Expert: Rev C.Brian Ross - 11/24/2011

Question
peace of God!
I was examining Mt 1 and Lk3, both of which give an account of the genealogy of Jesus, but i find both accounts differ at some point. Why is there a disparity between them?
Also, it was prophecied that the messiah is of the seed of David. But Jesus was not begotten of Joseph(a descendant of David), so how was the prophecy fulfilled in Jesus? Some claim that it was fulfilled through Mary(also David's descendant), but Jewish culture and laws do not take into account one's lineage from mother's side, it has always been the father. Even if this was so, since Jesus is begotten of the Holy Spirit alone, and Mary has no contribution to his 'genes', 'seed of David' in the true sense will not apply here. Please answer this dilemma.

Answer
Hi Jesson!

Thank you for your questions.

The concensus among serious Biblical scholars is that, as you have mentioned, the Matthaian genealogy is that of Joseph (the 'legal' father of Jesus); while the Lucan genealogy is that of Mary.  

Note, for example, that in Matthew 1:16, we read "... Joseph, <b>the husband of Mary<b>, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ."  This genealogy is given in descending order and, remembereing that Matthew was writing for a primarily Jewish readership, begins with Abraham.  Luke, however, is writing for a Gentile readership, and gives the genealogy in ascending order - all the way back to Adam, the progenitor of the whole human race.  Note that he writes, in 3:23, that "Jesus, when he began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son <b>(as was supposed)<b> of Joseph, the son of Heli,...".  (my emphases).

Both Joseph and Mary are descended from king David - Joseph though the line of Solomon, and Mary through the line of Nathan.  So Jesus was the "Seed of David" - both legally, through His 'adopted' father, Joseph; and 'naturally', through Mary.  Another way to look at this might be that He was "Seed of David", both in His humanity (through Joseph), and in His divinity (through Mary and God the Holy Spirit).

I have to inform you that you are wrong with regard to Jewish culture and laws.  While it is true that Reformed (i.e. Modern/Liberal) Judaism claims that a person is a Jew if either parent is Jewish, the Orthodox (Traditional/Conservative) position, according to the Halacha, is that it is the child who is born to a Jewish mother who is to be called a Jew!  That, of course, was the accepted situation 2,000 years ago!

This is a subject on which much could be written, but I trust that the above will have been of some help in providing you with a measure of clarification.

Blessings

C.Brian Ross (Rev)