When my family decorates our Christmas tree each season, we follow ”tree trimming protocol”. I caught on quickly to this evergreen etiquette shortly after I was married and my new spouse and I prepared our decorations for the boughs. As I enthusiastically began to hang nutcrackers and snow flakes, my Dear looked at me in puzzlement. What was I doing? Hadn't I decorated a tree before? Lights first, then ornaments, followed by ribbons and then, if desired, tinsel. Fine with me. I was not about to tamper with marital bliss because of a minor difference in Christmas tree conventions. After all, we had no dispute regarding the top of our tree. The star goes on last as the crowning glory of all the handiwork preceding. And so it is with this painting of the genealogy of the Son of God.
Jesus, who is called Christ, is the star atop this family history ablaze. The lineage depicted in the painting is based on the gospel of Matthew found in the Bible. One of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, Matthew, was concerned to show Jesus as the One in whom the hopes of Israel find their fulfillment. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, which means ”anointed one”. The Messiah was expected to come out of the tribe of Judah, and to establish His kingdom as a ”son” of David. Matthew's genealogy is careful to make these connections in order to support the Messiahship of Jesus.
In the painting, I am careful to keep Matthew's record intact, with a few elaborations. I include the names of all of Jacob's sons in the bottom bough of the tree. Whenever the name of a woman involved in the genealogy can be found, I also include her. As a mother who has given birth the natural way two times myself, I felt it was the least I could do for these sisters of the past! After all, I'm sure we can agree, their role was of utmost importance.
I have been asked why Leah is coupled with Jacob in the trunk of the tree, rather than the more favored wife, Rachel. Simply, Leah, the woman first taken as Jacob's wife, is the mother of Judah. The ribbon portraying the rest of Christ's lineage is then tied into Judah's branch. Other women included are Sarah, Rebecca, Tamar, Rahab (next to a red ribbon), Ruth, Bathsheba, and of course, Mary.
The border and characters surrounding the tree are intended to add further significance to this resume of salvation history.
The stars... When God made His covenant with Abraham, promising him blessing and reward, Abraham questioned God as to how this would be possible since he was childless. Who would there be to inherit his estate? In a response of great imagery, God took him outside and said, ”Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5) Abraham believed God. If we believe, we too, are numbered among those stars.
The messengers... The two figures in the top corners are proclaimers of the Christ. The angel, on the left, first announces the news to Mary and then later to the shepherds. (Luke 1:28-38; Luke 2:8-15) The figure on the right is John the Baptist, who described himself as a voice of one calling in the desert. He holds a banner recording his response when he first saw Jesus coming toward him: ”Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Remembering John, we are also pressed to give a response when we encounter this same Jesus.
Thank you for sharing The Genealogy of the Son of God with me, both in imagery and written explanation. I hope you will continue to enjoy!
Saundra Stabler Diehl
B.A. Art Wheaton College
M.A. Theology Wheaton College