"The prophecy of all the prophets is fulfilled: Christ is being born in the city of Bethlehem from a pure handmaiden of God."

"The prophecy of all the prophets is fulfilled: Christ is being born in the city of Bethlehem from a pure handmaiden of God." (hymn from the pre-Feast)

There is undoubtedly no family tree more impressive or important than that of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In order for the early Christians to convincingly prove that Jesus was the Messiah for Whom the Jews had long-waited for centuries, it had to be shown that His genealogy was the fulfillment of all of the prophecies of the Old Testament that dealt with this matter. St. Matthew begins his Gospel by tracing Christ's lineage back to Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, significantly showing that Jesus is a descendant of King David, for the Savior would be looked upon as the new "King of Israel."  While St. Luke, in his Gospel, depicts the genealogy of Christ from Adam upwards, linking Jesus with the very inception of our human race. Thus, illuminating the theological mystery of the Creator budding forth from that which He, Himself created!

Fr. John