The Family Tree of Jesus the Messiah
(Matthew 1:1-17)
Have you ever looked at a family tree? It shows parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents going back many years. The Bible has a special family tree for Jesus. It is found in the very first part of the New Testament, the book of Matthew.
Matthew begins by calling Jesus the son of David and the son of Abraham. These names were very important to God's people, the Israelites. Abraham was the man God promised to make into a great nation. Many years later, God promised King David that one of his descendants would be king forever. Matthew wanted everyone to know that Jesus was the one who would keep those ancient promises.
The list of names goes on and on. It includes Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It tells about Boaz, who married Ruth. It mentions King David, but also his son Solomon. Some of the people in this list did wonderful things for God. Others made big mistakes. One man named Manasseh was a king who did many bad things. But the list still includes his name. This shows us that God's plan to send Jesus included all kinds of people.
Matthew breaks the family tree into three parts. The first part goes from Abraham to King David. The second part goes from David to the time when the people of Israel were taken away to live in Babylon. The third part goes from that sad time all the way to Jesus. There are fourteen names in each section. Matthew organized it this way to help people remember the story of God's people.
When you read the names, some of them are hard to say. There is Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Uzziah. There is Zerubbabel, who helped God's people rebuild God's house after they came home from Babylon. And near the end, we read the name of Joseph. Joseph was the man engaged to marry a young woman named Mary. And from Mary came Jesus, who is called the Messiah. The Messiah is the special rescuer God had promised to send.
This list is more than just old names. It is proof that Jesus was a real person who lived in a real family. God did not suddenly drop Jesus out of the sky. God worked through real families for hundreds of years to bring his Son into the world at just the right time. Even when God's people made wrong choices, God never gave up on his plan. Every name on that family tree is a reminder that God keeps his promises. And the best promise of all is Jesus, our Savior and King.
A Curious Question
Why would God include the names of people who made terrible mistakes in the family tree of his own perfect Son?
Old Testament Connection
This whole list of names connects directly back to the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12, where God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his family. It also connects to the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7, where God promised David that one of his descendants would rule on his throne forever. Matthew shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of both of these great Old Testament promises. God was working through history, one generation at a time, to send the Savior.
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think Matthew started Jesus' family tree with Abraham and not with Adam, the very first man?
2. How does it make you feel to know that God included people who made big mistakes in Jesus' family tree?
3. What does this long list of names teach us about how God keeps his promises over many, many years?
So What? What Can I Do?
1. When you feel like you have made too many mistakes for God to use you, how can remembering Jesus' family tree give you hope?
2. Your own family might be messy or broken in some ways. How does this story show you that God can still work through any family?
3. Think of one promise from God that you are still waiting for him to keep. How can you trust him like Abraham and David did?
Memorize God's Word
2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
• All Scripture is breathed out by God put your hand on your mouth as if breathing out, then point up to heaven.
• and profitable for teaching tap your temple with one finger to show thinking.
• for reproof gently shake your head and point forward as if showing someone the right path.
• for correction make two fists and twist them as if straightening something out.
• and for training in righteousness pretend to run in place like an athlete training for a race.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you for keeping your promises for hundreds and hundreds of years. Thank you that you even worked through families that were not perfect. Help us to trust your timing and to know that you never give up on your plan. We love you, and we thank you for sending Jesus. Amen.
Craft or Activity
My Own Faith Family Tree
Materials Checklist:
How to Make the My Own Faith Family Tree:
- Draw a large tree trunk with branches using a brown crayon or marker on the poster board.
- Add green leaves to the branches by drawing them or gluing on leaf stickers.
- At the bottom of the trunk, write the name "Abraham" because he was the first person in Matthew's list.
- On the branches, write the names of people who have helped you learn about Jesus. These could be parents, grandparents, a pastor, a Sunday School teacher, or a friend.
- At the very top of the tree, write the name "Jesus" in big letters to show that he is the most important part of every faith family.
- Decorate your tree with extra colors and draw a small Bible next to the trunk.
Effective Teaching Techniques
For younger children, prepare a simplified handout with only 8 to 10 key names from Matthew's genealogy (Abraham, David, Solomon, etc.) to color. For older kids, challenge them to look up the names in a Bible dictionary to learn one fun fact about each person. To save time, draw the tree outline on each paper before class. If a child has a difficult family situation, emphasize that God calls us into his family through Jesus even when our earthly families are imperfect.