Jesus’ Family Tree

¹ A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ² Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³ Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵ Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, ⁷ Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, ⁸ Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, ⁹ Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, ¹¹ and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile (deportation) to Babylon. ¹² After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. ¹⁷ Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. Matthew 1:1-17 (NIV)

 As we open the New Testament, the first book we meet is the Gospel of Matthew followed by Mark, Luke, and John’s Gospels. Matthew’s introduction echoes the language of Genesis. The word “genealogy” in its original Greek mean genesis (Biblos geneseos, literally “book of genesis”). Thus, Matthew’s opening words state its Gospel is a book of beginnings or a new Genesis with the arrival of Jesus. Around 5 B.C., God did something momentous – a Baby Boy was born. By introducing the Baby who grew into the man Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew opens a completely new section of the Holy Bible – the New Testament. 

Each Gospel writer provides a different theological portrait of Jesus through a collection of Jesus’ words and deeds while on earth. The Gospel writers do not provide a biography of Jesus’ life. Of the approximate thirty-three years of Jesus’ life, twenty-five years or so are silent. Only Matthew and Luke’s Gospels give Jesus’ birth story in Bethlehem and Jesus’ visit to Egypt before Jesus and His family finally settle in Nazareth (see Mathew 1:18-2:23; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-40). Then, only Luke’s Gospel tells us about Jesus visiting the Jerusalem Temple with His family at the age of twelve (Luke 2:41-52). Other than the Jesus’ birth story and His visit to the Jerusalem Temple, the Gospel writers tell us nothing about Jesus’ life until the beginning of His public ministry with the announcement John the Baptist’s shouts of repentance and announcement of Jesus’ coming (see Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:3-11; Luke 3:2-22; John 1:19-34). Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was about thirty years old at the beginning of His public ministry (Luke 3:23). At the age of thirty, all the Gospel writers concentrate on Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee, located in northern Israel. Nearly a fourth of the all four Gospels details the final week of Jesus’ life in Jerusalem – Passion Week.

The beginning of Matthew’s Gospel declares that Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 1:1). Christ is a title applied to Jesus, and Christ is NOT Jesus’ last name. Christ is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament word “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” So, from the very beginning, Matthew declares that Jesus is the Messiah and God’s Anointed One (Matthew 1:1; see also Mark 1:1; John 20:30-31). Then, Matthew continues his declaration by stating that Jesus is the “Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). As the Son of David, Jesus is the Son promised to David whose throne and kingdom God would establish forever (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; see also Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). As the Son of Abraham, Jesus is also the promised Seed or Offspring of Abraham in whom all the nations – Jews and Gentiles – would be blessed (see Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 15:9-21, Genesis 22:18; Zechariah 9:9-10; see also Matthew 28:18; Galatians 3:16). Thus, Jesus is the rightful heir to the covenant promises associated with David’ throne (Matthew 1:6) as well as the rightful heir to the covenant promises related to the Abrahamic Seed and land (Matthew 1:1-2).

After Matthew’s identification of Jesus, Matthew gives Jesus’ lengthy family history (Matthew 1:2-17). Jesus’ genealogy move directly to establish that Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Messiah. Matthew begins with Abraham descends through the list until David and then through the deportation of the Jews from the Promised Land to Babylon due to Israel’s unfaithfulness and disobedience toward God (E.g., see 2 Kings 24:2; Jeremiah 22:8-9; Jeremiah 40:2-3; Habakkuk 1:6). After the deportation, the genealogy continues and concludes with Jesus. Jesus’ genealogy is comprised of men, women, adulterers, prostitutes, heroes, godly and wicked kings, and Gentiles. The types of people mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy reveal the broad scope of people who make up the people of God as well as the genealogy of Jesus. Jesus is the Savior of all people.

Besides the exile, Matthew’s genealogy includes five women in Jesus’ family line – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (wife of Uriah), and Mary. Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth were Gentiles (non-Jews) and Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were women of immoral character. Tamar was a Gentile woman who tricked and seduced her father-in-law, Judah and then bore him illegitimate twins, Perez and Zerah (see Genesis 38). Next, Rahab was a Gentile from Canaan who once worked as a prostitute or harlot (see Joshua 2:1; see also Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Ruth grew up a pagan Gentile from Moab and later married Boaz (see Ruth 1:1-5; Ruth 4:13-22). Finally, Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, committed adultery with King David and bore Solomon (2 Samuel 11). 

Thus, Matthew’s opening verses show the readers a great deal about Jesus. Jesus is the eternal King from the line of David and Messiah whose family line includes both Jews and Gentiles of varying backgrounds. Matthew wants his readers to know from the very outset that God’s saving grace is not limited to Israel but to all people – men, women, Jews, Gentiles, rich, and poor.

References

The ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles,

2008).

New Student Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992).

Ross, Mark E. Let’s Study Matthew (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009).