It is clear from the genealogy of Jesus that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. According to the gospel of Matthew (1:17): ‘Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.’

This is a very long history. Jesus’ ancestor, Abraham was a nomad and had no permanent home. He later settled in Egypt where his descendants became slaves to the Egyptians and lived a life of toil and oppression. Then they were rescued by Moses, fled Egypt, and wandered in the wilderness for decades before entering Canaan and conquer it, The nation was divided into twelve tribes, independent of each other.

After settling down, they established the system of judges; followed by the rule of wise men as kings. The dynasty of David is arguably the most glorious period in the history of Israel. However, after the glory, the twelve tribes of Israel were split into the South (Judah) and the North (Israel). The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria. The southern kingdom of Judah was captured by the Babylonians, and the Israelites were exiled to Babylon for decades.

As the great power of Persia emerged, the Persian king Cyrus ordered the release of all Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild their homeland. The Persian Empire declined and was destroyed by Alexander the Great, who founded the Greek Empire. The Jews were forced to Hellenize.

By the time of Jesus, Jerusalem in the Palestine area was ruled by the Romans. After such a long history the Israelites’ beliefs, culture, and living habits had been under the influence of foreigners and the rulers. This is recorded in the Old Testament.

We know Jesus Christ and God’s plan of salvation through history. Similarly, through history, we know that the entire human race is moving towards God the Father.