Ancestors

Matthew 1, Verse 2  Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.   Verse 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.   Verse 13  Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.   Verse 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

And all the other names in between, which make up the entire genealogy of Jesus.

I wasn’t going to post anything today, because yesterday I got caught up in my own family tree and lost track of time. But when I remembered the opening chapter to the book of Matthew, I thought I could throw something together.

I have really only scratched the surface of my ancestors, having gone back only four generations on most of the sides of the family. Found some interesting stuff, though.

Sadly, a lot of babies only lived a month or two. One wasn’t even given a name; he was listed as Kind Ohne Taufe, which translates to “child not baptized”. He was born and died the same day – October 9, 1867. Which is no doubt why, as I’m looking up all these newborns, they were all baptized within a few days of being born.

I also found something interesting in several baptismal records. Along with the usual name, date of birth, parents’ names, a few of them list “Legitimacy: Unehelich”. That translates to “illegitimate”. At least the church let those moms get their kiddos baptized.

I also have been looking up on Google Maps all the towns they lived and died in. I study those towns and villages and wonder exactly where they lived, what they did, who their neighbors were. I did find something that got me very excited.

In one of the records of my second great-grandmother, it listed the author of that information as Evangelische Kirche. Stadtkirche zu Sankt Margarethen, which is the Evangelical City Church of St. Margaret. I google-mapped that, and it is a church which is still standing! It has a history starting in 1127, with the current building having been built 1791. Services are still held there and its website shows pictures of the beautiful old building.

A place where my ancestors attended church! Something concrete.

But you know, we all have something concrete from our past, even if we can’t see it or touch it. It is the love of God for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. And Jesus’s family tree leads all the way through the centuries straight to us.

Because I hate pilfering pictures off the internet, this is not St Margaret Church in Germany. This is St James in Kutna Hora, Czechia. But St Margaret’s is just as beautiful to me.