The genealogy of Jesus Christ is a significant element in the New Testament, providing a vital link between the Old Testament prophecies and the fulfillment of those prophecies in the person of Jesus. The genealogies are primarily found in two Gospels: Matthew and Luke, each serving distinct theological and historical purposes.

Matthew's Genealogy

Matthew 1:1-17 presents the genealogy of Jesus, tracing His lineage through Joseph, His legal father. This genealogy is structured to emphasize Jesus' royal lineage, underscoring His rightful place as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Matthew begins with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and traces the line through King David, highlighting Jesus' fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. The genealogy is divided into three sets of fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to Christ. This structured presentation underscores the providential unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

Key figures in Matthew's genealogy include:

· Abraham: The patriarch with whom God made a covenant, promising that through his offspring all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
· David: The king to whom God promised that his throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).
· Solomon: David's son, known for his wisdom and the building of the Temple.
· Jeconiah: His inclusion highlights the period of the Babylonian exile, a pivotal moment in Jewish history.

Matthew's genealogy also uniquely includes several women—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (referred to as "the wife of Uriah"), and Mary—each of whom played a crucial role in the unfolding of God's plan, often in unexpected ways.

Luke's Genealogy

Luke 3:23-38 offers a different perspective, tracing Jesus' lineage through Mary, His biological mother, back to Adam, the father of all humanity. This genealogy emphasizes Jesus' universal mission and His identification with all of humankind. Unlike Matthew, Luke's genealogy moves backward, starting with Jesus and ending with Adam, "the son of God."

Key figures in Luke's genealogy include:

· Adam: The first man, highlighting Jesus as the second Adam who brings redemption (1 Corinthians 15:45).
· Noah: A righteous man through whom God preserved humanity during the flood.
· Abraham: As in Matthew, Abraham is a central figure, underscoring the continuity of God's covenant promises.
· David: Again, David is a pivotal figure, affirming Jesus' messianic credentials.

Luke's genealogy is notable for its emphasis on Jesus' divine sonship and His role as the Savior for all people, Jew and Gentile alike.

Theological Significance

The genealogies of Jesus Christ serve multiple theological purposes. They affirm Jesus' messianic credentials, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies concerning the lineage of the Messiah. They also highlight God's faithfulness in preserving the line through which the Savior would come, despite human sin and failure. Furthermore, the inclusion of both Jewish and Gentile figures, as well as men and women, underscores the inclusive nature of the Gospel.

In summary, the genealogies in Matthew and Luke provide a rich tapestry of God's redemptive history, culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. These genealogies are not merely historical records but are deeply theological, revealing the unfolding of God's plan for salvation through His Son.Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The New Testament gives us the genealogy of but one person, that of our Saviour. This is given because it was important to prove that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies spoken of him. Only as the son and heir of David should he be the Messiah. The following propositions will explain the true construction of these genealogies:--

1. They are both the genealogies of Joseph, i.e. of Jesus Christ as the reputed and legal son of Joseph and Mary.
2. The genealogy of St. Matthew is Joseph's genealogy as legal successor to the throne of David. St. Luke's is Joseph's private Genealogy, exhibiting his real birth as David's son, and thus showing why he was heir to Solomon's crown. The simple principle that one evangelist exhibits that genealogy which contained the successive heir to David's and Solomon's throne, while the other exhibits the paternal stem of him who was the heir, explains all the anomalies of the two pedigrees, their agreements as well as their discrepancies, and the circumstance of there being two at all.
3. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was in all probability the daughter of Jacob, and first cousin to Joseph her husband. Thus: Matthan or Matthat Father of Jacob, Heli Jacob Father of Mary = Jacobe heir was (Joseph) Heli Father of Joseph JESUS, called Christ. (Godet, Lange and many others take the ground that Luke gives the genealogy of Mary, rendering (Luke 3:23) thus: Jesus "being (as was suppposed) the son of Joseph, (but in reality) the son of Heli." In this case Mary, as declared in the Targums, was the daughter of Heli, and Heli was the grandfather of Jesus. Mary's name was omitted because "ancient sentiment did not comport with the mention of the mother as the genealogical link." So we often find in the Old Testament the grandson called the son. This view has this greatly in its favor, that it shows that Jesus was not merely the legal but the actual descendant of David; and it would be very strange that in the gospel accounts, where so much is made of Jesus being the son and heir of David and of his kingdom his real descent from David should not be given.--ED.)

Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus Christ
... ST. MATTHEW Chaps. I to VIII MATTHEW'S GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST. 'The book
of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/matthews genealogy of jesus christ.htm

Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew.
... A Matthew 1:1-17. ^a 1 The book of the generation [or genealogy] of Jesus Christ,
the son of David [the Messiah was promised to David"II. Sam. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/iii genealogy of jesus according.htm

C. The Genealogy of Jesus. Ch. 3:23-38
... the ministry of Christ. Therefore, when the career of John has been related, when
the ministry of Jesus is about to be recorded, Luke gives his genealogy to ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/c the genealogy of jesus.htm

How Christ could be Said by the Apostle to be Without Genealogy.
... genealogy," when the Gospel of the Evangelist Matthew begins with the Saviour's
genealogy, saying: "The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the Son of ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter xv how christ could.htm

Whether Christ's Genealogy is Suitably Traced by the Evangelists?
... of Christ; Luke the priestly personality: so that in Matthew's genealogy is signified
the assumption of our sins by our Lord Jesus Christ": inasmuch as by his ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs genealogy is suitably.htm

The Genealogical Question is Again Taken up and Argued on Both ...
... 2. Augustin replied: As regards what Faustus calls his principal reason for not
receiving the genealogy of Jesus Christ, a complete refutation is found in the ...
/.../the genealogical question is again.htm

The Action of Jesus Christ in the Souls of Men.
... races of men can be distinguished the origin, race, and genealogy of this ... it contains
only what is necessary to relate concerning the advent of Jesus Christ. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/section v the action of jesus.htm

Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
... and Luke) which give the earthly genealogy of Jesus ... All New Testament writers recognize
Jesus as at once both ... Christ's physical nature was begotten of the Holy ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/ix annunciation to joseph of.htm

The Birth of Christ in Its Relations to the Jewish Theocracy.
... the new light which emanated from Jesus; and the ... grounds; on the contrary, the doctrine
that Christ was not ... Although Luke's genealogy is not directly stated as ...
/.../section 13 the birth of.htm

Faustus Claims to Believe the Gospel, yet Refuses to Accept the ...
... the other hand, who recorded the preaching of the Son of God, without any genealogy,
begins most suitably with the words, "The gospel of Jesus Christ the Son ...
/.../faustus claims to believe the.htm

What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David? | GotQuestions.org

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