THE JESUS' GENEALOGIES MYSTERY
Greetings church family!
Why was Jesus” birth brought about by the Holy Spirit and Mary rather than Joseph and Mary? The main answer is that through the Holy Spirit, Jesus came as divinity, and through Mary, he also came as humanity.
However, there is a secondary reason behind this plan. In order to understand this secondary reason, I encourage you to read and compare Matthew’s genealogy of Christ (found in Matthew 1:1-17) to Luke’s genealogy of Christ (found in Luke 3:23-38). This week’s devotional thought will have more of a Bible-study feel, as we examine both genealogies to uncover this secondary reason.
In Matthew’s genealogy, we find that Joseph’s father is Jacob (see Matthew 1:16). We also find that Joseph comes from the lineage of David through his son Solomon (see Matthew 1:6). Solomon’s branch of the Davidic tree is the royal line. This is further supported by the fact that in Matthew’s genealogy, David is referred to as King David (again, see Matthew 1:16. In contrast, Luke’s genealogy does not refer to David as King David) Luke 1:27 also states that Joseph is “of the house of David.” The phrase, “of the house of David” doesn’t just mean that Josephs is of David’s bloodline. It also indicates that Joseph is from David’s royal line. The significance here is that Joseph being from David’s royal line allows for the OT prophecies of a coming Messiah from the royal line of David to eventually come true (see 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:6-7, and Jeremiah 23:5).
However, a dilemma arises in David’s royal line. Further examination of Matthew’s genealogy reveals that Jeconiah is one of the ancestors of Joseph, of the royal line of David (see Matthew 1:12). Jeconiah was the last of a long list of kings of Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) that rebelled against God’s commands. Jeconiah’s kingship was the breaking point. God’s response to his rebellion is found in Jeremiah 22:24-25, 30. It says, “As I live”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“though you, Coniah (aka Jeconiah) son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would tear you from it. In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread, who intend to take your life, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and the Chaldeans …Record this man as childless, a man who will not be successful in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.”
God’s declaration that none of Jeconiah’s descendants would reign on the throne of David ever again meant that Joseph, as a descendant of Jeconiah, could not be allowed to be the biological father of Jesus. Otherwise, Jesus would be born under the aforementioned stated curse and would not qualify as able to reign as the forever King on David’s throne.
At this point, it is necessary to examine Luke’s genealogy in Luke 3:23-38. Notice in Luke 3:23, Joseph’s father is said to be Heli. How can his father be Heli if Matthew said that his father was Jacob? Are they two different names for the same person? Further evidence shows this is likely not the case. This evidence is found in Luke 3:31, where it says that Joseph is from the lineage of David through David’s son Nathan. How can Joseph be from the lineage of David through Solomon and at the same time be from the lineage of David through his son Nathan? This is not possible. Thus, it is highly unlikely that Luke’s genealogy of Jesus is through Joseph’s bloodline.
The solution most bible scholars arrive at is that the genealogy in Luke is actually Jesus' genealogy through Mary's bloodline. Mary’s name is left out in favor of Joseph probably because genealogies in those days were typically passed forward through the male descendants. Also, a father, such as Heli, would typically move his genealogy forward through his son-in-law if he had no sons. So, it’s likely that Mary had no brothers.
This would mean that Mary’s father is Heli, and that Mary is from the bloodline of David through Nathan (see Luke 3:31). Jesus is of David’s bloodline through his mother Mary. Since Joseph adopted Jesus, and adopted sons receive all of the rights and benefits of biological sons, Jesus is also of the royal line of David without being affected by the kingship curse put on Jeconiah’s descendants.
In summary, Jesus is of David’s bloodline through his mother Mary, and through his adopted father Joseph, Jesus is of David’s royal line, with his adoption allowing him to circumvent the kingship curse. Thus, Jesus is truly the one who “ will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.” (Isaiah 9:7).
When it comes to God’s plans, I have to say, I love it when His plans come together!
Be blessed and have a great rest of your week!
Pastor Chris
