Jesus’ Birthright – Luke 3:23-38

Here is a comparison of the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke:

Matthew	Luke
	God, Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Maleleel, Jared, Enoch, Mathusala, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Sala, Heber, Phalec, Ragau, Saruch, Nachor, Thara,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David,	Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Juda, Phares, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Naasson, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David,
Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah,	Nathan, Mattatha, Menan, Melea, Eliakim, Jonam, Joseph, Judah, Simeon, Levi, Matthat, Jorim, Eliezer, Jose, Er, Elmodam, Cosam, Addi, Melchi, Neri,
Shealtiel, Zerubbabel,	Salathiel, Zorobabel,
Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob,	Rhesa, Joannan, Juda, Joseph, Semei, Mattathias, Maath, Nagge, Esli, Naum, Amos, Mattathias, Joseph, Jannai, Melchi, Levi, Matthat, Heli,
Joseph, Jesus	Joseph, Jesus

[from Wikipedia]

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.  (Luke 3:23-38 ESV)

This genealogy differs in significant ways from Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1).  It goes from Jesus back, whereas Matthew starts with Abraham and goes forward.  It goes back to Adam and God, whereas Matthew’s goes back only to Abraham.  It mentions no women unlike Matthew.  It traces back to David through Nathan, not Solomon, like Matthew’s does.  It more than likely depicts Mary’s genealogy, while Matthew depicts Joseph’s.

Yes, it says Jesus was the son (supposedly) of Joseph, but that is probably the cue that this is not really Joseph’s lineage.  Interestingly, the two genealogies of Luke and Matthew intersect, after David, at Zerubbabel, then diverge again.  Joseph and Mary’s lineage came together once before.  All this shows that Jesus was fully human, and yet not just fully human, and that God had been preparing his birth and career as Messiah from the beginning, choosing for Messiah to come through the line of Shem, Abraham, and David.

All this is to fulfill Genesis 3:15, that the seed of the woman (not the man) would defeat the serpent and restore the kingdom of God to earth.  Jesus is related to David through Mary, and legally through Joseph as his adoptive father, but he is not literally Joseph’s son, Mary having been made to conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

God is, in a sense, a part of our lineage as well.  We have been born again into His family, adopted as His children, and He wants to start, or continue, with each new generation, a godly line.  We can bring new children into the family through our preaching of the gospel.