Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:1-17

In the genealogy listed below, names are bolded that we may recognize as well-known people in the Holy Bible, in the family tree of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:1-17

After the last verse of that text, where it speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ, we can add our names because we are His offspring, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”, Galatians 3:29

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelations 12:17 Our Lord Jesus has the final victory over Satan and his beasts who deceives the global population to follow him, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelations 20:10

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Reading the genealogy described in Luke 3:23-38 is beneficial when reading the genealogy described here in Matthew 1:1-17.

In Luke, the beginning of the genealogy of Jesus is with Adam, the first son of God, the genealogy of Matthew begins with Abraham. Matthew shows us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God made through Abraham to cause the family of God to multiply, based on faith, not the letter of the law, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”, Galatians 3:29. Luke shows us that Jesus is indeed of the family tree of Adam and is the Son of God as the “Second Adam”, “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45

In Luke, the entire genealogy is made of only men because in the eyes of the Jewish culture, the seed [semen] of men was given more prominence than the women carrying the seed. In Matthew, he mentions several women, Tamar [who disguised herself as a prostitute to become pregnant by Judah], Rahab [who was a prostitute who helped the children of God defeat their enemies], Ruth [who was a Moabite gentile], Uriah’s wife [whom King David married], and Mary [the mother of Jesus]. Matthew’s account of the genealogy of Jesus is important because it shows how God came to bring His mercy, grace, and Salvation to all the gentile non-Jewish world, not just to the Jewish people. This is why Matthew begins his account of the genealogy by referring to Abraham in the very first verse.

Luke’s and Matthew’s genealogies of Jesus differ, but both are just as accurate. Solomon is included in Matthew’s account but omitted in Luke’s [Nathan is mentioned instead]. Luke uses a different branch of the family tree while Matthew uses another branch. Matthew includes a lot of what we would say, “…this person is on my mother’s side of the family”, while Luke includes a lot of what we would say, “…this person is on my father’s side of the family”

The virgin birth of Mary is important because the birth of our Lord Jesus is not from the lineage of man, not from the semen of a man, but is born by the seed of the Holy Spirit and given birth by a woman. In the genealogy of Matthew, he talks of how a child was born through a man by a certain woman, but with the birth of Christ Jesus, he simply says that Joseph was the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus the Christ. For example, he says this about natural births, “Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar,”, but of the birth of Christ he says,” Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” Luke also makes the distinction that Jesus is the Son of God, “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph…the son of Adam, the son of God.” Luke 3:23, 28

Revelation 12 gives a description of what Mary went through as the mother of Christ Jesus,