Notes: July 3, 2009

The Genealogy of Jesus

Who isn’t interested in his own family tree? Our interest then branches out to curiosity about the family backgrounds of others, especially sport figures, actors, politicians and other famous people. In our reading for today and tomorrow we will look at the formal genealogy of Jesus as that record is found in Matthew 1 and Luke 3.

The trunk and the big branches (vs 1-17 of Matthew 1)

  • Jesus descended from David and Abraham (Matthew 1:1; 17).
  • This is important because it establishes that Jesus was not only a Jew, but also that He was a rightful heir to the throne.
  • Keep this idea in mind as you read the Gospel of Matthew which often views events and people through Jewish eyes and goes to lengths proving the kingship of Christ.
  • Among the men listed, many are familiar to those who have read the Old Testament, but many are not. How many do you recognize?
  • Listed along with the men are three women (v. 5, 6, 16). Do you know who they are?
  • The genealogy is divided roughly into three time periods: a. from Abraham to David; b. from David to the captivity; c. from the captivity to Christ.
  • Note: those who deny the Babylonian captivity must contend with this passage from the New Testament.

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