EVERY family tree looks a bit weird and wonderful.

My own, genuinely, traces back 400 years to French aristocrats. Within three generations we went from French aristocrats to, after moving to Scotland, sheep-smugglers. It was never proven and my ancestors were never arrested, but they left Scotland quickly and moved to Ireland and never went back.

The first chapter of Matthew’s gospel is simply Jesus's family tree.

The long list of names is a list of the good, the bad and the ugly. Every family has them.

Abraham, the father of faith, from whom Christianity, Judaism and Islam trace their origin, messed up, had an affair, had a child out of wedlock, yet God didn't toss him away as damaged goods.

Ruth, a foreigner, a refugee, made it into the family tree.

David, the hero, the boy who brought down a giant, who was brought to his knees by pride and selfishness and became a murderer, even he knew God's forgiveness, knew what it was to come to God and say sorry.

Manasseh, who makes the bad and ugly look good, was a real piece of work (read his story in 1 Chronicles), yet God humbled this arrogant, self-centred man, and he made it into the family tree too.

It's a group of people from various backgrounds, various walks of life, various jobs and occupations.

Some reached the very heights of kingship, while others were simple carpenters in a backwater where no-one wanted to live.

Some were famous and others were just infamous. Some were heroes of the faith, others were just helpless.

After all those names, you reach verse 18: “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about.”

Messiah means saviour. What every one of those people had in common, and desperately needed, is what you and I have in common and desperately need.

We are all sinners. All have sinned and fallen short of God's impeccable standard. That's what puts us in common with the Davids, the Abrahams, the Ruths, the Manassehs.

It's not just that we're sinners, it's that our greatest need is a saviour. If only I could do enough, if only I could be good enough, if only I could appease God enough!

But no matter how hard I try, no matter how often I come to church, no matter how often I bow, I can't reach God's impeccable standard.

So what do I need? I need a saviour, someone who would lift me to the standard I can never reach myself.

He willingly laid aside His majesty and power and took on flesh that hurts and aches, humbled Himself to our size, so that 33 years later He would grow up to die on a cross, to be your saviour and mine.

You might feel small, like one of those names in Matthew chapter one that no-one's ever heard of.

Trust me, God knows you, and He sent His Son to be your saviour.

Stephen Cousley

Minister

St Thomas Baptist Church, Exeter