“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham...”
This year, as we turn our attention to Advent, we’ll spend five weeks learning from the genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of Matthew. Pastor Aaron writes, “Matthew begins his gospel account of the life and work of Jesus with a royal genealogy. While this is a common practice in the ancient near-eastern world, this genealogy features something unique: five women are mentioned. Nothing in Scripture is there by accident, and the inclusion of these women in the lineage of Jesus raises some interesting questions. The focus of this series will be on the four women that precede Mary and seek to understand why Matthew, and ultimately the Lord, included them in the genealogy. What ought we to learn about Jesus, the women, and ourselves through this passage of Scripture and the study of these women?”
Meet the Women of Advent
Want to study ahead? The five women we’ll meet in the genealogy include:
Tamar | Genesis 38:1-30
Rahab | Joshua 2:1-24, 6:22-25
Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah | 2 Samuel 11:1-27
Ruth | Ruth 1:1-4:22
Mary | Luke 1:46-55
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”