Matthew 1:2
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. The genealogy begins where the covenant begins: with Abraham, the man called out of Ur to father a people through whom God would redeem the world. The father-of formula is not merely biological but covenantal — each begetting is a link in the chain of divine promise. That Judah is named alongside his brothers is a quiet acknowledgment of the messy fraternal history behind the royal line: the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery are the ancestors of the king of kings. Romans 11:29 says the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable — the line moves forward through failure as well as faithfulness.