Matthew 1:2-6 "Jesus' Genealogy Part 2: The Legal Lineage"

Good morning CCLC! Turn in your Bibles to Matt 1. Last week we looked at the Gospels in general and Matthew's Gospel specifically, and we covered verse 1 in Matthew that lists 2 significant messianic covenants- the Davidic Covenant and the Abrahamic covenant. Today, we will examine Jesus' legal lineage through Matthew. The genealogy in Matthew in one of the most significant, if not the most significant, genealogy in the entire Bible. I want to take the opportunity to look at this genealogy in relation to Christ, and to understand his earthly lineage by examining some of the people in Jesus' family...His ancestors...their good deeds, their flaws, and what can we learn from them? How can we relate to them? This examination will take us into the OT, which I love because it is rich. Today, we will cover verses 1-6, looking at the Patriarchs, and especially the women listed in Matthew's genealogy. Next week, we will look at the kings, beginning in Verse 6. I don't want to rush this teaching and tackle all the genealogy today, so we are going to break this genealogy into two parts over two Sundays. Please stand with me as we read Matt 1:2-6. Let's Pray! The genealogies...nothing is more edifying than reading through a list of names we can barely pronounce! (sarcasm) Tons of great application here! My sarcasm reflects the attitude of many people towards genealogies. Let me remind you that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God." All scripture is God-breathed...including genealogies. The genealogy of Jesus Christ especially. It's quite fascinating really. Why start with a Genealogy? * Matthew wrote to the Jews...and based on the covenants listed in verse 1...it was imperative that the Messiah was from the seed of David and the seed of Abraham. So, Matthew demonstrate Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and David. A critical point for Jewish readers...the messiah must fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants mentioned in verse 1. * The genealogy of Jesus is also a bridge between the OT & the NT. The OT prophecies, prophets, and writings looked forward to -or pointed to the Coming Messiah. * The OT ends in Malachi prophesying of the forerunner to the Messiah, and the NT begins with the evidence that Jesus is the rightful King and Messiah. * You may have heard the saying, "The OT promises are realized in the NT premises." * Or, as Augustine said, "The New is in the Old concealed; The Old is in the New revealed." * The genealogies of Jesus revealed or demonstrated that Jesus had a right to the Throne: * The genealogy in Matthew 1: Demonstrates Jesus' legal right to the throne via Joseph (Jesus' stepfather...Joseph was not Jesus' blood relative, for Jesus was born of the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit). But, in Jewish custom, if you were adopted, you shared all the legal rights of the adopted family. So, Jesus, especially as the eldest Son, had all the legal rights to the throne as Joseph's heritage flows through the royal line through David's son Solomon. But, it is important that Jesus was not of this blood line, because of the curse upon Jeconiah...which we will discuss next week. * The genealogy in Luke 3: Demonstrates Jesus' lineal right to the throne through Mary. Follows the blood line through David's son Nathan. So, through Mary, Jesus was of the blood line to David and Abraham as well. * You can also make a point that Jesus had a heavenly right to the throne,... * For in Luke 3:38, it states Jesus is the "son of Adam, the son of God." Adam was not the first of the fathers in Jesus' lineage...the original and first Father was THE Father- God- The true God-Father...sorry Marlon Brando. * And, in John 1:1, John states Jesus is the word (John 1:14) and "...the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." * In Matthew 1:23, we are told Jesus would be called "Immanuel," "God with us." Jesus came from the throne in heaven to dwell with us...God with us...He has every right to the throne...He is the King and the Messiah. Beginning in Verse 2, Matthew begins his Genealogy with Abraham. Luke will trace Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam, as Luke writes to the Greeks/Gentiles... his Gospel focuses upon Jesus' humanity, and demonstrates Jesus is the Son of Man. But, Matthew, only needs to concern himself with fulfilment of the covenants in verse 1, so we start with the Patriarch Abraham. 1. Abraham begot Isaac... 2. We will see this word "begot" numerous times today. Begot means "descent," "birth," "to bring forth"- it means to become the father of. 3. You will see this word all throughout the lineage until verse 16. "And Jacob begot Joseph" (Jesus' stepfather), but notice it does not say "Joseph begot Jesus." Verse 16 mentions Joseph was the husband of Mary, "of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ." 4. Beginning with Abraham, we see that Jesus descends from the Patriarchs of Israel (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob). 5. A Patriarch is a father and ruler of a tribe. 6. The nation of Israel began with God calling Abraham and forming a covenant with Abraham and later reaffirming the covenant to Issac in Gen 26. 7. The first time we see the name Israel in the Bible is Gen 32:28, when God changes Jacob's name (heal-catcher) to Israel "God prevails." 