Skeletons in your Closet

Introduction: What if I told you that I was related to George Washington? Would you believe me? You probably would ask me for proof that I am related to the first President of the United States. You would want to see some evidence.

I am holding in my hands a 23andMe genealogy record. Using DNA, I have evidence of how I am related to certain people across the U.S. and the world. (Share some interesting data).

Well, I want to have a word with you about Skeletons in your Closet. Who’s who in your genealogy? What people are in your genealogical record that you would rather keep secret? We probably all have people that we would rather not talk about.

Many people make up the skeletons in Jesus’ genealogy. Who are they? Before we look at them allow me to share some information about the importance of Jewish genealogy. What was the purpose of one’s genealogy?

1. It was used for property rights and inheritance.

2. Tribal membership – what tribe of Israel am I from?

3. It was used for temple service (who are the priests). They had to trace their genealogy back to the tribe of Levi.

In 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed the genealogy records that were kept in the temple. No longer were the Jewish people able to trace their ancestry, which decimated the priesthood.

Matthew 1:1-17 is referred to as, Jesus’ Tree of Life. Have you ever seen the genealogy tree before? It looks like this (show picture).

Here in Matthew, we discover that Jesus’ genealogy is traced from Abraham and David (verse 1) down to Joseph, the husband of Mary (v. 16). In the gospel of Luke, we have a second genealogy of Jesus Christ, but this time it is traced through Mary. There we also have the genealogy from King David, but this time through his son, Nathan down to Mary, the mother of Jesus. An interesting bit of insight is that Luke’s gospel mentions no women in Jesus’ genealogy. Whereas Matthew mentions five.

In Matthew 1:1-17, we discover that there are three sections of the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

1. From Abraham to David there are 14 generations. It’s in section one that we find the skeletons!

2. From David to the Babylon captivity there are 14 generations.

3. From the Exile to the birth of Jesus Christ there are 14 generations.

The total of the number of generations we are considering in these first seventeen verses is 42 generations.

Key passages to consider:

1. Ruth 4:18-22

2. I Chronicles 2:1-15

3. Luke 3:23-38

Don’t miss the historical information shared in this section of Scripture:

1. We have the Calling of Abraham found in Genesis 12.

2. We have the Anointing of King David found in 2 Samuel 2.

3. We have the Babylonian Captivity found in Jeremiah 25.

Now, let’s look at some of the skeletons in Jesus’ genealogy.

I. From Abraham to David – Matthew 1:1-6

Verse 1 – 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

The Greek word for genealogy used here is “genesis” and it means origin. We are going to discover where Jesus Christ came from. His family tree.

Don’t miss the three important names listed here in verse 1. Jesus Christ, David, and Abraham.

A. Jesus Christ – Matthew 1:1

Jesus Christ is called: the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

Jesus means Savior. Christ means Messiah. This passage seeks to prove Jesus Christ's right to the throne of David. I believe that it is also important for us to understand that Jesus Christ is a historical figure (you cannot doubt this) as biblical literature attest to this fact.

B. Abraham – Matthew 1:2; Genesis 12:1-3

Verse 2 – 2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

Abraham’s offspring – Isaac (he waited for this son for twenty-five years) – Jacob - 12 sons of Israel. Note that Judah is mentioned here and his brothers. Jesus Christ came through the line of Judah.

C. David – Matthew 1:3-6; Ruth 1-4

The first section takes the history down to David. David was the man who welded Israel into a nation and made the Jews a power in the world. This first section takes the story down to the rise of Israel’s greatest king.

Here come the Skeletons

Verses 3-6 - 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

There are five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. All of them have a story. As you read this you are asking, “Are these women really in Jesus’ genealogy?” Let’s look at them:

1. Tamar – Genesis 38

The two sons that Tamar gave birth to were Judah’s sons. They are listed here in Matthew 1:3,

Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

What do we have in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? We have incest. Judah, the father-in-law of Tamar had sex with her. Scripture doesn’t try to cover up these sordid stories.

2. Rahab – Joshua 2

Here we have a harlot who hides the two spies that Joshua sent into the city of Jericho. Rahab had heard about Israel’s God, and she asked the spies to spare her and her family when they attacked Jericho.

What do we have in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? Prostitution! But get this, Rahab placed her faith in God and was wonderfully saved. She is listed in Hebrews 11:31 because of her faith.

3. Ruth – Ruth 1-4

Time doesn’t allow us to read the four chapters of the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth occurred during the time of the Judges. Naomi and her husband Elimelech lived in Bethlehem. Due to a famine, they set out to the land of Moab. While in Moab, Naomi’s husband died, and her two sons took wives of the women of Moab (descendants of incest between Lot and his daughter). Soon afterward both of Naomi’s sons die, and she is now left with two daughters-in-law.

She receives word that the famine is over in Bethlehem, and so she decides to return home. She encourages her daughter’s-in-law to return to their father’s house. Orpah does, but Ruth decides to stick with Naomi and go with her to Bethlehem.

To make a long story short while in Bethlehem Ruth finds a man that sweeps her off her feet. He was a man of great wealth, and he belonged to the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. Boaz was able to redeem Ruth and take her as his wife.

