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The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus contains three sets of roughly fourteen generations each. It traces Jesus back to David and then to Abraham.

It is easy to pass over the lists of names and simplify the entire matter by saying “Jesus is royal Messiah in the line of David.”  If we do that, then we will miss the fact that there are four women in Jesus' genealogy:  Tamar (1:3), Rahab (1:3), and Ruth (1:5), and “the wife of Uriah,” presumably Bathsheba (1:6). 

At this point, you would be right to object, “Every generation has to have a woman in it. What is so special about this?” Indeed, that is the question: what is unique about these women that they would be singled out for mention in Jesus’ genealogy? It was odd in first century Judaism to include women in genealogies, so the fact that any women at all are included is significant!

Tamar was the wife of Judah (Genesis 38). Rahab was the woman who assisted in the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 2). Ruth was the Moabite widow who married Boaz in the book of Ruth. Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, with whom David had an affair (2 Samuel 11-12).

Scholars have endlessly debated the question of “why these four women?” The bottom line is that all four were involved in some type of scandal, and three of them were Gentiles. Women caught up in scandal do not seem like good candidates for inclusion in a genealogy of the Messiah. What is Matthew trying to tell us?

Jesus came to save sinners. He came to save the world. If a woman disguised as a prostitute (Tamar) or a lowly Moabite widow (Ruth) can be a part of that salvation story, then you and I have hope as well. If a woman caught up in a royal affair (Bathsheba) can be the mother of a king, or if a Canaanite prostitute can see God’s hand at work (Rahab), then God can lead our lives to greater things as well. 

The New Testament is the gospel of the second chance. Regardless of what you have done, Jesus Christ loves you and wants to save you. Sinners included. 

Dr. Daniel Mynatt
Vice Provost, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor