There are two records in the Bible which tell of Jesus genealogy. These two accounts can be found in the book of Luke and Matthew, which are found in the New Testament. These two accounts offer a similar story but with some slight variations in them. In the book of Matthew, the first chapter, the lineage of Christ is be traced from Abraham. Abraham was the first member of the lineage. After Abraham, it is the son of King David, Solomon, Jeconiah, and then Joseph. Joseph was the father of the Messiah.
In Luke, it is traced from Adam, through Solomon, Prophet Nathan and then to Joseph. One major similarity though is that Christ was begotten by God and not Joseph. There is also the issue of virgin birth. Mary, mother of Christ, was a virgin and was engaged to Joseph when God choose her to be the mother of our Savior.
Here are some major differences that the two accounts have shown. To begin with, according to Matthew, there are 41 generations between Abraham and the Messiah. The gospel of Luke states that there is a difference of 76 generations between Adam and Jesus.
A close look and a quick read through Luke will show that the history and genealogy is presented in a manner that is quite odd. Instead of starting with what happened before Christ was born, it starts with the birth of Christ. Matthew, unlike Luke, gives the story in a chronological sequence. It gives a brief history of what happened before His birth.
One issue that stands out in both accounts is that of Shealtiel and Zerubbabel. These are the only names that appear in both accounts after David. Both Luke and Matthew offer a different list of descendants but only these two appear in both accounts.
One may wonder why these two accounts are different to this great extent. There are several theories that have been offered as an explanation of this scenario. One theory is based on the marriage tradition of Levites. According to Luke, the grandparents of Joseph married similar women. This basically means that Heli was the legal father of Joseph and Jacob was his biological father. Generally, the record according to Luke focuses on his legal lineage while Matthew focuses on his primary and biological lineage.
Another interesting theory is that Jacob and Heli may actually be the same person. This theory, however, has been disputed by scores of people namely the theologians and historians. Another explanation is that Matthew emphasizes on the lineage of Joseph while Luke focuses on the side of Mary.
One interesting fact that presents itself in Jesus genealogy is in the book of Matthew points out that is the Messiah. The gospel of Luke points out to Christ as a perfect Savior of the human race. Matthew tells of the lineage of Christ as a Messiah of the Jews. It shows the lineage from Abraham thus coinciding with the purpose and theme of the book of Matthew which proves that indeed He is the Messiah. Luke focuses on the relationship of the Messiah with the human race. In fact, it shows the lineage from Adam to the Messiah thus emphasizing that only He can save the world.
In Luke, it is traced from Adam, through Solomon, Prophet Nathan and then to Joseph. One major similarity though is that Christ was begotten by God and not Joseph. There is also the issue of virgin birth. Mary, mother of Christ, was a virgin and was engaged to Joseph when God choose her to be the mother of our Savior.
Here are some major differences that the two accounts have shown. To begin with, according to Matthew, there are 41 generations between Abraham and the Messiah. The gospel of Luke states that there is a difference of 76 generations between Adam and Jesus.
A close look and a quick read through Luke will show that the history and genealogy is presented in a manner that is quite odd. Instead of starting with what happened before Christ was born, it starts with the birth of Christ. Matthew, unlike Luke, gives the story in a chronological sequence. It gives a brief history of what happened before His birth.
One issue that stands out in both accounts is that of Shealtiel and Zerubbabel. These are the only names that appear in both accounts after David. Both Luke and Matthew offer a different list of descendants but only these two appear in both accounts.
One may wonder why these two accounts are different to this great extent. There are several theories that have been offered as an explanation of this scenario. One theory is based on the marriage tradition of Levites. According to Luke, the grandparents of Joseph married similar women. This basically means that Heli was the legal father of Joseph and Jacob was his biological father. Generally, the record according to Luke focuses on his legal lineage while Matthew focuses on his primary and biological lineage.
Another interesting theory is that Jacob and Heli may actually be the same person. This theory, however, has been disputed by scores of people namely the theologians and historians. Another explanation is that Matthew emphasizes on the lineage of Joseph while Luke focuses on the side of Mary.
One interesting fact that presents itself in Jesus genealogy is in the book of Matthew points out that is the Messiah. The gospel of Luke points out to Christ as a perfect Savior of the human race. Matthew tells of the lineage of Christ as a Messiah of the Jews. It shows the lineage from Abraham thus coinciding with the purpose and theme of the book of Matthew which proves that indeed He is the Messiah. Luke focuses on the relationship of the Messiah with the human race. In fact, it shows the lineage from Adam to the Messiah thus emphasizing that only He can save the world.
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