There is something very unique about the Lord's genealogy; because the Jewish people were a patriarchal society, one would not expect His genealogical credentials to include a woman, let alone five women! If that was not bad enough, all five of the women, like most of the men in Christ's lineage, were unimpressive in the eyes of the Jewish leaders of Christ's day:
Matthew 1:3 - Thamar (Tamar) was not trusted by her dead husband's father (Gen. 38:11). Chapter thirty-eight tells the story of how Tamar "played the harlot" (Gen. 38:24) in order to have a child, according to custom, from her husband's family.
Matthew 1:5 - Rachab (Rahab) actually was a harlot and a Gentile at that (Josh. 2:1). Ruth was also a Gentile (Ruth 1:1-4).
Matthew 1:6 - The next in our list (Bathsheba) was not even given the respect of having her name listed! She is described as "David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias!" This mention of "her" does not reveal that she was in an adulterous relationship with King David, whether or not it was voluntary, while they both were married to someone else. Upon learning of her pregnancy with his child, David tried to hide his sin by calling her husband home from battle to have sex with her, so everyone would think her baby was her husband's. When that didn't work, David had her husband killed (2 Sam. 11:1 - 12:24).
Matthew 1:16-25 - And finally, listed as Jesus' mother, is Mary. I am sure you are asking, "What could there possibly be about Mary that would make her unlikely to be listed in His genealogy? She was a Jewish virgin, and obviously 'found favor with God'" (Lk. 1:30)! Well, at first, her own fiancé was willing to "put her away privately" (Mt. 1:19). In Mark 6:3, He is called the Son of Mary without mention of who His father was. In a debate with the Pharisees, they suggest that Jesus was illegitimate. John 8:41 says, "... Then said they to Him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." So, having Mary for His mother, definitely was not a positive factor to the Jewish leaders! But to those who have believed in Jesus Christ, it clearly is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, which says, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Emmanuel - see Mt. 1:23)!
Based upon the fact that the Lord's genealogy includes women, and that they would not seem to impress the Jewish authorities, it is clear that our Jesus wants us to know that He identifies with the lowly, the sinful, and even the Gentiles; not with the self-righteous! There are dozens of Bible verses that show His love for sinners, for the infirmed, for the poor; basically for all those upon whom the self-righteous religionists look down upon! After all, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world; and ironically, He even died for those who hated and killed Him (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 5:18; 1 Tim. 2:3-6; 4:10; Heb. 2:9; 1 Jn. 2:2; etc.)!
JESUS, CAME FROM "HUMBLE BEGINNINGS," HUMBLING HIMSELF
TO THE VERY END - HIS DEATH FOR US ON THE CROSS (Phil. 2:5-8)!
THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT, "LOVE HIM BACK!"
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