Christian Trivia World Online Bible Study

Genealogy of Christ

 

As I was reading the birth of Christ story in Luke last Christmas during our study on Ruth, I found myself digging up genealogy of Christ. There are differences between the 2 genealogies in Matthew and Luke as demonstrating "mistakes" in the bible. However, the issue is readily understandable: Matthew and Luke present Christ's genealogy for different purposes, and from different perspectives. The difference between the genealogies of Matthew and Luke are:

Luke traces the line of Christ through His mother, Mary. (Luke 3:23) He also took the time to write up her complete story and lineage. Since the line of Mary is Christ’s biological line, the line is traced clear back to Adam. It appears that GOD left a convenient loophole in this, that He would allow Women to be included in the ancestral line. Matthew traces the line of Christ through Joseph to Abraham. Luke takes Mary’s line back to Adam.

Our Lord traced his legal heritage through Joseph.  That’s probably why Matthew’s line stops at Abraham. His line has to do with Israel. Because Israel began with Abraham. (Genesis 12:3, 22:18-19)

Matthew starts Christ's lineage with Abraham progressing through King David and his son  King Solomon, then progressing through Christ's legal father, Joseph, and finishing by presenting Christ as the Messiah. "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5)

Tracing the genealogy on the maternal side was unusual but, so was the virgin birth. Matthew traces the family line of Mary. Matthew 1:16 does mention Mary’s name, so Mary is specifically mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy. Although Matthew's genealogy does mention women (Mary, Ruth, Thamar, Rachab, and Bathsheba - the wife of Uriah), notice that the line of the genealogy is strictly through the male names.

So our Lord's  decadency as traced through His human mother would first state that He is Son of Joseph since Joseph was Mary's husband - the male. Then the genealogy would properly move to Mary's side of the family and begin with the male of the next generation related to our Lord through Mary: Luke 3:23 "son of Heli" (on Mary's side who is) "the son os Mathat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of (mother) Joseph.... etc..

So, why is Joseph's genealogy traced? There are probably several reasons.

1. For legal reasons. Whether Joseph was the biological father or not, he was at least the legal father. To all intents and purposes, Jesus was an adopted son.

2. The father is the head of the household and I think the genealogy of children was always traced through the male line in Hebrew culture. As the adopted child of Joseph, Jesus nevertheless obtained the name of Joseph, and was called Jesus, son of Joseph.

3. Scripture teaches plainly that we are all the adopted sons and daughters of Abraham by faith. Even though those who are Gentiles have no blood lineage back to Abraham, they are nevertheless his sons and daughters through faith in Christ. Likewise, we become the sons and daughters of Christ through adoption.

The purpose of Joseph's genealogical tree in the Gospel of Matthew is to establish kingly descent. Joseph was a pure descendant of David and therefore entitled to sit on the throne of Israel in place of Herod.

Matthew, who was also called Levi, was one of the original twelve apostles. Matthew was a Jew who collected taxes for the Roman government. Mark 2:14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.  Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

I believe Matthew's gospel, however, tries to convince and points out that Jesus Christ was indeed the royal son of David. Seven times in the Matthew's Gospel we see where the statement "son of David" is used (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, 22:42).

1) Matthew 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David

2) Matthew 9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

3) Matthew 12:23 All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

4) Matthew 15:22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

5) Matthew 20:30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

6) Matthew 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna  to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

7) Matthew 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.

Only in Matthew does Christ speak of "The throne of his glory" (19:28, 25:31). And only in Matthew is Jerusalem referred to as "the holy city" (4:5). Matthew spends a great deal of time trying to convince or points out to us that Jesus Christ was indeed the "King of the Jews" (27:29, 27:37). Matthew begins with Abraham, the "Father" of the Jewish nation, then follows the line through David the King. Each individual that Matthew lists is of royal lineage. This gives evidence of the royal blood line of Jesus. As Matthew continues to follow the line from David to Christ, Matthew traces the lineage through Jesus' earthly father, Joseph. Matthew had given us somewhat of this. He goes no higher than Abraham.

  Genealogy of Christ According to Matthew 1

Abraham to David	David to Captivity	Release to Christ
Abraham	David	Jeconiah
Isaac	Solomon	Shealtiel
Jacob	Abijah	Zerubbabel
Judah	Asa	Abiud
Perez	Jehoshaphat	Eliakim
Hezron	Joram	Azor
Ram	Uzziah	Zadok
Amminadab	Jotham	Achim
Nashon	Ahaz	Eliud
Salmon	Hezekiah	Eleazar
Boaz	Manasseh	Matthan
Obed	Amon	Jacob
Jesse	Josiah	Joseph
David	Jeconiah	Jesus Christ

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