It would be a shame to enjoy the Christmas season without at least one Yuletide post. Therefore, below is an article I wrote for my church’s Advent booklet. I hope you enjoy!

If you were to ask me about my least favorite chapters to read in the Bible, I would probably suggest the genealogies. Either they are filled with difficult to pronounce names (Zaphnathpaaneah, Hazarmaveth, Ammishaddai), or they are sprinkled with characters that we have little to no historical knowledge of other than that particular genealogy. Of course, we recognize that they are providing a historical lineage, but is that all? Welcome to a brief lesson on “The Theology of a Genealogy.”

In the Biblical canon, genealogies function to reveal the end of one era, or what we call a “dispensation,” not to be confused with Dispensationalism. A dispensation is a particular era in which the Covenant of Grace is manifested among God’s people. So, you could call the period of the covenant with Abram, since it is part of the overarching Covenant of Grace, a dispensation. You can do the same with the Law given at Mt. Sinai and the Davidic Covenant. These are all dispensations of the Covenant of Grace. But how does the Bible prefer to distinguish these ends and beginnings of an era? More often than not, it is with a genealogy.

These genealogies act as “seams” in the Bible, sewing together the various dispensations so that the reader understands that one significant era is coming to an end and a new one is beginning. Thus, when you read the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17, you witness the ending of one era, the Old Covenant, and the introduction of another, the New Covenant.

It is the New Covenant era that Christ’s birth ushers in. It is this era in which the long-awaited Messiah will reign. It is this era in which we can finally say, “Behold the lamb, who takes away the sins of the people.” It is the event that Abraham longed to see. It is this fulfillment which every previous covenant pointed toward: The birth of Jesus, the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, dwelling among us!

There will be no more genealogical seams in the future, save one. The final genealogical seam will be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 20:11-15). It will close out God’s redemptive plan as his elect are all brought in, and the non-elect are cast aside.

So, as you read through the genealogies this Christmas, remember your “Theology of Genealogy.” They are not merely written to bore you with historical facts, but instead, are in-place to show God’s all-encompassing sovereignty and to reveal the glory of his redemptive plan, reaching fruition in the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ—The Genealogy of the Ages. It is by history written on tombstones that God’s mercy is displayed to the world. This is what we celebrate on Christmas.