Matthew records Jesus' genealogy before he tells the Christmas story because he wants us to see what Jesus has come to do. In looking at his genealogy, we see that Jesus has come to fulfill all the covenant promises as well as to heal all our brokenness. The beautiful thing about Christmas is that Jesus invites us to attach our story to His story. From this peculiar family tree, we arrive at a Son, who would one day grow up to be nailed to a different tree so that all who put their faith in Him are able to join His family tree.