Scripture: “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife…” (Matthew 1:1-6; context: 1:1-17)
Observation: We began the Gospel of Matthew yesterday. Today, let’s take note of something that stands out in this account of Jesus’ family tree: the presence of women in the genealogy. What’s going on here?
When we look at the OT stories about each of them, we find a common thread. None of them were Israelites. Each woman is from another people group. They each have their own stories, but they all share that trait. Tamar was from a land apart from the family of Jacob, Rahab was a prostitute who gave assistance to the Israelite spies in the conquest of the Promised Land. Ruth was a Moabite woman who displayed uncommon loyalty to her mother-in-law. And “Uriah’s wife,” that is, Bathsheba, was victimized by King David’s treachery and sin. (My guess as to why the genealogy reads, “Uriah’s wife” instead of simply, “Bathsheba,” is not to leave her out, but rather to acknowledge and highlight the fullness of David’s sin—the rape of Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.)
All four women became included in the people of God somehow and even made it into the lineage of the Messiah, participants in God’s provision and promise. Remarkable.
The genealogy, standing at the front of Matthew’s Gospel, establishes a continuity between what God had done in the OT beginning with His promise to Abraham and what God is now doing in Jesus. As such, it points to who Jesus is, what His character will be like, and what we can anticipate about His mission and ministry.
Matthew’s inclusion of the non-Israelite women in the genealogy gets our attention and shows us that God has always had an open door to include outsiders. Now, what happened in part in the OT will happen in its fullness in Jesus—everyone welcomed, Jew and Gentile alike, to relationship with God and His people through faith in Him. As Jesus said to His disciples at the end of the Gospel, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (emphasis mine).
Application:
How does Matthew’s inclusion of these women in Jesus’ family tree give hints about His mission and foreshadow Jesus’ ministry?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for welcoming everyone who comes to you in faith. Help me welcome “outsiders” just as I have been graciously welcomed by you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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How does Matthew’s inclusion of these women in Jesus’ family tree give hints about His mission and foreshadow Jesus’ ministry?
It seems to me the theme of salvation for all, whether Jew, Gentile or sinner. There also seems to be a cultural shift from the patriarchal culture and the value of women. Among Jesus’ followers was Mary Magdalene, a woman who left sin behind, was given salvation, a follower and was important in the resurrection story.