Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Matthew 1:1-17 O Christ-Family Tree

Matthew 1:1-17 O Christ-Family Tree

Last updated on: June 14, 2018 at 3:32 pm by Jim Erwin

Matthew 1:1-17 O Christ-Family Tree 2018-06-14T15:32:50-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Matthew 1:1-17 O Christ-Family Tree

We all have family trees which we perhaps talk about during the holidays. We spend time with the family, and ultimately stories about the family and ancestors come up. In this part of the Gospel of Matthew, we have what is called a genealogy, or a family tree. In this case, we are looking at the Christ-Family Tree.

We begin with two main figures in the family history of Jesus Christ:

Jesus is the Son of Abraham and David

“The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:” (Matthew 1:1, HCSB)

This is a reminder of two promises:

Abrahamic covenant

“I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2, HCSB)

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12:7, HCSB)

God said that He would give this land to Abraham’s offspring. Which offspring? It is not just the Jewish people. The offspring is Jesus Christ.

Davidic covenant

“He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:13, HCSB)

David would be a king and His son would rule forever. We read elsewhere that Jesus Christ will be the One who will establish the throne forever.

“This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”” (Psalm 110:1, HCSB)

Jesus is also in the Tribe of Judah

“Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,” (Matthew 1:2–3, HCSB)

Jesus is predicted to be the One who will rule the kingdom of Israel.

“The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until He whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him.” (Genesis 49:10, HCSB)

“No one of illegitimate birth may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the Lord’s assembly.” (Deuteronomy 23:2, HCSB)

Ten generations would pass before David would become king of Israel. God is consistent with His Word in Deuteronomy. He is also gracious to provide a way for Jesus to come through the royal line.

“Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron. Hezron fathered Ram, who fathered Amminadab. Amminadab fathered Nahshon, who fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz, who fathered Obed. And Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David.” (Ruth 4:18–22, HCSB)

Jesus is of the Kingdom of David

“and Jesse fathered King David. Then David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife,” (Matthew 1:6, HCSB)

The difference between Saul and David:

“Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t the Lord anointed you ruler over His inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10:1, HCSB)

The word “ruler” means commander (“nagh’id”)

“Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David: “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”” (2 Samuel 2:4, HCSB)

The word “king” (“melek”) was reserved for David.

Jesus avoids the Evil of Jeconiah

“and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.” (Matthew 1:11, HCSB)

Jeconiah (also known as Coniah or Jehoichin) did evil in the sight of the Lord.

“Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem.” (2 Kings 24:8, HCSB)

“He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.” (2 Kings 23:37, HCSB)

Jeremiah was told a prophecy about Jeconiah’s blood curse.

““As I live,” says the Lord, “though you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring on My right hand, I would tear you from it.” (Jeremiah 22:24, HCSB)

“Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered pot, a jar no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they have not known? Earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says: Record this man as childless, a man who will not be successful in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.” (Jeremiah 22:28–30, HCSB)

The curse affected everyone in his line. No one biologically born to his decedents (or later in his family tree) could ever bear a king. He was still a royal line. However, no one born could become king.

The problem is that the curse of Jeconiah seems to invalidate Jesus’ right to the throne of David. The Davidic Covenant promised that the Messiah, the “Son of David,” would reign forever on Jerusalem’s throne (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). If Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah, then how can He be the Messiah, since the curse bars any of Jeconiah’s descendants from assuming David’s throne?

There are three possible solutions to this difficulty. First, the “offspring” of Jeconiah mentioned in the curse could be a limited reference to the king’s own children—hisimmediate offspring, in other words. On a related note, the phrase “in his lifetime” could apply to the entire verse. The curse would only be in force while the king lived. This is exactly what happened, as Jeconiah was not successful as a king (he only reigned for three months before he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar’s forces), and none of his sons (he had seven of them, 1 Chronicles 3:17) reigned over Judah.

A second solution concerns the virgin birth. Jesus only had one human parent, Mary. His mother was of David’s line, but not through Jeconiah (Luke 3:31). Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, but not His physical one. Thus, Jesus was of royal blood through Mary, but the curse of Jeconiah stopped with Joseph and was not passed on to Jesus.

A third possible solution is that God reversed the curse on Jeconiah’s family. This is hinted at by the prophet Haggai, who told Zerubbabel, Jeconiah’s grandson, that God would make him a “signet ring” on God’s hand (Haggai 2:23). Zerubbabel was blessed by God as the governor of Judea, and he prospered in that role when the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem. The “signet ring” imagery of Jeconiah’s curse is repeated in Zerubbabel’s blessing, which must be more than coincidence. Several rabbinic sources teach that Jeconiah repented in Babylon and that God forgave him and lifted the curse.

Here is my take on this blood curse:

THREE EXAMPLES OF THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS BLOOD CURSE

Zerubbabel was only a governor

“Then after the exile to Babylon Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,” (Matthew 1:12, HCSB)

“In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:” (Haggai 1:1, HCSB)

Joseph was the husband of Mary and could not be king of Israel.

“and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:16, HCSB)

The family tree never claims Joseph to be the biological father. This was necessary. If Joseph were the biological father of Jesus, Jesus could never claim to the King of the Jews. He could never claim to be the Messiah.

In Modern Israel, there has never been a king ruling from Jerusalem.

The only person who can claim to be the royal family tree and thus the right to be King of Israel is Jesus Christ. Jesus was the potential king during His first coming. He will become the rightful king during His second coming.

QUESTION: Is He the King of your life?

Previous Post

December 22, 2013

Matthew 1:18-25 Getting God's Help This Christmas

Next Post

December 24, 2013 Titus 2:11-14 Christmas Christians

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a coat of many colors that sparked jealousy among brothers. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The priests robe A royal garment Jacob's robe Joseph's coat