What’s She Doing Here? The Messy Women in Jesus’s Genealogy

by Susan Tyner

Seductress. Prostitute. Outcast. Adulterer. Pregnant unwed Teen. Who would highlight that kind of ancestry? Jesus would. The only person who ever got to choose His family, doesn’t hide the messes. He highlights them for all to see. He unashamedly says they’re His. The Gospel of Matthew begins with Jesus’s family tree, an unusual one not only because it includes women, but messy Tamar, who tricked her father-in-law to impregnate her; Rahab, the Jericho prostitute who betrayed her countrymen; Ruth, the widowed Moabitess turn beggar; and Bathsheba, listed only by her murdered husband’s name. Then there was Mary. Although we know her innocence and submission to God, those around her questioned her purity and the legitimacy of the Child she bore. Join Susan Tyner in examining how God wove the messy stories of these five women together into His Big Story of salvation. And learn how He continues to redeem His children—one messy story at a time. INCLUDES free Bible Timeline for use with study. Who is the author? Susan Tyner serves as Women’s Ministry Coordinator at Trinity Presbyterian Church. She is a regular contributor for the EnCourage blog and podcast, was one of the contributing authors of the Hinged Bible study and enjoys speaking at conferences and retreats. Susan and her husband, Lee, have five children, and an almost empty nest.

175 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cool study into Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary and how they're all in Jesus' genealogy (listed in the beginning of Matthew). Sometimes I felt the questions in the study weren't super connected or maybe were too challenging but overall I was able to dive deeper into these important ladies and learn more.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Bible study. I liked the way the author applied the characteristics of these women in Christ’s lineage to modern day women. While no one other than Mary can be Jesus’ mother, I can ask myself how well do I accept big changes in my life? Do I demand proof from God or do I accept His Word? Even if I don’t understand how something will happen, can I accept that it will happen? The author examines each woman’s personality in a modern and relatable light. I did not appreciate the chapter on covenants. There was a lot of information presented in a somewhat dry manner— information not really needed for the rest of the study. But overall, a worthy study.

[Laura Cohran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but I didn’t. I would not say her writing was trauma-informed. It seemed to me that the way she described women who are not typical “pure” (specifically Bathsheba, Reagan, Tamar) perfect women as if they actively chose to live unholy lives - when in fact the point of the book is that despite their not knowing better, they became biblical women, indispensable to God’s story.

[Lee Twaddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the concept and saw so much truth and kindness in the Lord through it! I think it is so good for newer believers and those who struggle with guilt and shame and need to be reminded that there IS FREEDOM in Jesus!!!

[Peggy Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ladies group of Ashlyn Cousins, Kelley Humphrey & Samantha Howland used this book for our fall-spring study. Great content & video to go along.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the format. It worked really well for our Sunday School class and led to a a lot of great discussions.

[Jess McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good study and covenantal through and through without being a set of woman’s morality tales. The strength of the study was the video lectures - the book study was sometimes disjointed and it was hard to tell the direction Tyner was headed with the study questions. It was often hard to tell how the inserted quotes and poems fit in with the message of the lesson.

[Zaira · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good study. I did it sporadically so it's hard to review.