"Jacob is the Father of Joseph, who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called Christ."

Re-reading the gospel of Matthew, I was pouring over the geneaology that starts the book. (Doesn't the KJV use the word "begat" so many times in this passage?) Anyway, I noticed that there are 5 women mentioned in this geneaology, which is strange because usually it was usually only men who were mentioned. This fact would lead one to think that these must have been godly women of favor to have been included in the lineage of the Savior. If you think that, you're wrong.

We read all about Tamar's exploits in Genesis 38, how she seduced her father-in-law, Judah, and had illegitimate twin boys, Perez and Zerah. Anyone who is familiar with the story of the fall of Jericho knows how Rahab was a prostitute in that city. Ruth was not even a child of the promise; she was a Moabite, an outcast from the nation of Israel. Bathsheba was an adultress with King David. While the blame is usually on David for this relationship, let's not forget that it takes two to tango. And then there was Mary who also acknowledges her need for a Savior (see Luke 1:47).

Most of these women mentioned were not glorious; they were notorious. If we were to look at the outward actions of their lives, we would conclude that they would certainly be excluded from the line of the perfect man, Jesus Christ. Yet this is not the case. Even through the family that the Father chose to be the seed-bed for his Son, the Father hints at what His ultimate purpose is. He is about the redeeming of sin (not punishing it) and bringing sinful people into His plan (not excluding them). His power is so great that He can take the sins that we do and, with some pain and suffering, work them out for His good. Even in looking at the family of Jesus Christ, we see how He rescues the imperfect.