This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham… Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus Who is called the Messiah.
Matthew 1:1Jesus, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as it was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli...
Luke 3:23
God is never surprised by what we do or how history plans out. He knows everything. God uses everything whether it is good or evil to forward His plans and purposes. Throughout history, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, has attempted to thwart God’s plans and purposes, and use them to his own evil end and advantage.
But God is omniscient, knowing the end from the beginning. He has ordered every day of our lives and no matter what happens, it will be to our advantage and to His glory. And God is omnipotent and His will and purpose will be accomplished at the right time and nothing and no-one can stand in His way or prevent its ultimate fulfilment.
Matthew started his gospel (whose targeted audience were the Jews) with a royal genealogy that started at Abraham and ended with Joseph, the husband of Mary. It was a regal lineage that traced Jesus’ ancestors through the great kings – David and Solomon and terminated with the Messiah’s adoptive father, Joseph the carpenter.
Luke’s family tree, was for Gentile readers, starting with Adam as federal head of the human race and tracing Christ’s parentage to Heli, father of Mary – not of Joseph. The antecedents in Luke’s gospel were still of David’s royal line but through Nathan, his son – and travelled down through a second kingly line to Mary the mother of Jesus. Hundreds of prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus, Who is called – Messiah.
Like all descendants of Abraham and David, Jesus had a right to the throne of Israel, but unlike all of David’s other descendants, Jesus alone fulfilled biblical prophecy. The numerous prophecies surrounding Him identified Jesus as the promised Messiah:- He was born of a virgin in the little town of Bethlehem and grew up in Galilee. He descended from the royal line of Judah, and from the house the great king David.
He was betrayed by one of His closest friends and was sold for 30 pieces of silver. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and was identified as the chosen Lamb of God. He hung on a tree with His hands and feet pierced, and He cried, “It is finished”. His garments were divided among the soldiers and they cast lots for His clothes.
He was raised from the dead on the 3rd day and ascended to the Father in heaven. Hundreds of prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus, Who is called – Messiah. Like all descendants of Abraham and David, Jesus had a right to the throne of Israel, and two unbroken genealogies were recorded in Scripture to affirm His legitimacy. But why was there a need for two genealogies for the Lord Jesus Christ? Would not one illustrious genealogical table have fulfilled all the criteria?
Matthew traced Christ’s regal lineage through the kingly line of David and Solomon. But a curse was put on that royal line during the time of the Babylonian captivity… A shocking curse was placed on Jeconiahm, Judah’s final evil king – through Solomon. And Jeremiah records an astonishing curse on David’s offspring.. NO MAN of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. No future descendent of Solomon’s line of could ever rule as the king of Israel, and for a time it must have seemed to Satan that God’s Messiah had been defeated. Descendants of the cursed bloodline from Jeconiahm onwards… could never sit on the throne of David, and yet the Messiah was to be born of the house and lineage of David.
But God’s plans and purposes cannot be thwarted by the enemy, although at times, Satan in his foolish pride must have smugly thought that God had been outwitted! But David had a son called Nathan – through whom was born the mother of our Lord.. and Luke records the legitimate and un-cursed lineage of Christ Jesus – the Saviour.
Jesus was indeed the adopted son of Joseph the carpenter and His adoption gave Him legal right to sit on the throne of David through both His earthly parents.. but no curse could fall on the Lord Jesus, for He was not Joseph’s biological son. God is not surprised by what we do or how history plans out. He knows ALL things, and He uses all things, whether good or evil, to forward His plans and purposes. Now Jesus Himself, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli – the father of Mary.
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