The Ladies in His Lineage

When we think of Christmas, we often picture perfect nativity scenes with angelic figures and spotless characters. But Matthew's genealogy of Jesus tells a radically different story—one that reveals the scandalous grace at the heart of the gospel. Woven into the royal lineage of the Messiah are four women whose stories challenge our assumptions about who God can use: Tamar, who seduced her father-in-law; Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute; Ruth, a foreign widow from a forbidden nation; and Bathsheba, caught in adultery with King David. These aren't the names we'd expect in the family tree of the sinless Son of God, yet there they stand as monuments to divine grace. Their inclusion teaches us that Christmas isn't about nationality, background, or past sins—it's about undeserved favor freely given. Each woman had significant moral failures or cultural barriers that should have disqualified them, yet God chose them to play pivotal roles in bringing the Savior into the world. This reminds us that no matter how broken our past, how sinful our choices, or how far we feel from God's purposes, His grace is sufficient. The same grace that redeemed these unlikely heroines can transform us and use us in His kingdom work. We serve a God who specializes in using improbable candidates, turning our messes into messages of hope.