Each year, I am intrigued when the Genealogy of Jesus comes around. It is interesting to hear the various names through three sets of fourteen generations. Why is hearing the genealogy of Jesus important for us, days before Christmas?

The genealogy shows how God works with people to bring about his will. He does not fulfill his will apart from them. One prime example is the listing of the four women leading up to the Virgin Mary. Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Tamar are listed in this genealogy.

Rahab was the harlot who admitted the spies of Israel to the city of Jericho. She is regarded as the mother of faith as she opened her home to Israel. She symbolizes the Church that came together out of paganism.

Ruth was a Gentile who married a Jew. After her husband died, she had the opportunity to return to her people. She stayed with her mother-in-law. This Gentile became a believer in the God of Israel.

Bathsheba’s story is well known in the Old Testament! She is the wife of Uriah who died in battle. They were Hittites. She became the wife of King David. She accepted Israel’s God and became the mother of Solomon who is an image of Christ.

Tamar did not have children but requested that Judah bring the kingdom to the tribe of Judah.

These four women were the outsiders. Naming these four women shows that God’s grace reaches the Gentiles. The coming of Jesus will bring about the salvation of the whole world. God’s faithfulness in working within the frame of imperfect people secures the salvation of Israel. God working through imperfect outsiders secures life for the entire world.

Rhythmically, we hear “the father of…” and finally, in its cadence, “Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.”

At the end of his account, Matthew will fully disclose the identity of Jesus through the centurion’s confession, “Truly, this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54)!

He is coming in the most surprising of ways.