8. From, Jacob are born 12 sons, who are the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. 9. From these Patriarchs, there are men and women, who stepped out in faith...and we should follow their lead in this. We are also to live in faith, and be obedient to God's calling on our lives. 10. We also see a very human side in this lineage, where these Patriarchs made many humanly and fleshly choices in life and caused harm to themselves, their families, other people, and sometimes to God's name. 11. One of the best aspects of the Bible is that it is veracious...it represents the truth...it is honest. In standard Chronicles of kings in secular history, the flaws and mistakes of the kings are not highlighted, but the Bible tells it like it is. It's one of many reasons we can trust the Bible. 12. We will see today that Jesus comes from a very human family, filled with triumphs, and shortcomings...just like our families...just like us. He is "God with us." He understands us, and despite us, he welcomes us into His family, He loves us, and He calls us to His purposes. 13. At the end of Verse 2, we see Jesus is from the Tribe of Judah, and in Luke 3:33, in Mary's lineage, we also see Jesus is from the Tribe of Judah. 14. In Gen 49, when Jacob was in his last days, he spoke final words to his sons and prophesied over them. To his son Judah he spoke these very prophetic words pointing to Jesus... 15. Gen 49:9-10 (for simplicity, I will be reading the NLT version) "Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness-who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor." And, in other versions, this coming one is named Shiloh, which is a messianic title. 16. Judah's tribe became the kingly tribe. David was from the tribe of Judah, and Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. 17. The 12 Tribes each had a flag for their tribe, and Judah's depicted a Lion, as Judah was referenced by Jacob as a young Lion, or a Lion's whelp. 18. The Lion is the king of the beasts...the lion is powerful, fierce and majestic, just like the kingly line was, and just like all will see in Jesus' 2nd coming. 19. In Rev 5:5, one of the elders referred to Jesus as "...the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David..." as Jesus will reclaim the scroll spoken of in Rev 5...the title deed to the earth...ruling as King. 20. And, let's not forget, Matthew portrayed Jesus as the King, and his Gospel was assigned the Cherub's face of a Lion, as the lion is king of the animals, and Jesus is the King, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. 21. Interwoven symbolism of Jesus throughout the word of God. Let's continue in verses 3-6... In verses 3-5, besides Boaz (from the Book of Ruth) the men of Jesus' lineage are a little more obscure. 1. We read about Perez and Zerah , the twin sons of Judah by Tamar, in Gen 38. You may recall the account of the "Scarlet Thread." 2. Nahshon in verse 4 in briefly mentioned in opening chapters of Numbers, but very little is known about him. He was the leader of the Tribe of Judah during Moses' time. So, you could put a "pin on the map" of Jesus genealogy, that Nahshon was a contemporary of Moses. 3. Of Obed, we hear brief mentions of him in Ruth and in 1 Sam 16, he is the son of Boaz and Ruth, the Grandfather of David. 4. Of Jesse, we see Samuel visit Jesse in 1 Sam 16, but the focus is more upon the examination of his sons, and the selection of and anointing of David. 5. David is often referred to, in what seems a derogatory sense, as the "son of Jesse" instead by name by Saul. 6. Isa 11:1 and 10 speaks of the Messiah coming from the stem or the root of Jesse... but, generally speaking Jesse is also a more obscure biblical character. 7. But, who does stand out in in these verses are the women Tamar and Ruth...and here is why. 8. Beginning in verse 3, we see the first of 5 women appearing in Jesus' genealogy which is fascinating, because Jews did not list women in their genealogies. In fact, none of these 5 women in the Matt 1 genealogy are listed in the Luke 3 genealogy. Luke 3 is comprised entirely of men, which was a normal genealogy back then. 9. Woman had very little recognition, rights, and opportunities. 10. Pharisees were known to regularly pray: "Thank You, God, that I am not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman." 11. Jesus and Christianity has done much for the equality of women. In fact, even today, compare women's rights in countries that have not been influenced by Christianity as a nation. Muslim nations, for ex., oppress women heavily. 12. Of the women listed, it is quite fascinating who made the list in Matthew's genealogy...not Sarah, Rebekah, or Rachel, instead... 13. 1 Deceiver (Tamar); 2 Harlots (Tamar & Rahab); 1 Adulteress (Bathsheba); 2 Gentiles (Rahab, a Canaanite & Ruth, a Moabitess); 1 Queen Mother (Bathsheba); and 1 Virgin who would be blessed among women for bringing forth the Messiah (Mary). 14. Scholar William MacDonald states "...perhaps a subtle suggestion that the coming of Christ would bring salvation to sinners, grace to Gentiles, and that in Him, barriers of race and sex would be torn down." 15. Focus on the Family wrote an interesting article that ties the themes of the stories of these women to the themes of the Advent season (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and Fulfillment). Let's take a look at these 5 women. 