Christmas and our faith are based on a genealogy. The Good News is about something that actually happened. It is not a myth or tale. Jesus is not a metaphor but he is real, grounded in history; he had a history. The story is good news and news reports what happened. Jesus really came to earth as a baby. He really did suffer and die for you and me. He really did rise from the grave. It is because of this news of historical reality that we chose to believe and follow all the rest in the Bible. So Matthew starts the story that Jesus was born on Christmas, part of a long genealogy where there is no escapism and full of a reality with all the warts of the human condition. The Gospel is the best story of all because it happened.