1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Who is Tamar? Tamar was an ancestor of Jesus through her sons Perez and Zerah with Judah. Her story, found in Genesis 38, involves her being the daughter-in-law of Judah who was denied her rightful inheritance and took matters into her own hands by disguising herself as a prostitute to conceive children with Judah. Her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus highlights themes of redemption, God's grace, and his ability to use difficult circumstances to achieve his purposes.
Who is Rahab? Rahab was the Canaanite who married Salmon and became the mother of Boaz. Her inclusion was a surprise, as she was a non-Israelite outsider, a prostitute, and a liar, but is highlighted for her faith in hiding two Hebrew spies in Jericho and her role in saving her family. Her story is a testament of God's unconditional love and salvation.
Who is Ruth? Ruth was a Moabite woman who, after her husband's death, moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi and later married Boaz. She is included in the genealogy of Jesus because she became the great-grandmother of King David, making her an ancestor of Jesus. Her story is a testament to God's grace, as she was a foreigner who became part of the Israelite lineage.
Who is Mary? Mary is the mother of Jesus the Messiah and was betrothed to Joseph but became pregnant through the Holy Spirit before they lived together. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, revealing that the child was from the Holy Spirit. The angel instructed Joseph to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, to name the child Jesus, and that the child would save his people from their sins. This fulfilled a prophecy that a virgin would give birth to a son named "Emmanuel," which means "God with us". Her story is a testament of God's delight in individuals living sanctified lives for his glory and being obedient to his calling even when misunderstood by others.
