The Importance of Names

Matthew didn’t start his book off with a bang or a flourish, there were no fireworks.  Not like Mark who exploded straight into the story of a Wildman coming out of the wilderness eating locusts and honey!  A man who cried out within the first few sentences, “𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙊𝙍𝘿.”  (Mark 1:3). No, Matthew began with a list, perhaps just like a taxman. A list of names, many of which I cannot pronounce, a historical record, the genealogy of Christ.  If there was anyone who could list these names in the correct order it was Matthew, a literate, learned man, a former Government employee, indeed that collector of taxes!

Even though we so often skip over this long list of names, it is of vital information, scripture that is God breathed!  You see, the Messiah had to come from the line of King David and names are so very important to God.  Behind each name in the genealogy of Jesus is a story, some are heroes of the faith, some were scoundrels, and others, well we don’t really know their story. 

Sitting in my living room at home I have our family bible, it is a huge leather-bound bible that dates all the way back to 1864!  Written in the front pages is the genealogy of my family and one of the very first entries is Maud Collings. I never knew Maud; I don’t know what her life was like or even what she looked like, but I do know that she has a story and isn’t forgotten by God.  When I counted the generations in my family tree there were 7, not many when you consider the fact that there are 42 from Abraham to the Messiah, Jesus.  But the names on that faded page of my bible are important to me, they are my history, just as all those names in Matthew 1 are important to Jesus, His history.

Not only are those names important to the LORD but they are of key significance to us as well.  A prophecy fulfilled at the birth of Jesus.  John 7:42 says, “𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙’𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙢, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙?”  And indeed, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and by His genealogy we can see he came from the line of David!  In fact, at the time Micah was crying out that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, (Micah 5:2) Isaiah was prophesying how our Savior would come from Jesse, King David’s father! (Isaiah 11)

Perhaps it is worth struggling through this list of names and learning how to pronounce them, names the LORD wanted remembered.  Names important to the Father.  Names showing without a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God.  𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲, 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁!