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?