The Gospel of Matthew begins with these words, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1).  This is different from the genealogy of the Lord found in Luke which ends with, “Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” (Luke 3:38).  As you can see, these genealogies are in reverse order of each other.  Matthew traces the Lord’s genealogy back to Abraham and Luke goes all the way back to Adam.  Most scholars agree that Matthew’s genealogy is that of Joseph, while Luke’s is that of Mary.

The genealogy of the Lord is much more than a historical or cultural record of His earthly ancestors.  Both genealogies, as different as they are from each other, are given with a divine purpose.  When we compare the four Gospels given by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John we can discern the different attributes of the Lord brought out by these different writers under the direction of the Lord. 

  • Matthew presents Christ as a King.
  • Mark presents Christ as a Servant.
  • Luke presents Christ as a Man.
  • John presents Christ as God. 

Because Luke presents the Lord as a man, he traces His genealogy back to the first man…Adam.  Because Matthew presents the Lord as a king, he traces His genealogy back to Abraham and David…the first ordained king of Israel.  Because a servant needs no genealogy, and God has no genealogy (He is self-existent), there are no genealogies given in Mark or John.

To begin the Lord’s genealogy with Abraham acknowledges the covenant the Lord made with Abraham to have a chosen people through his lineage.  In Genesis 22:18 the Lord says to Abraham, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  Genesis 26:4, “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”  David represents the royal lineage of which the Lord Jesus was a descendent.  We read of a day yet future in Revelation 5:5, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”  Juda (or Judah) was the kingly tribe of which David was part, and Christ is the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDA.”  Of all the kings of this tribe, of which David was first, the Lord Jesus is the One above the rest because He is the King of kings as we read in 1 Timothy 6:15, “Which in his (Christ’s) times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

The genealogy of Christ in Matthew is divided into three different sets of fourteen generations.  Verse 17 tells us, “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.”  So, Matthew tells us in his genealogy of three different time periods of the Jews.  The first fourteen generations represents the time Israel was under Patriarchs, Prophets, and Judges; next, they were under the rule of kings; and then under princes and Priests. 

It is very interesting and profitable to study this genealogy to see who is left out and who is included.  Matthew wrote as the Lord led him, so what is given is what the Lord would have us study and concentrate on as we think of Christ presented in this Gospel as the proper and eternal king.  (CC)  (692.4)