genealogy family tree

Genealogy of Jesus

Biblical Genealogy of Jesus Christ is written in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The family tree of Jesus provided in these genealogies is through Mary, mother of Jesus and Joseph, father of Jesus. Matthew provides the genealogy of jesus from Patriarch Abraham to King David and David to Joseph, the father of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17. Luke provides jesus genealogy backward from the last Adam Jesus to the first Adam, the direct creations of God in Luke 3:23-38 through Mary, the mother of Jesus. These were of utmost value to early adopter of faith in the first century.

MatthewTo Jewish Christians presenting Legal inheritance as Son of David and Son of Abraham through the lineage of Joseph, the father of Jesus.
LukeTo Gentile Christians presenting Jesus as Last Adam (direct creation of God) through the genealogy of mary, the mother of jesus linking back to David, Abraham and first man Adam. This is the bloodline of jesus.
JohnTo Matured Believers presenting Jesus Christ as preexistent one, who was The Word of God and was with God in the beginning.
jesus genealogy in the gospels by Matthew, Luke and John
genealogy of Jesus by Matthew
genealogy of Jesus by Matthew
genealogy of Jesus by Luke
genealogy of Jesus by Luke

Importance of genealogy of Jesus written in the bible

An event is of utmost value during and around its execution time. The jesus family tree provided in the bible books of Matthew and Luke provide great value to early adopters of Christian faith. These genealogies established the legal right of Jesus to be as Messiah for Jews and to be the Savior for the mankind as Last Adam. Today we can accept the genealogy in the bible easily as there are so many other things to prove Jesus is the Christ. But in the first century this was of utmost value and therefore it was a required legal record in the bible. Also, it fulfilled many old testament prophecies.

Why is the genealogy of jesus different in luke and matthew?

Matthew is writing the Gospel mainly to Jewish Christians and Luke is addressing to Gentile Christians. Therefore, matthew’s genealogy establishes the lineage of Jesus from Abraham and David through Joseph (the father of jesus) establishing his legal right to the throne of David and to be the seed of Abraham through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Luke’s genealogy of jesus links it all the way back from Mary(the virgin mother of Jesus) to Adam in which both Jesus and Adam were sons of God, directly created by God, not born by the seed of a man. So also, Paul writes in Romans 5:12-20 that by one man sin entered into the world and by one man the righteousness of God.

Resolving the conflicts in the genealogy of Jesus

Consider the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew is through Joseph and in Luke is through Mary. Then we have only one issue with this, instead of reversing them. It is with the 3 sets of 14 Generations as there are only 13 human named generations from Shealtile to Jesus. This can be resolved using below observations and helps in establishing whose lineage each book quotes.

  1. the written word: On careful observation of verse Matt 1:17 we see for ease of remembrance Matthew 1:17 says “From the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations”. So consider carrying away as start point of reference.
  2. logical reasoning of other factors: Matthew’s genealogy was written for Jewish Christians and is establishing legal right of Jesus to the throne of David and Promise of Abraham.
  3. Contradictions that establish this: Matthew is not establishing a bloodline and it cannot be bloodline as the Bloodline of Jeconiah is cursed in Jeremiah 22:30, so by no means Mary(the mother of jesus, in whose womb was Jesus born) could be of this family tree.

Thus we conclude that the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew is of Joseph, the father of Jesus and in Luke it is of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke further supports that in Luke 3:23 ‘And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph’, the legal father of Jesus.

The genealogies written in the gospel of matthew and luke details the following

  • Genealogy of Mary mother of jesus
  • Bloodline of jesus through Mary
  • Genealogy of Joseph father of jesus
  • legal lineage of jesus through Joseph
  • family tree of jesus
  • ancestors of jesus
  • bible family tree adam to jesus
  • Davids lineage to Jesus
  • Abraham’s lineage to Jesus

Jesus genealogy by John

John also includes a genealogy of Jesus which speaks about his existence before he came into this world. John 1:1-5 speaks that Jesus Christ existed as the Word of God. This very Word of God was holding the position of God alongside with the Most High. And he was the creator of all things when the Almighty spoke and released the Word of God to perform creation using the power of the Holy Spirit. For men he is the source of Life and he is Light unto them (meaning as knowledge, wisdom and revelation of God). In the end in Rev 19:13 he is then recognized by everyone as the Word of God, who he was even before the worlds were created.

