Genealogy Of Jesus Christ Series

In Matthew, the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ is on Joseph’s side. There is another genealogy in Luke and it is on Mary’s side. In addition, there is a genealogy in the fifth chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 5:1 it says, “This is the book of the Generations of Adam…..” There are two books: The Book of the Generations of Adam and the book of the Generations of Jesus Christ. How did you get into the book of Adam? You were born into it. You did not have to perform anything. We got there by birth, but in Adam, we all die. ([1]See Romans 5:12). Adam’s book is a book of death.

There is another book, the book of the Generations of Jesus Christ. You will find some very interesting people there and very few are good. There are prostitutes and gentiles, kings and paupers, rich and poor. His family tree was just like yours and mine, because there was “black sheep” listed along with the “good” people. However, how did you get into that family and into that genealogy? You got in it by birth, the new birth. The Lord Jesus says in John 3:3, “…..I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” That puts us in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we get there by trusting Christ. We are all in the first book, the Generations of Adam. I hope you are also in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Matthew 1:1 says, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Didn’t Matthew know that Abraham lived before David? Of course, he did, and he lists it that way in the rest of the genealogy. So why did he list David first in this verse? He is presenting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the one who is the king, the one that is going to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and that comes first. He must be in the line of David to fulfill the prophecies that God made to David. He is the Son of David.

In Genesis 22:18 God promised Abraham, “and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed…..” And in Galatians 3:16 Paul explains who the offspring is, “The promises were not spoken to Abraham and to his seed (offspring), the scripture does not say ‘and to seeds’, meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed’, meaning one person, who is Christ.” God called Abraham and promised to make him a blessing, through Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham. Christ is the Savior that came from God. The word “seed” refers specifically to Christ. In John 8:56, Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” So, Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham.

In Matthew, there is the genealogy of Joseph. It begins with Abraham and comes down to the Lord Jesus through David and Solomon. The legal title to the throne came through Joseph.

Luke’s genealogy is different, because it deals with Mary and is given in reverse order from Mathew’s. Luke goes back to David and then to Adam. The blood of David flows through Mary’s veins also, and Jesus’ blood title to the throne of David came through her. In Luke 3:23, Luke’s genealogy begins by pointing out that Joseph was not the father of Jesus. It says, “…..He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph.” Joseph is listed here only because he is the head of the house.