A Few Minutes in Matthew
Matthew 1:2–6a
“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.”

Explanation of the Text
Matthew begins the genealogy with Abraham, the father of Israel’s faith. This section traces the line from Abraham to David. Some of the names are familiar, but others we skim past because we don’t recognize them. Yet every name represents God’s faithfulness across centuries. The Lutheran Study Bible highlights how this genealogy is not simply biological; it’s also theological. It shows that God has carried His promise, generation after generation.

These verses include all kinds of people. Saints and sinners, heroes and broken people. Abraham the believer, Jacob the deceiver, Judah whose story is messy and painful, Boaz the redeemer, Jesse the shepherd, and David the king. Nothing here is neat. Matthew is quietly reminding us that Jesus does not enter a polished story; He enters a story full of weakness, failure, and grace.

And yet that is good news. Jesus comes through this line to redeem sinners, and what more, He is not ashamed of them. He claims this messy family as His own, and by faith, He claims us too.

What This Teaches Me About God
God works through ordinary, flawed, repentant people. He does not abandon His purposes when His people fail. His plan moves forward through grace, not human perfection.

What This Teaches Me About Myself
My story, like this genealogy, is a mixture of sin and God’s mercy. I cannot pretend to be the hero. I belong to the family Jesus comes to save, broken, but redeemed by grace.

Prayer
Gracious Father, thank You for working through imperfect people. Work through me as well, not because I am worthy, but because You are faithful. Amen.