Genealogy of jesus Matthew

1. Abraham (2000 BC approx) 2. Issac 3. Jacob (Israel) 4. Judah (Lion tribe of the 12 tribes/sons of Israel) and Tamar 5. Phares 6. Esrom 7. Aram 8. Aminadab 9. Naasson 10. Salmon and Rahab 11. Boaz and Ruth 12. Obed 13. Jesse 14. David the king.

1. Solomon (Son of David) 2. Roboam 3. Abia 4. Asa 5. Josaphat 6. Joram Ahaziah Joash Amaziah 7. Ozias 8. Joatham 9. Achaz 10. Ezekias 11. Manasses 12. Amon 13. Josias Jehoiakim 14. Jechonias. In this generation they were carried away to Babylon.

1. Salathiel 2. Zorobabel 3. Abiud 4. Eliakim 5. Azor 6. Sadoc 7. Achim 8. Eliud 9. Eleazar 10. Matthan 11. Jacob 12. Joseph and Mary (mother of Jesus) 13. Jesus (who has come from the tribe of Judah).

Facts and learnings from the lineage of jesus

  • Genealogy of Mary Mother of Jesus: As the birth of Jesus christ was through a Virgin, it was important to put forth the genealogy of her. The genealogy of Mary is well covered in Luke’s genealogy. To support this whole thing there were women mentioned in the Matthew’s genealogy as everyone knew that Jesus was conceived before the full marriage of Joseph and Mary. This can be seen when Jewish leaders say that ‘we are not born of fornication’, mocking him that he was born so and Psalms speak that Jesus brothers too mocked him during childhood.
  • Why 14 generations set? For Jews pattern is prophecy. The previous works of God sets them to expect next work. There are Three groups of 14 generations listed by Matthew in the bible. The first two set a pattern that the next big event or person would be in the next 14th generation. It begins with Abraham a promise inheritor and then David a shadow of promised one and Babylon a shadow of scope of promise (whole world including gentiles). First one had a person, second had a big event for Israel and third was a person for the whole world. Babylon was a big event as knowledge of the one Hebrew God had travelled outside of Israel and got recognized and scripted or passed on to other religion scholars via Daniel. Remember the magi from east who came searching for the King of Jews at the birth of Jesus.
  • Missing kings in the genealogy: In the 2nd set of 14 generations, four kings are excluded in this genealogy. The first three were Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah. Their names were blotted out from under the heaven due to Idolatry as the law of the LORD is in Deut 29:16-20. Jehoiakim was also omitted as per word of the Lord in Jeremiah 22:13-19 (which also means that he shall be remembered no more). Remember how Lord speak of first king Saul saying he was rejected as though he was never anointed, here as though they never existed.
  • Women in the lineage of Jesus: There are four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, namely Tamar, Rachab, Ruth and Mary. It is not common to write genealogies through women. If only Mary would have been mentioned then it would be hard to digest it for 1st century readers. But thanks to Lord for the acceptance of the works done by these women in the past generations that it did not become a stumbling block in the faith. And they paved way for Lord Jesus Christ to come into the world. These women don’t have an ideal history but they were justified.
    One indirect women mentioned as wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) because of the Sin, she was mentioned as a reference by whom seed of David came. Solomon was not a child of Sin as the first born of Bathsheba through David was killed as punishment by the Lord and post the death of Uriah, she was free from the law of wife of Uriah and was lawful wife of David.
    Tamar got a child by sleeping with Judah, her father in law for which she was justified too as Judah did not gave his sons to marry her when she became widow, which was the law for a young childless widow. In Genesis 38 she seduced her father in law to sleep with her by disguise, to bring offspring for her lineage which was of utmost importance in those generations.
    Rahab was mentioned in the Book of Joshua 2 where she helps Israel to conquer the Promised Land. She was a gentile harlot but because of her faith in God of Israel and the deed of helping the spies of Joshua, she gets into the covenant Joshua 2:9-11, 6:25. A marvelous story of faith and deed that pleased the Lord, which gave her access to the Kingdom of God and the lineage of Jesus Christ.
    Ruth was a young gentile widow daughter in law of a Jew Naomi. She cleaves unto her mother in law instead of forsaking her and marrying any young man when Naomi decides to go back to her own land in Israel. In the Book of Ruth, whose main story is of a Kinsman redeemer, she provides a shadow of Gentile people who would be saved by a Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
    Mary mother of Jesus was a young virgin who was engaged to be married to Joseph but before they came together she was found with child of Holy Ghost. Her answer to this will of good was extraordinary in Luke 1:38. She presented herself as young obedient women having faith in the Lord. Now Mary’s age is not mentioned in the bible, but she must be 12+ for her body to be ready to bear a child. Also her maturity in answering to Angel Gabriel and Jesus handing her over to Apostle John’s care during his crucifixion at age 33 conveys that she must be around 20’s when she gave birth & as life expectancy during that era was 70.
  • Why Virgin Birth: In Jeremiah 22:30 the LORD declares a curse on the lineage of Jeconiah that his offspring shall not prosper and none of his offspring shall ever sit on the throne of David. So the LORD in his wisdom and as prophesied by Isaiah he bypasses it through the virgin birth of Jesus.
  • Son of Abraham and Son of David: For Jews to believe in Jesus as the Messiah to come, he must be a descendant of Abraham and David. In the Torah and the Prophets it was well emphasized by the word of the Lord God that he would be Abraham’s seed, by whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed and would be from King David lineage and would sit on the throne of David for forever and of whose kingdom there shall be no end. He would be both a Prophet and King.

