The Genealogy of Jesus

    In his massive volume, The Birth of the Messiah, a Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke, Raymond E. Brown rightly observes:  “to the modern reader there are few things in the Bible less meaningful than the frequent lists of descendants or ancestors” (p. 64).  Yet, as we have continued our study through the Bible, we have found the genealogical lists to be extremely important.  In Genesis they propel us through the narrative, giving us the origins of families and peoples who play very important roles later on in the Bible.  Recall how Lot’s daughters seduce him after Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed:  “So both of Lot’s daughters became...

Please login to read more.