ARTICLE ON JESUS' GENEALOGY

          Jesus Christ's Genealogy is found in the books of Matthew and Luke of the New Testament.  Matthew provides a genealogy of Jesus that confirms he was a descendent of David, therefore, a legitimate Messiah.  But Matthew and Luke differ in an important way:  Matthew follows the line of David's son Solomon (Joseph's linage), which Luke follows the line of Nathan, another son of David.  Nathan's son was Heli (Mary's father). The end result is two distinct genealogy's for Jesus.  Earthly father Joseph son of Jacob, husband of the Virgin Mary and Joseph son of  Heli, (Mary's father.)  Joseph was Jesus' earthly father, Jesus' heavenly father is God.  Many call Joseph, Jesus' step-father, but I do not. 
          There are three other possible explanations for the two different genealogies:  1. One of the genealogies is actually Mary's.  This simplest solution is that we have the genealogies of both parents of Jesus ---- Joseph and Mary.  Luke's birth narrative focuses on Mary.  Luke tells the story from her perspective.  This proposal is sometimes linked to the judgment pronounced against the Line of Solomon, by Jeremiah, who prophesied that no descendent of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:30) or his son Jechoniah (Jeremiah 22:24-30) would sit on the throne of David.  Jesus avoided this judgment because he was the legal descendent ---- i.e. through Mary ---- rather than the physical descendent of David ---- through Joseph.  Matthew on the other hand follows Joseph's side of the story.        Matthew's narrative moves through dreams Joseph had. 
          2. One genealogy is a royal or legal genealogy, and the other is a "physical" genealogy.  (Note: Matthew presents a royal or legal genealogy, while Luke gives a physical, or actual genealogy.)  Matthew lists the official line of Davidic Kings, not Jesus' actual ancestors.  Matthew's point shows that Joseph is related to that line.  In Luke this view would be giving us the actual, physical descendants ---- a genealogy in the way we're accustomed to thinking about it.  A larger problem is in this view Joseph has two gene-alogies:  Joseph can't have two father's. 
          3. Did Joseph have two Fathers?  (He could have, it doesn't actually say.)  How can someone have two father's?  It's not physically possible.  However, there are two reasons the text can actually be read this way.  Some suggest Mary had no brothers to carry on her father's name at her marriage, so her Father Heli (which is Joseph's father also according to Luke.)  adopted Joseph as his own son.  This would give Joseph two genealogies, his own genealogy and Mary's genealogy.  Second it is a "Levirate" marriage between Joseph and Mary according to the law at that time.  In Deuteronomy 25:5  "If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family.  Her husband's brother, Jacob, Joseph's physical father, shall take her and marry her to fulfill the duty of the brother-in-law to her. (Mary's mother would have to marry her brother-in-law, Jacob, who is Joseph's father and would become Mary's step-father.)  This is to produce heirs for his deceased brother.  In Joseph's case, Heli, Mary's father was also Joseph's father according to Luke's genealogy ---- and Jacob ---- Joseph's father according to Matthew's genealogy ----  Heli and Jacob were either brothers or half-brothers.  When one died, the other married his brother's widow, producing Joseph and his off-spring.  This would leave Joseph with two fathers ---- both Heli and Jacob, one a natural father and the other a legal father.  This is only speculation.  From the text, we can't tell which one is his natural father and which one is his legal father.  This point explains why Joseph had two distinct genealogies.  If you would like to study this further for yourselves, check out Jesus' genealogies in both Matthew and Luke.

Note:  After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had other children together.  In the book of Matthew it lists the names of Jesus' brothers. It also mentions him having sisters, but they are not mention by name. The people called him the carpenter's son. In verse 55 of Matthew13 it lists Jesus' brothers:  James, Joses, Simon and Judas.  It is so sad people wanting to say things about Jesus that aren't true. They say Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a son.  Jesus was never married nor had children. If that was so I truly believe God would have included that in his WORD.



Posted by *Starlight* 2023


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