Scripture
We are studying the life of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke in a sermon series I am calling, “To Seek and To Save the Lost.”
The first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel dealt with the prophecies and births of John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, and then what happened to Jesus following his birth.
The third chapter of Luke’s Gospel focused on John the Baptist. Luke told us about the ministry (3:1-6), preaching (3:7-14), testimony (3:15-17), and boldness of John the Baptist (3:18-20).
Toward the end of the third chapter Luke transitioned back to Jesus. He first told us briefly about the baptism of Jesus (3:21-22). Then, before he told us about the temptation of Jesus in chapter four, Luke gave us the genealogy of Jesus.
Today, I would like to examine the genealogy of Jesus.
Let’s read about the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38:
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:23–38)
Introduction
When I completed high school my Dad took my Mom on a vacation to the land of his birth—Austria. I have often thought that they should have sent me on a trip, but I suppose they were celebrating because they had successfully got me through high school!
In any event, I had taken a woodworking class throughout high school. In my junior year I specialized in woodcarving and rather enjoyed it. At the time I thought it would be neat to carve our family crest. So when Dad and Mom went to Austria I asked Dad to find our family’s crest so that I could carve it on to a wooden shield.
Several weeks later my parents returned from a wonderful trip to Austria. After a while I asked my Dad, with great anticipation, if he brought bring back a photo of our family crest.
“Son,” my Dad said, “I am sorry to tell you that there is no family crest because we come from a line of peasants!”
I think there is an interest in many of us to learn about our ancestors. Some of you may recall the best selling and hugely popular book by Alex Haley called Roots: The Saga of an American Family, which is the story of a black man’s search to learn about his ancestors. The book was turned into a television mini-series in 1977 that won nine Emmys and over 135 other awards. The mini-series received unprecedented Nielsen ratings for the finale, which still holds a record as the third-highest-rated US television program ever.
While many in our culture are very interested in our ancestors, God’s people in ancient times were far more interested in their genealogies.
Today I would like to look at the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38.
Lesson
An analysis of the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38 will enable us to understand the significance of his genealogy.
I. The Genealogy of Jesus Is Significant Because of the Importance of Genealogies to God’s People in the Old Testament
First, the genealogy of Jesus is significant because of the importance of genealogies to God’s people in the Old Testament.
If you have any familiarity with the Old Testament, you know that the biblical writers often record genealogies. And the reason they did so is because of their importance to God’s people in the Old Testament. They were important for a number of reasons (as John MacArthur notes in his commentary).
First, genealogies were important because ancestry determined the original division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Numbers 26:53-55).
Second, genealogies were important because ancestry also established the right of inheritance to property and all that went with it (such as buildings, crops, servants, etc.)
Third, genealogies were important because ancestry formed the basis of kinsman redemption. So, for example, if a poor man was forced to sell his property, one of his near relatives was to purchase it. That near relative was the kinsman redeemer (Luke 25:25; cf. Ruth 4:1-6).
Fourth, genealogies were important because ancestry played a role in taxation. You recall that Joseph and Mary had to go to Joseph’s ancestral town of Bethlehem in order to register for Caesar Augustus’ census (cf. Luke 2:1-4).
Fifth, genealogies were important because ancestry determined one’s eligibility to serve as a priest. The book of Ezra tells of several men who could not prove that they were descendants of certain ancestors, “and so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean” (Ezra 2:59-62).
Finally, genealogies were important because God had made it clear that the promised Messiah would have certain key individuals in his genealogy. So, any claim to be the Messiah would have to be backed up with genealogical records. That is the main reason why genealogies were so important to God’s people in the Old Testament.
Luke’s readers would have understood exactly why he included a genealogy of Jesus. It was absolutely essential to establish his claim to be the promised Messiah.
II. The Genealogy of Jesus Is Significant Because of the Differences in the Genealogies of Matthew and Luke
Second, the genealogy of Jesus is significant because of the differences in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke.
Only Matthew and Luke of the Gospel writers gave us a genealogy of Jesus. There are some significant differences between Matthew’s genealogy and Luke’s genealogy. One reason for the difference is that it reflects each writer’s different purpose. Matthew began his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus where it fits chronologically prior to the birth, life, and ministry of Jesus. Luke placed the genealogy of Jesus between the baptism of Jesus and the temptation of Jesus to validate his claim to be the promised Messiah.
Another difference is that Matthew began his genealogy with Abraham and descended to Jesus. Luke began his genealogy with Jesus and ascended through Adam to God.
Matthew’s genealogy, because it did not go beyond Abraham, only had forty-two names in it, which was broken down into three groups of fourteen names. Luke’s genealogy had seventy-seven names in it, which was broken down into eleven groups of seven names. It is important to note that “father” in Matthew did not always mean an immediate “father,” but sometimes meant “ancestor.” Similarly, “son” in Luke did not always mean an immediate “son,” but sometimes meant “descendant.”
Matthew listed five women (including Mary, Jesus’ mother) in his genealogy, whereas Luke’s genealogy has no women.
Interestingly, the names from Abraham to David are the same in both Matthew and Luke’s genealogies (except that Matthew skipped Admin). However, all the names from David to Joseph are different in Matthew and Luke’s genealogies (with the exception of two names). Scholars differ widely regarding the reason for this difference. The ESV Study Bible notes that “the most commonly accepted suggestion is that Matthew traces the line of royal succession (moving from David to Solomon; Matthew 1:6) while Luke traces Joseph’s actual physical descent (moving from David to Nathan, a little-known son mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14; Luke 3:31), and both lines converge at Joseph.”