Genealogy of jesus Luke

Luke genealogy is mainly about presenting Jesus Christ as the Son of God who was directly created by God. He was Last Adam who was created just like the First Adam. As the gospel is written mainly to Gentiles Christians it was not tough from them to believe this as many other religions provide stories of god’s creating their children through blessing or their supernatural powers. From their perspective a direct creation of god or a son of god means he has a unique virtue and special role to fulfill in this world. This removes any stumbling block for them to think of him as ordinary fellow as many have come proclaiming themselves. And gave them zeal to learn about this deity figure. Now once they have known about him, it’s all together a different personal story in knowing the salvation through Jesus Christ.

Luke’s genealogy was written in backward order pointing all the way back to the initial creation of man. The writing begins by introducing Jesus dad Joseph and lineage flows back to David, Abraham and finally back to first Adam(name means man), the first man created by God in the Garden of Eden, by whom sin entered into the world. But by this last Adam, man Jesus created by God, the righteousness of God and the power to become sons of God will be given to mankind – John 1. (Understand that only believing Christians are redeemed from the yoke of Sin and empowered to live in the righteousness of. But rest of the mankind and world is not yet free from Sin, a study for later times).

Genealogy of Jesus by Luke lists a total of 76 persons and 77 if we include God in the list. Jesus at number 77 titles him as Perfect God and at 76 the Perfect Man. Now as this is going back to Adam we can remember the word of God from the Garden of Eden where he said in Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”, He is the Seed of the woman.

family of Jesus brothers and sisters

Jesus had 4 brothers and sisters. Reference to them is in Matthew 13:15 which mentions them as James, Joses, Simon and Judas and sisters (no name references were provided). During his life they did not believe on him as Lord – John 7:3-5. But they did believe in him after resurrection – Acts 1:13-14. It is believed that the Book of Jude was written by Jesus brother Judas (his name was changed to Jude, as was common in those times and also because of the name Judas who betrayed Jesus). In that book he also mentions himself as brother of James. The book of James might also have been written by James, the brother of Jesus. Post Christ’s resurrection none called themselves as brother but always as bondservants of Jesus Christ.

Bible Topic Study

Bible Topic Study Videos

Bible Topic Images

Matthew 1 Biblical Genealogy of Jesus Messiah: Davids lineage

  1. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
  2. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
  3. And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
  4. And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
  5. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
  6. And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
  7. And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
  8. And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
  9. And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
  10. And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
  11. And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
  12. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
  13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
  14. And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
  15. And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
  16. And Jacob begat Joseph the husband(Man = father) of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
  17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Further theological references are cambridge.org, jstor.org, brill.com, wikipedia

Luke 3 bible family tree adam to jesus lineage

  1. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
  2. Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
  3. Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
  4. Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
  5. Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
  6. Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
  7. Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
  8. Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Judah, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
  9. Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
  10. Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
  11. Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Judah,
  12. Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
  13. Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
  14. Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
  15. Which was the son of Methuselah, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
  16. Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Temptation of Jesus Christ

Jesus tempted in the wilderness during 40 days fasting by the devil. Satan tempts jesus christ with 3 temptations and in every way. Temptation of christ jesus finishes by he overcoming them to receive power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus begins ministry

Jesus turns water to wine in the wedding feast at cana and show his glory. Significance of this first miracle with the first disciples and cleansing of temple by Jesus Christ at the beginning of his ministry. This also reveals the purpose of the life of Jesus Christ.

Into the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus talking to nicodemus & Woman at the well explains What is to be a born again christian means. Roles of yours, holy spirit & word of god. Changes that happens in Body, Soul, Spirit leading to True Worship.

Top Bible Study Topics