The Bible is a collection of books that tells the story of God’s relationship with humanity. One of the ways that the Bible reveals God’s plan and purpose is through the genealogies, or the lists of ancestors, of various people. The genealogies show how God chose certain individuals and families to carry out his will and to fulfill his promises. They also show how God’s people are connected to each other and to their history.
One of the most important genealogies in the Bible is that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. The New Testament provides two accounts of the genealogy of Jesus, one in the Gospel of Matthew and another in the Gospel of Luke. Both accounts trace Jesus’ ancestry back to Abraham, the father of the Israelites, but they differ significantly after that point. Matthew follows the royal line of David, while Luke follows a more obscure branch of the family tree. Both accounts, however, agree that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David.
Contents
The Genealogy of Jesus in Matthew
Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy that starts with Abraham and ends with Joseph, the husband of Mary. Matthew organizes his genealogy into three sections of fourteen generations each, corresponding to three major periods in Israel’s history: from Abraham to David, from David to the exile in Babylon, and from the exile to the birth of Christ. Matthew’s genealogy emphasizes Jesus’ title as the Christ, or the Messiah, meaning the anointed king. Matthew shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, that one of his descendants would reign forever on his throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Matthew also includes four women in his genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. These women were not Israelites by birth, but they became part of God’s people by faith and obedience. They also had unusual or scandalous circumstances in their lives, which foreshadowed the miraculous and controversial nature of Jesus’ birth.
The Genealogy of Jesus in Luke
Luke begins his Gospel with an account of the birth and childhood of John the Baptist, who was a relative of Jesus and his forerunner. Luke then tells the story of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. After Mary gives birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, Luke records a genealogy that starts with Joseph and goes all the way back to Adam, the first human being. Luke’s genealogy differs from Matthew’s in several ways. First, Luke reverses the order of the names, starting from Joseph and going backwards to Adam. Second, Luke has more names than Matthew, especially between David and Joseph. Third, Luke has different names than Matthew for most of the ancestors between David and Joseph. Fourth, Luke traces Jesus’ ancestry through Nathan, another son of David, rather than through Solomon, the heir to the throne. Fifth, Luke connects Jesus not only to Abraham, but also to Adam and ultimately to God himself.
Is Jesus Related to Moses?
One question that arises from comparing the two genealogies of Jesus is whether he was related to Moses, one of the most important figures in Israel’s history. Moses was the prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and gave them God’s law at Mount Sinai. Moses was also a descendant of Abraham through his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob (also called Israel). Moses belonged to the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes that descended from Jacob’s sons.
According to Matthew’s genealogy, Jesus was not related to Moses by blood. Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage through Judah, another son of Jacob and brother of Levi. Judah was the ancestor of David and his royal dynasty. Therefore, Jesus was a member of the tribe of Judah, not Levi.
According to Luke’s genealogy, however, Jesus may have been related to Moses by marriage. Luke traces Jesus’ lineage through Nathan, a son of David who was not an ancestor of any king. Nathan had a son named Mattatha (Luke 3:31), who may have been identical with Mattathias (1 Chronicles 24:21), a Levite priest and a descendant of Moses’ brother Aaron. If this identification is correct, then Nathan married a Levite woman who was related to Moses. This would mean that Jesus had some Levite blood through his mother Mary, who was also a descendant of Nathan.
Why Are There Two Different Genealogies?
The two different genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke have puzzled many readers and scholars for centuries. There are several possible explanations for why they are so different:
- One genealogy follows Joseph’s lineage and the other follows Mary’s lineage. This is a traditional view that tries to harmonize both accounts by assuming that Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David through different branches. However, this view faces some difficulties, such as the fact that both genealogies are attributed to Joseph, not Mary, and that there is no clear evidence that Mary was a descendant of David in the New Testament.
- One genealogy follows the legal line of succession and the other follows the biological line of descent. This is another view that tries to reconcile both accounts by assuming that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, but his legal father. According to this view, Joseph adopted Jesus as his son and gave him the right to inherit David’s throne. However, this view also faces some problems, such as the fact that both genealogies claim to trace Jesus’ ancestry through Joseph, not through adoption, and that there is no clear evidence that adoption was practiced in Israel in the first century.
- One genealogy follows the actual line of ancestry and the other follows a theological or symbolic line of ancestry. This is a more recent view that tries to respect both accounts as valid expressions of faith, rather than historical records. According to this view, Matthew and Luke had different purposes and audiences for their Gospels, and they chose different ancestors for Jesus to highlight different aspects of his identity and mission. Matthew wrote for a Jewish audience and emphasized Jesus’ role as the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David. Luke wrote for a Gentile audience and emphasized Jesus’ role as the Savior and the Son of God for all people.
Conclusion
The genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke are not mere lists of names, but powerful statements of faith. They show how Jesus is connected to God’s plan and purpose for humanity, from creation to redemption. They also show how Jesus is connected to God’s people, Israel, and to their history and destiny. They reveal different facets of Jesus’ identity and mission, as the Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the Son of Adam, and the Son of God. Whether or not Jesus was related to Moses by blood or by marriage is not as important as the fact that he was related to Moses by faith and by calling. Jesus was the prophet like Moses who spoke God’s word and performed God’s signs (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:22-23). He was also greater than Moses who brought a new covenant and a new exodus (Hebrews 3:1-6; 8:6-13; 12:18-24). He was the ultimate mediator between God and humanity who gave his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:5-6). He was the one who fulfilled the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 24:44-47). He was the one who revealed God’s name and glory (John 1:14-18; 17:6-26). He was the one who came from heaven and returned to heaven (John 3:13; 6:38; 20:17). He was the one who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7). He is the one who invites us to believe in him and follow him (John 3:16; Matthew 4:19). He is the one who is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