16. 1st: Tamar is a story of Hope because in her desire for a family, she became desperate and deceived Judah when her hope of a future was shattered. 17. In Gen 38, After the death of her first 2 husbands (Judah's sons Er, and Onan), Judah promised her she would remarry his son Shelah, when he grew older, a promise that appears hollow. In that time and culture, a woman's purpose and hope for a prosperous future was defined through marriage. Time passed and Judah had not given Tamar to Shelah to marry. In her desperation, Tamar took matters in her own hands, disguised herself like a prostitute, tricked Judah and became pregnant by him. Judah was also in sin. Months later, Tamar was found to be pregnant, and Judah said to have her burned to death. But, she presented Judah's pledge (the signet, cord and staff of Judah). And, Judah responded, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son." Gen 38:26 18. "In place of desperate acts and broken hopes, the coming Messiah would bring real hope into the world." -FOTF 19. 2nd: Rahab is a story of Peace. Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who lived in Jericho- a Canaanite city doomed for destruction. Josh 2. Rahab saved the 2 Israelite spies who came into the city, and she came to faith. In Josh 2:11 Rahab professed, "...the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." Rahab was told to tie a scarlet cord in the window of her house, and she and her household would be saved. In Josh 6, the Israelites marched around the city 7 days and the walls supernaturally fell. 20. In Heb 11, the Faith Hall of Fame, only 4 descendants of Jesus are listed (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Rahab). Very Interesting. 21. Heb 11:31 "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." 22. Through faith, not only is she and her her family saved, but she joined the Israelites by marrying Salmon. She becomes the mother of Boaz and the mother-in-law of Ruth, main characters in the Book of Ruth. 23. "Her place in the Lord's lineage is a powerful reminder that even in the face of certain judgment, peace with God is available through faith in the coming Christ." -FOTF 24. 3rd: Ruth is a story of Joy. 25. Ruth, the Moabitess, and her mother-in-law Naomi, a Jew from Bethlehem, were both widowed in Moab when their husbands died. They were in a desperate situation, and facing dire poverty. 26. She remains loyal to her mother-in-law, Naomi, after all the men pass away. We have sung songs quoting Ruth, as she said to Naomi in Ruth 1:16 "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God." 27. Ruth was quite spectacular and the Lord honored her faithfulness by blessing her with Boaz, the kinsmen redeemer, and saving her and Naomi from poverty. 28. Ruth does not display the character flaws of Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba. The problem with Ruth was not her, but her heritage...she was a Moabitess. In Gen 19, Moab was the son of the incestuous relationship between Lot and the eldest of his two daughters after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed; from the younger daughter came the Ammonites . Both pagan nations became a plague to the nation of Israel. 29. You may recall the account of Balaam and Balak from Num 22. Balak, the king of the Moabites, was afraid of Israel after they destroyed the Ammonites, so he hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, but God forbid Balaam, numerous times...Num 22-24 Seduced by money, Balaam found a different way to hurt Israel...through compromise. In Num 25, Balaam recommended sending the Moabite women to seduce the Israelites and it worked. He couldn't curse the Israelites, but they could be hurt through the lust of the flesh. The Israelite men committed fornication w/ the Moabite women, and sacrificed to and worshiped the false gods of the Moabites. The Lord sent a plague and 24,000 Israelites died as a result. 30. In Deut 23:3 it is recorded, "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever..." 31. Ruth was a Moabitess, and yet because of faith in God, she was brought into God's family. 32. "Her place in the Lord's ancestry speaks volumes about God's kindness in redeeming outsiders, and the joy which that redemption brings." -FOTF 33. 4th: Bathsheba is a story of Love. 34. The story of David and Bathsheba at best is a story of tainted love, of the wrong kind of love, of tasting forbidden fruit. So, why would this be a story of love, well let's see... 35. Bathsheba is not listed by name in the genealogy except for mention in verse 6 that "David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah" as if almost a reminder that beloved king David was not without spot. 36. When David first saw Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop, he asked, likely his servants, who she was. The results of the research was she was the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah. This should have been enough for David to know she was off limits. 37. She was from a notable family: 38. Daughter of Eliam, who is numbered with David's Mighty men (2 Sam 23:34). There were only a total of 37 Mighty Men, and these were David's elite and closest soldiers. These were his special ops soldiers. 