Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. Oh my goodness, but could you start your depiction of the birth of the Messiah in a more matter-of-fact way? Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. This has to be one of the great understatements of all...

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. The story goes that when Abraham Lincoln first met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the...

So all the generations…. Yes, there have been a lot of generations – 42 at least! And while we’ve focused on the five extraordinary women mentioned, in case you’re wondering the men are fairly interesting as well. Abraham who left hearth and home to strike out for a new land in...

…and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the...

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. My first reaction is that Matthew should be ashamed of himself. He doesn’t even mention Bathsheba. Rather, he calls her only “the wife of Uriah.” It may be that Matthew is embarrassed by this story. Little wonder. It is the story...

…and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David… Ruth’s story is one of the better known stories of a woman in the Bible, and Ruth is regularly held up as a model of faithfulness…with good reason. But in case we’ve forgotten...