The Role of Genealogies in Scripture: An Introduction to MatthewExemplo

The Wonder of God’s Grace

There are many beautiful aspects of Matthew’s genealogy. We will never know all of them until we reach the other side of heaven. One thing we do see is that this genealogy speaks of the amazing nature of God’s grace in profound ways.

Something you must recognize about this list of names is that every name on it, except for Jesus, represents a great sinner. Every single one needed the grace of God. Why was Jesus born? Why did the Son of God come into the world? Because sinners needed to be saved. Every name on the list is a sinner, including Mary. Every name except Jesus is a great sinner.

We are all sinners. Some have looked at this list and pointed out names associated with scandals. Bathsheba, for instance, is referred to as the wife of Uriah, which recalls David’s sin. We may be tempted to miss that every name in the list represents a scandalous sinner, not just Bathsheba. Every sin is an act of defiance against our Creator. It is scandalous to dishonor His holy name and to substitute His sufficiency with anything else.

Only God’s grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ could ever atone for our scandals. Jesus died for ungodly people. That is what Paul teaches us in Romans. The gospel is not about cleaning up your life so that God will receive you; it’s about believing in Jesus, who died for ungodly people, and being received by God and gaining new life.

The genealogy of Jesus includes five women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Their inclusion is highly unusual and points to God’s amazing grace. It is extended to all, regardless of their past. God works through what might appear scandalous to bring about His purposes. Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, was born into a line of great sinners to save great sinners.

Take a moment to reflect on the grace that God has extended to you. Consider how He has forgiven your sins and brought you into His family, despite your past. Let this awareness fill you with gratitude and awe. Think about how you can share this message of grace with someone who needs to hear it. God's grace is available to everyone, no matter their background or sins, and it's available to you now.