The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David. What’s in a name? Not much, at least when it comes to the strange names that we have heard read to us in today’s Gospel reading. The list that make up the genealogy of Jesus contains some names that are famous, names that we would instantly recognize and even say a thing or two about them (Abraham, David, Ruth, Solomon, Ahaz among others). But the list contains as well some names that we know nothing about, names that perhaps we are hearing for the first time (Achim, Azor, Salmon). There is even the mention of Uriah (and thus a reminder of David’s adulterous affair with Uriah’s wife) in the genealogy. The list has been suggested to be composed in such a manner to show the humanity of Jesus, that is, how God can use crooked to write straight. And this would be a good observation since God assumed human nature in all its glory and shame. But I also think there is another good reason for the inclusion of the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel accounts. And this reason has to do with the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Although the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew only goes back as far as Abraham (Luke’s version goes back to Adam!), it is still a long one. Matthew does well to mention that it is a total of forty-two generations and includes the period of the Babylonian captivity. The number of years between Abraham and Jesus is such an extensive one and a lot of things did take place in-between. God’s people fluctuated from fidelity to infidelity. There were even periods when it was thought that God’s people were about to be wiped off from the face of the earth. But God always came through for his people, giving them second, third, and fourth chances. God never backed away from the covenant made with God’s people. The actions of unfaithful creatures were not going to define the way God related to them. As faithful as ever in his promises, God was still determined to see that the salvific plan for creation would attain its fulfillment. This took place in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.