Show Don't Tell: Matthew 1:1-17

Instead of saying "Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy," let them hear the roll call of grace. Abraham—the one who left everything on a promise. Isaac—the miracle baby who almost died on an altar. Jacob—the deceiver who wrestled with God. Judah—who slept with his daughter-in-law. Rahab—the prostitute who hid spies. Ruth—the foreigner who gleaned in Boaz's field. David—the shepherd king who murdered for a woman. Solomon—wise king, foolish lover of foreign gods. Then the line fades into obscurity: names nobody remembers, kings who failed, generations of exile. And at the end, after all the scandal and silence: "Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus." The Messiah comes not despite this messy family tree but through it. Every broken branch testifies: God keeps promises through imperfect people.