Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Matthew 1:1, 16-20a

¹ A record of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: ¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary—of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ.  ¹⁷ So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile to Babylon to the Christ.  ¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. ²⁰ As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream…