The Next Big Thing

Matthew summarizes the genealogy (and Jewish history to that point) by breaking it down into three periods of 14 generations. The carefully constructed 14 generation pattern points to the fact that the coming of Jesus is the next big event in God's work with his people.

One other unusual feature of this genealogy is the women in it. Women wouldn't ordinarily have been included and this group is a fairly motley crew. With the exception of Mary, the women in this genealogy are associated with scandal and/or are gentiles. They're not the nice Jewish girls you'd think Matthew would highlight!