The Neon Sign in Matthew’s Genealogy.

Matthew’s genealogy is more than a list of hard‑to‑pronounce names; it is a carefully crafted sermon in numbers that shouts, “David, David, David.” Drawing on the biblical pattern of telescoped family lines, Matthew intentionally skips generations to form three groups of fourteen—the numeric value of “David” in Hebrew—proclaiming Jesus as the long‑promised Son of David and true King of Israel. Along the way he highlights Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute turned woman of faith, reminding us that God is not ashamed to weave outsiders and messy family stories into the very line of Christ.