39. This made her Granddaughter to Ahithophel, one of David's chief counselors and a close friend (2 Sam 15:12 & 2 Sam 23:34). Ahitophel would become very bitter against David, and later align himself against David with David's son, Absalom. Ps 55 was written by David about his heart ache over this betrayal by Ahitophel. 40. "For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. 13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng." Ps 55:12-14 41. Bathsheba was also the wife of Uriah...she was MARRIED, hello? Uriah was also numbered amongst David's Mighty Men (2 Sam 23:39). 42. Had David respected the God prescribed boundaries of the marriage of 'one man and one woman,' perhaps he would have respected Uriah and Bathsheba's covenantal marriage, or his own, but he was in compromise for David already had multiple wives. 43. God sets up boundaries or fences in our lives to protect us, but sometimes we don't like the fence and tear it down, not realizing there is danger on the other side. David is a case study of the fallout that occurs when one does not listen to God's word. 44. David was is in his 50's at this time. He was not a twenty-something young-man. He had experienced God's miracles and grace over and over. He knew God's faithfulness and His provisions. Now, at the peak of success, David takes his eyes off God, ignores His warnings, listens to the the desires of his flesh and tastes forbidden fruit. As David takes that which is not his to take, he will face consequences for years to come. 45. Violation of the 10th commandment (not coveting), would lead to David violating the 7th commandment (not committing adultery) and 6th commandment (not murdering). 46. There would be major fallout, a true whirlwind, for generations to come because of David's sin: 47. An unwanted pregnancy. 48. Uriah, is deceived in a cover-up ploy, and then murdered. 49. The baby of David and Bathsheba dies. 50. In 2 Sam 13, David's daughter, Tamar, is raped by his son, Amnon (her 1/2 brother). And, David does nothing about this. How could he? He was personally compromised by not controlling his own lusts w/ Bathsheba! 51. David does not take action for justice, and Amnon is murdered by another son, Absalom (the full brother of Tamar). David does nothing about this, but how could he, for he was a murderer himself? He murdered Uriah. 52. A conspiracy and civil war breaks out against David...led by his son Absalom who is advised by Ahithophel (Bathsheba's Grandfather and former friend and close advisor to David). 53. Solomon would imitate David's lack of self-control, leading him and much of Israel away from God. 54. It is said that sin is pleasurable for a season, but the fallout from sin can last a lifetime, and bleed into generations to come. One of David's greatest follies was his adultery with Bathsheba in 2 Sam 11, and David reaped what he sowed the rest of his life. 55. There are many thoughts about the relationship between David and Bathsheba... who was to blame for the sin of their relationship?Did Bathsheba seduce David? Was the relationship consensual? Was Bathsheba forced? Or, did David use his position of power to take advantage of Bathsheba? 56. Keil and Delitzsch: 57. "In the expression "he took her, and she came to him," [2 Sam 11:4] there is no intimation whatever that David brought Bathsheba into his palace through craft or violence, but rather that she came at his request without any hesitation, and offered no resistance to his desires. Consequently Bathsheba is not to be regarded as free from blame. The very act of bathing in the uncovered court of a house in the heart of the city, into which it was possible for any one to look down from the roofs of the houses on higher ground, does not say much for her feminine modesty, even if it was not done with an ulterior purpose, as some commentators suppose. Nevertheless in any case the greatest guilt rests upon David, that he, a man upon whom the Lord had bestowed such grace, did not resist the temptation to the lust of the flesh, but sent to fetch the woman." Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 624. 58. David was in a position of power, and women had very few rights in those days. It may be that Bathsheba was not seeking the king, but it does appear that she submitted to his advances. 59. The bible records Bathsheba mourned over the death of Uriah, and never is Bathsheba mentioned as being held accountable by God for the sin. But, David is held accountable. 2 Sam 11 ends with "...the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." And, when the prophet Nathan confronts David, all blame is laid upon David's shoulders. 60. Focus on the Family chose love to represent the story of Bathsheba. Here's why: "Bathsheba's presence in the genealogy insists upon the grace of the coming Messiah, who would redeem people caught in relationships of unequal power and tainted love and restore them in the true love and freedom offered by God." 61. 5th: Mary is a story of Fulfillment. 62. Mary is the final woman mentioned in Matthew's genealogy- verse 16. "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ." 63. Notice the words "Of Whom." This is in the Singular, feminine- In Greek this indicates Jesus was born of Mary, but was not a physical descendant of Joseph. 