And even though Joseph was not physically the father of Jesus (because of the virgin conception of Jesus), he was legally the father of Jesus, in much the same way that a father legally adopts a son today. In those days that was a common and accepted practice.
III. The Genealogy of Jesus Is Significant Because of the Statement Identifying the Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry (3:23a)
Third, the genealogy of Jesus is significant because of the statement identifying the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
Luke said in verse 23a, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age.”
The reason that is significant is that is when it was customary for men of God to begin their ministries.
Ezekiel began his ministry as a prophet at the age of thirty (Ezekiel 1:1).
Joseph, the son of Jacob, was thirty years old when he became prime minister of Egypt (Genesis 41:46).
The Old Testament stipulated that a man entering the priesthood had to be thirty years old before he could begin his service (Numbers 4:3, 35, 39, 43, 47; 1 Chronicles 23:3).
And most importantly, Jesus’ ancestor David was thirty years old when he ascended to Israel’s throne (2 Samuel 5:4).
So Jesus began his public ministry at an age that connected him with other Old Testament notables and also that people would consider appropriate.
IV. The Genealogy of Jesus Is Significant Because of the Implied Affirmation of the Virgin Conception of Jesus (3:23b)
Fourth, the genealogy of Jesus is significant because of the implied affirmation of the virgin conception of Jesus.
Luke went on to say in verse 23b, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph.”
It was understandable that people supposed that Jesus was the son of Joseph. After all, Joseph and Mary had other children, of whom Jesus was the oldest, they thought.
But that supposition was incorrect as Jesus was physically the son only of Mary. And the way Luke showed that in the Greek text was very simple. Every ancestor of Jesus in Luke’s gospel is preceded with a definite article, which was the standard Greek way of showing ancestry. There is only one name in the entire genealogy of Jesus who does not have a definite article, and guess who that is? Joseph, Jesus’ father.
You see, Luke was showing that Joseph was only legally and not physically Jesus’ father. And in this very clear and simple way Luke was affirming yet again the virgin conception of Jesus. That is to say, Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit without the action of any human father.
The lack of the definite article in the Greek text is extremely significant because it affirms the virgin conception of Jesus in the genealogy of Jesus.
V. The Genealogy of Jesus Is Significant Because of the Importance of Three Names in the Genealogy of Jesus (3:31e; 3:34c; 3:38c)
And finally, the genealogy of Jesus is significant because of the importance of three names in the genealogy of Jesus.
These three names are key to Jesus’ claim to be the promised Messiah sent from God.
First, Jesus was a descendant of David. Luke said in verse 31e that Jesus was the son of David. Now, David was the greatest of all of Israel’s kings. He was greatly revered by the people of God. And it was with King David that God made a covenant. We read about it in 2 Samuel 7:11b-13, where God said to David through the prophet Nathan, “Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” And in verse 16 God said to David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”
You may recall that even before Jesus was born the angel Gabriel went to Mary and said to her that she was going to conceive and bear a son, whose name would be Jesus. Then he said to her in Luke 1:32-33, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
So, Jesus was a descendant of David, thus making him the promised Messiah who would rule as King forever and ever.
Second, Jesus was a descendant of Abraham. Luke said in verse 34c that Jesus was the son of Abraham. God called Abraham to himself while he was still a pagan in Haran. God said to him in Genesis 12:1-3, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Later God made a covenant with Abraham when Abraham was concerned that he had no child. We read about it in Genesis 15:1-6:
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
The apostle Paul clarified that God’s covenant to Abraham found its fulfillment in Christ. Paul said in Galatians 3:16, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”
So, the covenant made with Abraham would be fulfilled in his offspring, Jesus, who was a direct descendant of Abraham, thus making him the promised Messiah.
And third, Jesus was a descendant of Adam. Luke said in verse 38c that Jesus was the son of Adam. Adam was the first man created by God. He was created in God’s image. From Adam all of humanity descended. But, Adam also fell into sin, thereby plunging all humanity into sin as well.
If you are familiar with Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, you know that Matthew’s genealogy does not extend beyond Abraham. The reason for that is that Matthew was writing primarily to a Jewish audience and he wanted them to understand that Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.
The most likely reason Luke extended his genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam was to show that Jesus, as a direct descendant of Adam, was in fact the promised Messiah not only for Jews but in fact for people from all over the world.
And although Luke does not mention it in the way that Paul clearly does, Luke also implied that Jesus was the second Adam. Paul expanded on the truth that all people are related to Adam by natural generation, whereas all believers are related to Jesus—the second Adam—by regeneration (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
And so Jesus, as the promised Messiah who was descended from Adam, is the Messiah not only for Jews but for all people.
Commentator Douglas J. W. Milne sums up the significance of the three names in the genealogy of Jesus this way:
So Jesus’ family tree has shown us some interesting and important connections—David the king, Abraham the man who received God’s promises, and Adam the first human! Having David for an ancestor links Jesus to God’s royal house; having Abraham for an ancestor links him to God’s covenant people, east, west, north, and south; having Adam for his ancestor links him to the whole human family. By being David’s son Jesus rules the world; by being the son of Abraham he fulfills the promises (2 Corinthians 1:20), by being Adam’s son he acts for human beings.
Conclusion
Therefore, having analyzed the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38, we can be confident that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah.
Let us then trust him as the one who came and lived and died and rose again for our salvation. Amen.
