17. The Genealogy of Jesus

Jesus was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph. Among his ancestors were: David, Abraham, and a host of other illustrious men, plus four notable women: 

·         Tamar – who tricked her father-in-law into making her pregnant (see Genesis 38)

·         Rahab – a prostitute who lied to protect the Hebrew spies prior to the defeat of Jericho (see Joshua 2)

·         Ruth – a woman of the Moabites, a hated nation whose people were excluded from any contact with Israelites (see Ruth 1)

·         Bathsheba – a woman made pregnant by David in an adulterous affair (or rape) that led to her husband’s murder (2 Samuel 2)

Reflections

Genealogies are usually of little interest outside the family. This might also be true for the genealogy of Jesus were it not for the inclusion of four highly unusual women. Is ancestry important to you? Do you feel ashamed of infamous forebears or proud of distinguished ones?

Prayer: Remind me, Lord, the only ancestry that matters is to be your child, made in your image.