Memorizing Jesus’ Genealogy
I reluctantly memorized Jesus’ genealogy years ago. At the time, I didn’t fully understand why it would help, but I did it because my kids were doing it. I will begin by noting that memorizing the genealogy of Christ has aided me in my personal studies in ways that I never expected. However, there’s so much more to it than that.
Why does the genealogy matter?
First, God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. He said, “in you [Abraham] all the families of the earth will be blessed.” God gave us the genealogy to show us that Jesus came directly from the lineage of Abraham and David. It was His plan from the beginning, starting with Adam. Christ perfectly fulfilled this seed promise, and all of the nations on earth are truly blessed through Him!
In addition, family trees help us understand who we are. Let us not lose sight of the fact that the lineage of Jesus is our spiritual lineage, and it is a part of who we are as followers of Christ. Ancestry websites have become increasingly popular, and millions have paid to find family connections. Many even go to the extent of submitting their DNA to make familial connections across the world and across history. We all want to belong, and we want to understand where or who we come from. As Christians, our true identity and purpose lies in Christ, and we belong to His family.
How do I memorize the genealogy of Jesus?
It can seem daunting to open up to Matthew chapter 1 and imagine memorizing all of the names. Don’t let it deter you or your Bible learners. It helps to break the list down into easily-digestible sections, and I have created a downloadable resource that does just that.
The genealogy download includes:
- 1 full-color poster
- 1 black and white poster for coloring
- 1 flash card set. This set includes 1 title card and 5 cards listing the names from each division of the genealogy.
The divisions of the genealogy are as follows:
- Adam to Noah
- Shem to Abraham
- Isaac to David
- Solomon to Jeconiah
- Shealtiel to Jesus
Ideas for Use
- Print and laminate the poster for use in classrooms or to put on the refrigerator at home.
- Use the black and white copy of the poster as a worksheet in Bible classes or Sunday school.
- Print the flashcards and keep them in a card file or recipe box on the dinner table. This practice encourages frequent use as a family.
I hope you’ll find this resource helpful for your family and Bible students! For more Bible resources, visit my shop here! You can also find Teach Me Thy Way on Teachers Pay Teachers and Etsy.
Please do not distribute your digital downloads to others. Each purchase includes one digital license for the use of a single classroom or a single family home. This practice helps to keep prices affordable for all teachers. Contact me for pricing an organizational license. An organizational license can be shared among teachers of a single school, church, or other organization for the use in multiple classrooms.
