Four Puzzling, Difficult to Understand New Testament Verses Explained

Why does Matthew's Gospel begin with Jesus's genealogy, traced through Joseph, who is not Jesus's biological father, and includes an adulterer, a gentile and two prostitutes. Other options for tracing Jesus's genealogy were available. Why start a Gospel with a genealogy? Why trace Jesus's genealogy through a gentile, an adulterer and a prostitute? Martin Tanner gives the explanation, which makes perfect sense. Next, Martin tackles Matthew 22:44, in which Jesus says about the promised Messiah, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand .  .  .  ." Who are the Lord's spoken of, Jesus, God the Father, the Messiah? Martin explains who the Lords are and why this comment baffled his critics. Next, Martin explains what "Hell" in the New Testament translated from the word, Gehenna, actually means. Jesus's surprising comparison of sin and Hell to a garbage dump. What does the phrase "abomination of desolation" in Matthew 24:15 actually mean? Martin explains.