01-03B

Luke in the birth narrative always follows Mary's story, Matthew is always concerned with Joseph's side of the story. We're getting the two sides of the story in these two gospels, therefore it would be very natural for Matthew to give Joseph's genealogy, and for Luke to give Mary's.

Moreover, if Luke doesn't give Mary's genealogy, then nobody does, and if nobody does, then how can we say that Christ was descended from David, since He wasn't biologically related to Joseph? One of the precepts of the OT is that the Christ was to be a scion of David.

There's even more. According to Luke's genealogy, Christ's actual bloodline goes back through Nathan. Mary did not come down through the royal line. But back in Matthew, Joseph, did follow the royal line, right down to the last of Israel's king.

Mat 1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

The presence of Jeconiah is in the line presents a problem. The problem is a prophecy that was given in Jeremiah.

Jer 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Jer 22:30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Here is a curse on the descendants of Jeconiah. One thing you can do to instantly disqualify yourself from being the messiah is be a descendant of Jeconiah. But it was Joseph who was a descendant of Jeconiah. But Jesus was not the son of Joseph, biologically. So Jesus' actual bloodline to David was through Mary. Yet in society, Jesus’ legal status would of the bloodline. So Jesus, and Jesus alone what the other royal sons of David couldn't avoid, i.e. being a descendant of Jeconiah.

It's possible that Jesus was the only person of his generation, or even in history, who had the genealogical requirements to be the King of the Jews. How many could, by natural rights, claim the throne? How many adopted first born were there in Joseph's line? (Adopted, of necessity, so as not to be in the line of Jeconiah).

Luke's genealogy goes all the way back to God.

Luke 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

This is the only scripture that calls Adam the "son of God". Luke's genealogy goes back even further than the OT genealogies, which go back to Adam (See Gen 5).

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God.

Luke calls both Jesus and Adam "sons of God".

Luke was a good friend of Paul's. Paul's theology was steeped in this concept of Jesus as the second Adam. He often likens Jesus to, and contrasts Him with Adam.

1Co 15:21 For since death is through man, the resurrection of the dead also is through a Man.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive.

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul," the last Adam was a life-giving Spirit.

1Co 15:46 But not the spiritual first, but the natural; afterward the spiritual.

1Co 15:47 The first man was out of earth, earthy; the second Man was the Lord from Heaven.

1Co 15:48 Such the earthy man, such also the earthy ones. And such the heavenly Man, such also the heavenly ones.

1Co 15:49 And according as we bore the image of the earthy man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned:

Rom 5:13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Rom 5:14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is the type of Him who was to come;

Rom 5:15 but the free gift shall not be also like the offense. For if by the offense of the one many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace; which is of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Rom 5:16 And the free gift shall not be as by one having sinned; (for indeed the judgment was of one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses to justification.

Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.)

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by one offense sentence came on all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came to all men to justification of life.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.

This comparison between Adam and Christ is unique to Paul. Paul calls Adam a type of Christ, v14.

Adam was the founder of a race of humans, and his moral choices affected for evil the entire race that was in him.

Christ was also the Founder of a race of humans, and His moral choices affected for good the entire race that was in Him. In Paul's writings we are either in Adam or we are in Christ. We are in the old man, or we are in the new man. If you are in Christ, then Christ's choices are in you. If you are in Adam, then Adam's choices are in you. There is a parallel between Adam and Christ.

Luke was strongly influenced by Paul's way of thinking. In pointing out that both Christ and Adam were sons of god, Luke underscores this same theme that Paul emphasizes.

They are both sons of God and both able to affect for good or ill their descendants.

So we have two messages in these two genealogies.

Matthew's message is that Jesus was unashamed to be associated with sinners, women and gentiles. Luke's message is that Jesus is a like a second Adam. He managed to avoid the curse of Jeconiah, by being adopted by Joseph, thus avoiding the catch 22 of being in the royal family.

All things conspired in Jesus' genealogy to make Him the true Messiah.