“Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.”
—Matthew 1:5-6 (ESV)
We’ve all been tempted to “upgrade” a story. When asked, “How many fish did you catch?” we may want to add an extra fish or two. When questioned about how many pages we’ve read for our assignment, we might pad our page count. Sometimes, we want things to sound a little better than they are.
The Bible has no such weakness. From cover to cover, God’s Word is honest, even about the family background of Jesus. His earthly ancestors went through some real ups and downs. His lineage includes some unexpected people, such as these individuals: Rahab lived a life of sin before coming to know God. Ruth was a Moabite; she wasn’t from Israel. Bathsheba became pregnant by David while still married to Uriah, later becoming David’s wife after he added to his sin by causing Uriah’s death.
If we’re telling the truth, this genealogy surprises us. The ancestors of Jesus were complex people. They experienced highs and lows, and they committed sins. In a less honest (and imperfect) book than the Bible, their names would not appear. But the Bible puts these people front and center for a purpose: to magnify the grace of God. He saves all types of people, as we’re learning. God doesn’t save anyone accidentally; He does this to show just how powerful and merciful He is.
The Christmas season is not a season for perfect people. There are no perfect people. The Christmas season is a time when we—imperfect people—celebrate God’s perfect love for us. He is weaving our stories together as He did for Jesus, His incarnate Son (God in human form). Our heavenly Father is taking all the joys and challenges in our lives and working them together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
Prayer: Father, thank You that You save sinners just like us. We praise You that You saved Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba and David, and You’re still saving sinners today. We ask that You would help us to trust You in all the joys and difficulties of our lives. Weave all these things together for good, Father. Thank You for Jesus, and Jesus’ bigger family, and our own place in it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
