Advent Day 10 - Jesus' Genealogy

As a child, I loved to visit my grandparents in England. Their house was chock-full of books, and I loved perusing the shelves, looking for a new passion or an old favorite.

The last time I visited, I remember spending some time in the family genealogy book. There were pages and pages of relatives I had only vaguely heard of, but it was very fun and special to look towards the end and find the names that belonged to my brothers and me. Proof that we existed, and that our ancestors too had really lived. But it did really make me wish that I knew more about my ancestors than their names and the dates they lived. What did they think about? What did they feel? Were there any exciting stories from their lives? Did I have any ancestors who were spies? Slaves? Rebels? Kings?

In the first chapter of Matthew, there is a long genealogy of Jesus. It starts with Abraham and goes through Jesus' earthly father, Joseph.

At first glance it seems like a very strange way to start a book. What author, hoping to be widely read, starts his book with a long family tree? Any casual reader who picks up the book (or scroll as it were) would immediate put it down and decide that this was not comfy bedtime reading.

But we are forgetting 1st: the time and world in which Jesus was born, 2nd: the culture and history of the Jewish people, and 3rd: the purpose which Matthew had in writing his account of Jesus' life.

In the first place, when Matthew wrote his gospel, only the very few educated could read and write. The rich (males only) were educated by scribes. Most people heard the Book of the Law only in the synagogues. Additionally, books were very precious. Not only was it hard to find someone who would copy down your book, but pens, ink and papyrus were costly. Circulation of books was limited, and only the very rich would have owned a personal library. Thus, any written document was respected and treasured.

Secondly, the attention of Matthew's audience would immediately have been held by the first few words:

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah 
the son of David, the son of Abraham...

Matthew 1:1 NIV

To the Jewish people, what an important and shocking phrase. In a few short words, Matthew claims, that 1) Jesus is the promised Messiah whom the Jews have been waiting for over hundreds of years, 2) that he is the "son of David" -- meaning that he is of royal blood. David was the Jews' most beloved and powerful king in memory, perhaps a bit like an American claiming to be a direct descendent of George Washington. 3) Finally, he also claims Jesus to be the son of Abraham -- the very father of the Israelite faith. Thus Jesus is claimed as both the heir to the Israelite kingdom and the core of their very spirituality. 

I wouldn't have the time to describe every ancestor on the list, even if I knew about each of them. But I find it ironic that I know more about most of the ancestors of Jesus than I do about my own forefathers. That is because many of them are central figures to the story of the Israelites and the Israelite people's relationship with God. Their stories are written all throughout the Old Testament.

The final reason that Matthew chose to start the story of Jesus with a description of his ancestry is because his Jewish audience would have immediately recognized the stories of their ancestors, the patriarchs and leaders and kings whose stories they had grown up on and whom they had respected all their lives. The mention of so many of their heroes would suddenly bring their history close to them, and help them to realize that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, who had been foreshadowed throughout history. They would see all the prophecies about him which had come to pass and realize how amazing God's hand had been to bring about his plan of salvation.

As you look at Jesus' genealogy, whose stories of faith and courage do you remember? What thoughts of encouragement or hope come to your mind?