THE GENEOLOGY OF JESUS

Study Texts: Matthew 1:1-17. See also Luke 3:23-27 and John 1:1-5

As this is a summary only of the issues discussed at the Bible Study you are strongly recommended to read all associated scripture references

Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, shows Jesus as being descended from Abraham and one of God’s chosen people and a direct descendant of David, thus fulfilling OT prophecy about the Messianic line. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him Gen 12:3 (this contains seven promises) and to David that he should descend from him Ps 89:3-4 and 132:11. See also 2 Samuel 7:11-14. Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s perspective. Luke tells the story from Mary’s perspective. You will note that Verse 16 says in effect that Joseph is “the husband of Mary” not the “father of Jesus”.

Comparison of genealogical lists often brings up some surprising differences. One of the most common occurrences is the telescoping or omission of names from a list. Unimportant names may be left out in order to relate an individual to a prominent ancestor. At times this is done to achieve multiples of 7. In an oral tradition this can be done in order that names can more easily be remembered. For the period from David to the exile Mathew gives 14 generations (2 times 7), while Luke gives 21 (3 times 7). The enemies of Christianity like to use these apparent discrepancies to discredit scriptural authority, but it was common custom and practice by the Biblical scribes and we do not have to be concerned about it. When we read “son of” it could readily mean “descendant of” or “father of” could mean “ancestor of”.

There are four women mentioned in this list. This is quite unusual as most ancestral trees are traced back through the male line and women did not have a prominent part in Jewish life. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Some of these women had a shady reputation. For more information read Gen 38 and Josh 2:1. Most of them were also gentiles at a time when Jews would only marry within their own race. Yet all these people were the ancestors of Jesus. The message of the Kingdom was to all nations and to all sorts and conditions of men and that included gentiles as well as Jews. Jesus said he came to call sinners not the righteous.

Luke 3:23-27

If we were to examine Luke’s record we will see a totally different genealogy to that recorded in Matthew’s gospel. The ancestors shown by the two writers differ right back to King David. Matthew was showing Joseph’s genealogy, It is widely acknowledged that Luke was showing Mary’s. In fact the whole narrative of the circumstances surrounding Jesus birth in Luke concentrates on the story from Mary’s perspective.

White Matthew was writing for the Jews, Luke was writing mainly for the Gentiles. Matthew shows Joseph as being descended from David’s son Solomon, while Luke shows Mary as being descended from David’s son Nathan. Matthew’s genealogy, written for a Jewish audience, goes back to Abraham and shows that Jesus was related to all Jews. Luke’s genealogy, written for a gentile audience, goes back to Adam, showing that Jesus is related to all human beings. This is consistent with Luke’s picture of Jesus as the son of man and Saviour of the whole world. Matthew depicted Jesus as the Son of David, a Messianic title.

John 1:1-5

While Christ was depicted by Matthew as the Son of David and Luke as the son of man, John in his Gospel provides clear evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Matthew and Luke start with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem at a definite point in human history. John goes back before the universe was created and does not talk so much of Jesus’ birth as his incarnation, i.e. the embodiment of God the Son in human flesh. Jesus did not begin half way through history. He became human flesh at Bethlehem but he always has been. He did not come into being when he was born, because he is eternal.

John 1:1 commences with “In the beginning”. This takes us back to the first verse in Genesis 1. The Bible always assumes and never argues God’s existence. Although everything else had a beginning, God has always been Psalm 90:2. John 1:2 says “He was with God in the beginning”. Verse 1 continues “the Word was with God and the Word was God”. In other words he was God but distinct from the Father in the beginning. Eight times in Genesis 1 we read “and God said” - in other words the “Word” of God brought about or accomplished every act of creation and he holds together all that has been created through him. Read Colossians 1:15-22 (essential reading).

He appeared at various strategic times throughout the OT as an enigmatic figure. He was often referred to as “The Angel of the Lord” or “The Captain of the Lord’s host” who was always acknowledged as being God. John 1:18 says “No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known”. Hebrews 1:3 says “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being”. This enigmatic figure became flesh at Bethlehem and came to dwell among us.

What Jesus taught and what he did is tied inseparably to who he is.