A record of ancestors—why?

“Not another list of names I can’t even pronounce!” If that’s your first thought, Scholar N. T. Wright may help: “It is important not to think this is a waste of time…. in the Jewish world of Matthew’s day, this genealogy was the equivalent of a roll of drums, a fanfare of trumpets, and a town crier calling for attention…. Like a great procession, we watch the figures at the front, and the ones in the middle, but all eyes are waiting for the one who comes in the position of greatest honor, right at the end.” *

• Matthew’s gospel, starting with this genealogy, was not the mere story of one person. It was the story of a new start for a hurting world distorted by the presence of evil, hatred and death. “As the original writing may be translated, the book of the genesis of Jesus Christ. Matthew was about to set forth the story of the new Genesis, the new creation of the world, and it centered in Jesus.” ** How different would our world be if Jesus had never come? ***
• “In Genesis 5, the phrase is followed by a list of the person’s descendants, who depend on their ancestor for their meaning. Matthew, by contrast, lists not Jesus’ descendants but his ancestors. Jesus is so pivotal for Israel’s history that even his ancestors depend on him for their purpose and meaning.” **** The apostle Paul wrote, “If you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants” (Galatians 3:29). This is your spiritual genealogy. Does that increase your interest?