Are you up-to-date on your
genealogy? Lots of families have their own historian
who wants to delve into their family history and
genealogy.
The Jewish people throughout
the early years of their history kept up with their
genealogy because every male child of King David was
a potential Messiah. Down through Jewish history,
the people looked forward to the coming of their
Messiah. The genealogies would show them who might
be a legitimate descendant of David to reign on the
throne. Only when Jesus was born in Bethlehem did
the long awaited king arrive.
“Joseph, son of David” (Matthew
1:20) is a quote from the genealogy of Jesus. “Where
is he who is born King of the Jews?” (2:2) Jesus was
no son of the illegitimate King Herod who ruled
Judah (2:12-23). Herod was an Idumaean, and he did
not have a drop of David’s blood in him.
The angel said to Mary, “And
behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a
son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever; and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke
1:31-33).
Why do we have two genealogies
of Jesus in the Gospels? I agree with a number of
leading scholars who understand the two lines
represent the lines of Joseph and Mary respectively.
They are both identified as
descendents of King David. Matthew gives us the
“royal” line of those who actually sat on the throne
as descendents of the great king. The other line was
the “legal” line of those who descended from the
oldest son to the next, even though they never
actually reigned as kings on the throne of David.
How do you know this is true?
The two genealogies reinforce the testimony of the
angel to both Joseph and Mary. The two lines run
parallel from Abraham to David. The interesting
thing is the historian Matthew gives the lineage of
Jesus by way of Solomon the son of David, while Luke
traces us to Jesus by way of Nathan another son of
David. Therefore, these two genealogies are the
lines of two brothers and their families. Luke gives
us the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and
Matthew gives us the line of Joseph, the stepfather
or adopted father of Jesus. Matthew and Luke both
trace the evidence to the Messiah. One gives it
through Solomon’s line which was the royal line and
the other through Nathan’s which was the legal line.
You will recall, Nathan and
Solomon were both the sons of David. Nathan was the
older brother of Solomon, but when David died the
younger brother took the throne. Nathan’s line ran
on through the ages and ultimately produced the
Virgin Mary. Solomon’s line ran down through the
centuries and ultimately produced Joseph. Matthew is
careful to inform us that Joseph was not the father
of Jesus, but that he was the husband of Mary, to
whom was born Jesus (1:16). And Luke uses a word for
a son that includes what we should call a
son-in-law.
Moreover, the Bible makes it
very clear that Jesus could not have been the
Messiah if Joseph was his human father. In the use
of the name “Jechonias” in his genealogy, Matthew
declares that Jesus is the son of Mary and not the
son of Joseph. Jechonias received a curse of God
that took the throne away from any of his
descendants. Jeremiah 22:30 reads, “Thus says the
Lord, write you this childless: a man that shall not
prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall
prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and
ruling any more in Judah” (KJV).
None of the seven sons of
Jechonias could have been king because of the curse
of God. If Jesus had been the son of Joseph, He
would have been cursed and therefore could never
have been the Messiah.
What about the legal line of
Nathan? The royal line of the son of Eli (also
spelled Heli) would have quickly contested any claim
of the line of Nathan. Nathan's line that had no
curse upon it and it produced Heli [Luke 3:23] and
his daughter the Virgin Mary and her Son Jesus
Christ. Jesus is therefore eligible by the line of
Nathan and exhausts that line. Solomon's line had a
curse on it produced Joseph and exhausts the line of
Solomon, for Joseph’s other children now have an
elder brother who, legally, by adoption is the royal
heir. How can the title be free in any case? We have
two genealogies: one with a curse on it, and the
lack of reigning royalty on the other line.
God the Holy Spirit begat the
Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary without any
use of a human father. Therefore, the child born of
Mary was the seed of David according to the flesh.
Joseph, on the other hand, obeyed the command of the
Lord and married Mary and took the unborn child
under his protective care, giving Jesus the title
that had come down to him through his ancestor
Solomon. Moreover, the uncursed, legal, royal
Messiah of David, the true and only Messiah can be
none other than the Lord Jesus! Both lines of King
David are exhausted in Jesus of Nazareth. There can
never be anyone else who can ever claim the throne
of David. Anyone else who claims to be the Messiah
is an imposter.
Yes, Jesus is the true Messiah.
There can be no other. He is the Son of God and
believing on Him brings eternal life.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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