What Can We Learn from Genealogies?

(Genesis 5 ; Matthew 1 ; Luke 3)

Genealogies are usually not our favorite passages to read in the Bible, but they do contain important information that God wanted us to know. In this lesson we will look at several different genealogies concerning Jesus Christ and hopefully get a new appreciation for genealogies as well as learn something.

Three things that we can learn from genealogies:

1)  Kings are determined by them (Matthew 1:1-17)

• This genealogy shows us that Jesus is King. Note that it starts with “Son of David” and goes through Judah (Genesis 49:8-11).
• The problem is that Joseph is in the line of Jechonias (2 Chronicles 36:1-11 ; Jeremiah 22:22-40).
• No descendant of this line can prosper on the throne of David. Joseph is in this line therefore he cannot be the physical father of Jesus if Jesus is going to be King.
• How then is Jesus the “Son of David”? Through Mary (Luke3:23-38)
• Luke 3:23-38 is not Joseph’s genealogy it is Mary’s, note verse 23 with Matthew 1:16.
• Mary goes back to David through Nathan (verse 31), Joseph goes back to David through Solomon (Matthew 1:16).

2)  It tells us who we are (Genesis 5:1 with Matthew 1:1)

• In Genesis we see the phrase “the book of the generations of Adam” in Matthew we see the phrase “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ”.
• You are born into the generation of Adam and as a result you will die, note the progress in Genesis 5.
• If you are in Jesus Christ, you shall be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22), therefore in Matthew we do not see anyone dying.

3)  God is concerned about his people (2 Chronicles 7:12-16)

• When we read the bible and look at the genealogies, we should consider that God himself took time to list all these people and their lineages. This shows us the care and concern that God has for people, especially his own.