1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
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.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
Comment: To answer my own question, asked in today’s title – personally I often do! But there are some very interesting points to be considered in this genealogy. 1. I understand why Abraham and David are the introduction to three of the sections because to them God directly indicated that they would be in the parentage of the promised Messiah. But why the ‘deportation to Babylon’? I guess because the line of David was not easily found as there were no descendants of David sitting on the throne from that time, although there were good ‘hidden’ records of David’s descendants and the Messiah had to be in that line. 2. Okay, but then I ask why does this list end up with Joseph? Note that it doesn’t end up with Joseph alone – he is listed as the wife of Mary, whose genealogy is given by Luke in his gospel! Joseph didn’t supply the sperm for Jesus birth but he was the legal father in Jewish thinking! This gospel is specifically written for Jewish readers, although very relevant for all of us! One of our sons, adopted in a down country African Court is legally my son, my wife although very involved in the adoption court case is not mentioned in that tribe, at that time children were the father’s! 3. The 14 in each of the three segments is not a complete list according to the Old Testament. Not that any false names have been listed but some generations have been skipped, as we can easily see by reading the books of Kings and Chronicles! I personally think that it it is a literary tool, maybe there is a deeper explanation, I know that there are a number of available theories. 4. Apart from Mary, Three women only are mentioned. Two were gentiles and the three of them had tainted histories! This tainted history of sinfulness is true, of course, of all the men as well, some more so, like Judah the mentioned son of Jacob, David himself and some of the kings were far from ‘righteous’! Presumably, as truly a man, Jesus had a lot of sin tendencies to overcome when He was tempted in all points as we are. It will be nice to find out all the details in the hereafter – sufficient to know now that He was sinless but that He can understand our weaknesses and be a real succour and understand us as we pass through life.
Proverbs 3: 7-8 – Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Prayer: I am truly thankful that You came to earth, Lord Jesus!
As I read it! 