“Family Reunion”

Friday, January 04, 2013

[This question is in regard to our Daily Cup reading series: Day 1 - Matt 1]

Following your Weekday Cup: In Matthew 1, the genealogy of Jesus is to Joseph... I’m confused as to why this is not to Mary.

Thanks!!

Sincerely,
Parental Ponderer

Dear Parental Ponderer,

The gospels actually give us two different genealogies for Jesus – one here in Matthew 1 and one in Luke 3.  Matthew starts the genealogy at Abraham, and Luke starts the genealogy all the way back at Adam.  The genealogies really begin to differ once you hit the generation after David.  Matthew traces the history from David’s son Solomon (Matt 1:6), while Luke follows David’s son Nathan (Lk 3:31).  Every Jewish genealogy (both maternal and paternal) is tracked through the males in the family (that is why both Matthew and Luke end the genealogy with Joseph).

Matthew is tracing the legal family tree through Jesus’ foster father, Joseph.  Luke is tracing the maternal side through Jesus’ mother, Mary.  Both Mary and Joseph were of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David… just slightly different sections of that bloodline.

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