The Son Of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, And Bathsheba Series

Introduction

One of the subjects I studied in high school was woodwork. During the first three years, we learned basic carpentry skills. In my fourth year, we could choose between lathe work or carving. I tried my hand at carving.

In our final year, we had to produce a piece of furniture. I made a sideboard cabinet that my Dad used in his home for several decades.

During my fourth year, I discovered that I enjoyed carving. I learned some rudimentary basics of carving and made a few small pieces. Sadly, they were all stolen during the exhibit at the end of the year.

Not long after that time, my parents traveled back to my Dad’s homeland of Austria. I had read and seen pictures of well-known people and nobility that had family crests. I thought that it would be wonderful to carve our family crest. So, I asked my Dad to bring back a picture or a photo or an image of our Fritz family crest.

About a month later, my parents returned from their trip. Excitedly, I asked my Dad, “So, do you have a picture of our family crest?”

“No, Freddy,” said my Dad, “I am sorry to tell you that our family does not have a crest. We do not come from a line of nobility but from a family of peasants.”

You can imagine my disappointment that our family tree does not have a line of nobles but rather a line of peasants.

Matthew began his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Most people just skim over the list of names. But it is a fascinating list of names. The first two names on the list—David and Abraham—are revered men in the genealogy of Jesus.

But some other names in the genealogy of Jesus are shocking.

Today, we are going to notice some of those shocking names in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Scripture

Let’s read Matthew 1:1-17:

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Lesson

In Matthew 1:1-17, we learn that the genealogy of Jesus Christ included women.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Gospel Turns Things Upside Down

2. The Gospel Is Not Good Advice But Good News

I. The Gospel Turns Things Upside Down

First, notice that the gospel turns things upside down.

Matthew began his Gospel with these words in Matthew 1:1, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

In verse 17, Matthew concluded the genealogy of Jesus Christ with this summary, “So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.”

There are 42 generations of names listed in this genealogy. However, sometimes names are skipped over and omitted.