Verse from Matthew

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭

When it comes to our spiritual roots, what a gift that Jesus’ earthly genealogy is recorded in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. Jesus’ genealogy establishes that He’s the Messiah and a direct descendant of Abraham.

As we read His genealogy, we see God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:1-8). Two thousand years after that promise was fulfilled, the apostle Matthew wrote, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

The biblical genealogy shows Jesus’ ancestry come to life. We see the names of royalty such as King David and ordinary people such as a carpenter named Joseph. And Matthew includes five women: Tamar, Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife), Rahab, Ruth (who some scholars believe were all gentiles), and Mary.

Whether or not we know much about our biological ancestors, we can—because we’re part of God’s family—learn about our spiritual ancestors throughout the Bible. We gain courage from seeing how faithful God was to them.