The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Every Christmas we pull out the nativity sets. We place Mary and Joseph just so. The wise men stand at attention. The shepherds kneel in reverence. And there in the center lies baby Jesus, peaceful and perfect. Everything in its place. Everything clean and quiet and still.

But can I just say that Matthew's version of the Christmas story doesn't start that way at all?

Matthew begins with a family tree. And not just any family tree. This is a record of 42 generations that includes murderers, liars, adulterers, prostitutes, and people who worshipped false gods. Here's what I need you to know right now: the Son of God didn't come from a perfect family. He came from a broken one.

So why does Matthew start here? Because lineage determines legitimacy. In that culture, your family tree was everything. It told people who you were, where you belonged, and whether you had any right to speak with authority. Jesus needed to be connected to David and Abraham to have legal claim to the throne. Without roots, there is no right to rule.

But look at those roots. They're cracked all the way through.

This is incredible when you stop and think about it. If anybody's family should be perfect, shouldn't it be the family of the Son of God? Yet God inspired Matthew to write down every ugly detail. Every failure. Every scandal. It's all there for everyone to see.

And that's the point.

Jesus wasn't born into a sanitized story. He was born into real life with real people who made real mistakes. Just like your family. Just like mine. The Christmas cards and commercials show us families gathered around the tree with soft lighting and warm smiles. Everyone is healthy. Everyone is happy. No one is struggling.

But that's not your story, is it? Maybe your family is dealing with addiction or divorce. Maybe there's a prodigal child who won't come home. Maybe there's grief that just won't let go. Maybe you're the one who has made the mess, and you don't know how to clean it up.

Here's the good news tucked into this long list of names: Jesus comes from a broken family so He can come for a broken family. Your dysfunction doesn't disqualify you. Your history doesn't disqualify you. In fact, just like those 42 generations before you, your brokenness might be the very thing that qualifies you for grace.

Tomorrow we'll look at one of the most famous names in this family tree and discover that even murderers can be made new. David's story might be more like yours than you think.

What part of your family's brokenness have you believed disqualifies you from being used by God?

Read Matthew 1:1-17 out loud. As you read each name, remember that each one represents a real person with real failures and real faith. Thank God that He works through imperfect people.