“The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham …”
(Matt 1:1, NKJV)
Before we get to the birth of Christ it is perhaps important to consider the two individuals God chose as parents for the “Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14) – Mary and Joseph. The Word provides little information on Mary, and even less on Joseph.
Joseph was an artisan, most probably a carpenter (Matt 13:55). (As was the custom of that time sons were often apprenticed in the craft of their father, thus Jesus was also trained as carpenter – Mark 6:3.) Joseph’s father was Jacob (Matt 1:16), from a genealogy that can be traced back to Abraham (Matt 1:2). Joseph was thus a direct descendant of the seed of Abraham and David (Matt 1:1 & 6), but as Joseph’s seed was not involved in the conception of Jesus, Jesus was thus not born from the physical seed of Abraham or David, as we have argued in the previous teachings. But this genealogical history of Joseph is of importance for another, altogether loftier reason. When an angel of God appears to Joseph in a dream to warn him of what has happened to Maria, he is addressed as follows – “Joseph, son of David …” Joseph was thus from “the house of David” (Isa 7:13), located in the region of Bethlehem-Judah (1 Sam 17:12), and had to travel to Judea, “the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David” for the census taking place at that time. (The compulsory census of course took place at that point because there was a prophetic promise that the Savior would be born there – “Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” – Mica 5:2, also see John 7:42.)
Within Jewish custom and tradition genealogy is extremely important. There are two reasons for this. Firstly the right of inheritance is determined by it; see for example Ruth 3-4, where the genealogical link made the transfer of land possible. Secondly any claim to priesthood or kingship had to be genealogically verified; see as example Esra 2:61-63, where no men were included in the priesthood if they could not produce genealogical records to prove their rightful position.) Any claim on the position of king would thus clearly have to stem from the genealogy of king David. The genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew (Matt 1) is primarily geared towards answering the Jewish qualms surrounding the Messiah’s rightful status within Jewish history. Judaism was founded on God’s promise to Abraham concerning a lineage and the pertinent promises God made to David concerning kingship and rule for him and his descendants. Thus Matthew starts his gospel by stating – “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham”. Although Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father (Luke 2:48) he was His legal father (Luke 2:48), and therefore Jesus could legitimately lay claim to the throne of David.
- Sela: Read 2 Chr 7 and see how the teaching links with it.
- Read: 2 Chr 7; Job 5; Rev 9
- Memorise: Job 5:26
- For a deeper understanding: Read Jay Snell’s How to claim the Abrahamic covenant (with discernment J)