In Ruth chapter 4:13-22 we discover that God allowed Ruth to conceive and bear a son. In this final section of Scripture, we have another genealogy. In verses 17-22 we read,

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor woman gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

What do we have in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? We have a Moabite. A tribe of people who were not friendly to Israel. The Moabites would not allow Israel to pass through their land. Also, remember that Sanballat was a Moabite. He was a constant headache for Nehemiah.

4. Bathsheba – 2 Samuel 11:1-12:23

Who doesn’t know the story of David and Bathsheba? It is a story of adultery and murder. Bathsheba was bathing on her rooftop, and King David saw her. He called for her and forced her to have relations with him. She became pregnant, and David sought to cover up his sin by bringing her husband home from the battlefront. David got Uriah drunk and sent him to his wife. Uriah refused to have relations with his wife while soldiers under his care were dying in war. So, David, the king had his commander, Joab place Uriah in the heat of a battle, and then withdraw his troops. Uriah was killed.

The child born to Bathsheba didn’t survive. And David’s sin didn’t go unnoticed by God. God dealt with David (See 2 Samuel 12). David’s sin affected his entire household.

What do we have in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? We have adultery and murder.

5. Mary – Matthew 1:16

Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, people have idolized her, and many worship her. Her story was also scandalous. If you recall when she was engaged to Joseph, she was found to be with a child. It wasn’t Joseph’s child. Though she was innocent people thought the worst of her. Joseph could have had her stoned to death but was willing to put her away secretly. She is listed here in the genealogy of Jesus because of her faith. She yielded her will to the will of God. She became the mother of Jesus Christ.

Keep in mind that Mary wasn’t a bad girl, but many believed she was. They believed she had a skeleton in her closet.

II. From David to the Babylonian Captivity – Matthew 1:7-11

Verse 7-11 Here we have the names of the Kings of Judah. Judah had 20 Kings – 12 were Bad and 8 were Good.

7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

Thirteen times the word “begot” is used in verses 7-11. This word means “bring a child into existence by the process of reproduction.”

1. Solomon – Is the son of David. (Good).

2. Rehoboam – 1 Kings 11-14 – (Bad) It was this son that caused Judah and Israel to split.

3. Abijah – 1 Kings 14-15 (Bad).

4. Asa – 1 Kings 15 (Good).

5. Jehoshaphat – 1 Kings 22 (Good).

6. Joram or Jehoram – 2 Kings 8 (Bad).

7. Uzziah or Azariah – 2 Kings 15 (Good).

8. Jotham – 2 Kings 15 (Good).

9. Ahaz or Ahaziah – 2 Kings 16 (Bad).

10. Hezekiah – 2 Kings 18-20 (Good).

11. Manasseh – 2 Kings 21 (Bad).

12. Amon – 2 Kings 21 (Bad).

13. Josiah – 2 Kings 21-23 (Good).

14. Jeconiah – 2 Kings 23 (Bad).

How would you like this list of kings in your genealogy? Twelve of them were bad to very wicked. Only eight of them were good. Again, Scripture doesn’t hide the reality of the skeletons in Jesus’ family tree.

Verse 11 – Israel was carried off to Babylon. It lasted 70 years.

This second section of Jesus’ genealogy takes us to the time when Israel was carried away to Babylon. It is the section that tells of the nation’s shame, tragedy, and disaster.

III. From the Exile to the birth of Jesus Christ – Matthew 1:12-17

Verse 12 15 – Offspring were born even during captivity.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.

Don’t miss the name, Zerubbabel. He was born during this time. He is mentioned as one of those who helped lead Israel out of captivity and back into their land. Remember that in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah that Zerubbabel played a key role.

Look now at Matthew 1:16,

Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

The third section takes the story down to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the person who liberated men and women from their slavery, who rescued them from their disaster, and in whom tragedy was turned into triumph.

This is a very interesting verse. Note that it does not use the word “begot”. That word was used in every other verse, but once here, it is no longer used. Instead, we read that Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.No mention that Joseph begot Jesus. Why? Because Joseph didn’t father Jesus. Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit.

This is a proof text for the virgin birth of Jesus.

Notice that Jesus is called Christ. The word “Christ” means anointed of God or Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-17 provides for us the criteria needed to show us that Jesus Christ has ROYAL Blood flowing in His veins. He came from the Royal line of King David.

Matthew’s Gospel seeks to present that Jesus Christ is Israel’s rightful King. No matter how skeletons were in His genealogy tree.

Conclusion: Wow! Just look at the people in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

· Tamar - A woman who played a prostitute.

· Rahab - A harlot who knew she was a prostitute.

· Ruth - A Moabite who descendant of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter.

· Bathsheba – A woman who committed adultery with King David, and who probably conspired with David to have her husband killed.

· Mary – A woman who was with a child before she came together with her husband.

And what about the list of the terrible, no good, very awful Kings! These individuals were also a part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

I don’t know your PAST, I don’t know your HISTORY, but what I do KNOW is that God uses all kinds of people. Don’t you ever think of yourself as someone unable to be used by God? Like Mary make yourself available, and God will do GREAT things through you.