The prequel has become a popular tool for box office success. It allows storytellers to develop characters we already know well; it helps us to know what makes them who they are. Matthew begins his gospel by giving us a sneak peek at the backstory of Jesus. In doing so, he provokes all kinds of questions about who and why God uses the people he does. The answers we find tell us a little about the people in the backstory but a lot about the God over it all.