64. As mentioned earlier, Mary's genealogy is found in Luke 3, which gives us Jesus' bloodline to David. But, Mary is not listed at all in the genealogy in Luke 3, because it was normal, at that time to exclude women from genealogies. But, Luke 3 truly is her genealogy. Here's why: 65. Luke 1:23 starts "Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli..." 66. Let me give you 3 quick reasons why the Luke 3 genealogy is Mary's genealogy: 67. We know the genealogy in Luke 3 was not Joseph's blood line as the genealogy in Matthew states "Jacob begot Joseph" in verse 15. Joseph's father was a man named Jacob, not Heli in Luke 3. 68. And, in Luke 1:23 it states "Jesus...(as was supposed) the son of Joseph. Jesus was thought to be the son of Joseph. But, he was not. He was begot of the Holy Spirit and Mary. 69. Also, notice the attention paid to Joseph following the genealogy in Matthew 1, and the attention paid to Mary preceding the genealogy in Luke 3. 70. There are additional reasons as well, but scholars agree that Matthew 1 displays Joseph's lineage, and Luke 3 displays Mary's lineage. 71. Let's look at why Mary was a story of fulfillment. Mary was quite different from the other women in the genealogy in Matthew...she was not living a questionable lifestyle and her heritage was Jewish. She was of the tribe of Judah, descended from David, and was living a life of faith. Living a life of faith? How do you know? 72. Turn to Luke 1. Luke, in the opening chapters of his gospel, Luke devotes great attention to Mary and we learn a few things about her: 73. Luke 1:26-33 "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." I notice 5 things to help us understand Mary and how she lived a life of faith: 74. 1. Mary was a virgin, verse 27. This was significant because of the prophecy in Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Matthew tells us, in Matt 1:22, the birth of Christ fulfilled this prophecy. 75. 2. Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Arranged marriages were common in the 1st Century, and the betrothal period was similar to our term "engagement," but with a legal contract, and only broken by a legal divorce. The betrothal period lasted 1 year prior to the marriage and the couple continued living with their parents; and were celibate. The purpose was to demonstrate the brides purity and commitment to the vows and her husband. If she was found to have been pregnant during this time, the punishment was death. Mary certainly took a major step of faith to agree to conceive by the Holy Spirit during her betrothal period. 76. 3. Mary was highly favored, blessed among women and God was with her! The angel Gabriel told Mary these things in vs 28. She was all these things because she was chosen to be the only woman in all of history to give birth to the Savior, Jesus. She should not be overemphasized, as the Catholics do, calling her a co-redemptress, and she should not be belittled as some in the protestant churches do. She was highly favored and God was with her. 77. 4. Mary was troubled and afraid. We see this in vss 29-30. This is a quite normal and natural reaction to being greeted by an Angel. You and I would be also be disturbed, perplexed, and fearful as well if we were greeted with such a magnanimous greeting from an Angel. And, Mary was feeling this way just by the greeting...she did not even know the big news yet, that she would be pregnant! 78. 5. Mary was a woman of faith. In vs 31, Gabriel informs Mary she would conceive and bring forth a Son, and in verse 34, Mary inquires, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Gabriel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you..." Mary responded, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." She submits her life as God's servant and to God's plan, even at the possibility of great cost... for it would appear that she was unfaithful to Joseph and violated their betrothal, being that she was with child during the betrothal period. 79. One last point on Mary being a woman of faith. When we look at the Magnificat, Mary's song of praise (Luke 1:46-55), it is obvious that Mary was a woman of the word. The Magnificat is filled with OT allusions and quotations ...and has similarities to Hannah's song in 1 Sam 2. 80. Focus on the Family said Mary is a story of fulfillment. Here's why: "Clearly Mary had a sense of her place in history, as the final step in the fulfillment of God's promise to send his Messiah into the world. Indeed, the angel Gabriel underscored Mary's role in that promise by alluding to her royal ancestry and reassuring her that her Son would sit on his father David's throne with ultimate authority, ruling over an everlasting kingdom." FOTF So, that brings us through verse 6 of Jesus' genealogy. Reflecting back on these first groups of people, we see that in Jesus' lineage are Patriarchs, people of obscurity, and women. There were people who had amazing testimonies of walking in faith; some people who had mixed testimonies of times of great faith, and times of compromise, and other people who lived very questionable lifestyles, but still found faith. Where ever you see yourself in this story, if you have found faith, you too are part of the family of God and known and loved by Him. Let me finish reading the quote I read earlier, Jesus' genealogy is"...perhaps a subtle suggestion that the coming of Christ would bring salvation to sinners, grace to Gentiles, and that in Him, barriers of race and sex would be torn down." May the grace of the Lord be upon you this week! May He cause His face to shine upon you. Let's pray!