Do you skim over genealogy lists in the Bible as I do? It is easy to do, but diving into them can be enlightening. Matthew includes the genealogy of Jesus in his gospel because the Jews paid close attention to bloodlines, since Biblical prophecy told them that Jesus would be from the lineage of Abraham and David. Instead of skimming over these verses, let’s look behind-the-scenes into Jesus’ ancestry to see the full story – it may bring hope to your own family ancestry and relationships!      

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Even the beginning of Jesus’s genealogy quickly takes some interesting, deceptive twists and turns. God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, but Abraham is 100 years old when Isaac is born!  Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. God had told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger, and these twins even wrestled in her womb! Eventually, Jacob tricks Esau into selling his birthright and deceives Isaac to secure his father’s birthright blessing. Later, Jacob has twelve sons, one of whom is Judah. In Genesis 37:26, Judah suggests that his younger brother, Joseph, be sold to slave traders, because Joseph tells his brothers that they will serve him one day. This is only the first four generations in Jesus’s ancestry, and we already see interesting family dynamics!  

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Judah’s next appearance in the Bible contains even more dramatic twists and turns as his story intertwines with Tamar’s in Genesis 38. It was unusual for a woman’s name to even appear in a Jewish genealogy, because traditional Jewish identity was through the father’s bloodline, so why is she listed? It is an intriguing story! Tamar was married to two of Judah’s three sons. God described Er, Judah’s oldest son, as wicked, and he died.  As was the custom, Onan, Judah’s second son, married Tamar, but he also died. Tamar was then sent back to her home to wait until the youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry, but Judah did not honor his promise. By withholding Shelah from Tamar, Judah condemned her to a life of shame and despair with no heirs, even though she was legally bound to Judah’s family.  

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Tamar was desperate and determined, so she devised a bold plan to claim justice and have heirs. She wears a veil to disguise herself as a prostitute and waits near the place where Judah will travel. Not recognizing Tamar, he approaches her, and she requests some personal items that were unmistakingly Judah’s as payment. A few months later when Judah discovers that Tamar is pregnant, he orders her to be burned to death because she was not married; however, Tamar produces Judah’s personal items which proves that she was the disguised prostitute! Judah realizes his hypocrisy and acknowledges that she is more righteous than he was because he did not keep his promise to give her Shelah. Tamar’s honor is restored! Tamar gives birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, which is itself a dramatic story of the reversal of birth order and God’s sovereignty and authority (Gen. 38:27-30). Perez’s son, Hezron, ensures the continuation of Judah’s lineage to King David.  

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Why is Tamar listed in Jesus’s genealogy? Her story reflects that God can work in unconventional ways in messy, complicated family situations to fulfill His purposes!  After Judah’s broken promise regarding Shelah, Tamar shows resilience and courage that turns scandal into redemption! Her actions were not driven by lust or personal gain, but by a desperate need for justice and restoration. The recognition of Tamar’s righteousness by Judah, and Jacob’s prophecy of Judah’s future leadership (Gen. 49: 8-10), shows that Judah was also transformed through his family’s story. We see that, even when people in Jesus’s lineage revealed questionable character, stumbled, and disobeyed, God chose to use them and give them grace and mercy, even when their way did not reflect God’s way.  

How many twists and turns are there in each of our family's ancestors and relationships? Most of us have stories of family or individuals who have stumbled and deceived. These stories can make us feel unimportant or think that we have nothing to contribute to society, but by including people of questionable character in Jesus’s ancestry, we can rebuke those feelings and thoughts. God has placed you where you are for a reason and you are important to God. You are valuable and needed! God knows your current story, and He can restore any story according to His perfect will and His perfect timing. He is full of grace and mercy. Your story can show the world just how amazing His grace and mercy is. Be open to God’s course-altering perspective and let it guide your way to a story of restoration in your family relationships.

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Consider these thoughts about your story.

• Where we see failure, God sees potential!

• Where we see weakness, God sees strength!  

• Where we see heartbreak, God sees restoration!