to warrant our continued approach and our acceptance of the matter.

In the Jewish religion the label, especially of a genealogy, is always front and centre. Even in the Bible, the records of the genealogy of famous people are listed as the progenitor. The main man is the first one listed. For instance, in Genesis 5, we read, ‘this is the book of the generations of Adam’. Then his genealogy follows. Similarly in Genesis 6, ‘These are the generations of Noah’.

When Paul wrote his letters, he didn’t wait until the end to sign them; he wrote his signature at the very top. That’s normal in Jewish custom.

But at the very beginning of Matthew, we have an upside-down listing and it’s the final entry who is the main character. Matthew teases us, like a news presenter with the next story after the commercial, and thus we suffer the listing of at least 42 labels of Jewish names. The reality is that Jesus is the consummate Jew, from the patriarchal heritage. He’s the upside-down star of the show, and the story is all about Him.

Written by BOB MENDELSOHN