What is the difference in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and Luke?

Answer 1

Luke records Jesus lineage through his mother, Mary, and through King David's son, Nathan.(Luke 3:23-38)showing Jesus' natural descent from David.

Matthew records Jesus' lineage through his (step)father, Joseph, through King David's son, Solomon.(Matthew 1:1-16)showing Jesus' legal right to the throne of David by descent from Solomon through Joseph, who was legally Jesus' father.
Genealogical records were never recorded through the woman, only the man, so when Joseph the 'husband of Mary' is mentioned as 'son of Heli', it meant SON-IN-LAW, since Heli was Mary's father.

Both Matthew and Luke show that Joseph was not Jesus' actual father but only his adoptive father, giving Jesus legalright to 'God's throne'. The lineage of 'heavenly ordained' kings on earth had long before ended, so the kingship that Jesus inherited was a HEAVENLY one. His genealogy gave him both the NATURAL and the LEGAL right to God's throne, where he was to become King of God's Kingdom in the heavens, at God's appointed time. (Daniel 7:13&14), (Revelation 12:10)

Answer 2

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke share a great deal of material, often the same words in the Greek language, because they are both based on Mark's Gospel as their source of information about the life and mission of Jesus, and also on the hypothetical 'Q' document as a common source of sayings attributed to Jesus. However, the two evangelists found that this was not enough, and each added elaborations and material unique to that Gospel. Some of the more important differences follow.

Nativity accountsIn Matthew's Gospel, Bethlehem was the home town of Joseph and Mary, not Nazareth. After the birth of Jesus, they fled to Egypt to escape King Herod, who sought to kill Jesus. After the death of Herod, they returned towards their home in Bethlehem, but being warned by God, turned aside and travelled to Nazareth in Galilee. This account, combined with the genealogy in which the father of Joseph was called Jacob as in the Old Testament, draws close parallels between Jesus and Moses.

In Luke's Gospel, Nazareth was the home town of Joseph and Mary. They were required to travel to Bethlehem because of a census of the entire Roman Empire during the time that Quirinius was governor of Syria. A few weeks after the birth of Jesus, the young couple took Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented at the Temple, then returned peacefully to their home in Nazareth. A puzzling aspect of this story, apart from its inconsistencies with Matthew is that the census under Quirinius was not until more than ten years after the death of King Herod. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says the best explanation is that, although Luke likes to set his Christian drama in the context of well-known events from antiquity, sometimes he does so inaccurately. Neverthless, the census is given as the reason for Jesus not being born in Nazareth.

Luke also adds a portrayal of the birth of John the Baptist, a second cousin of Jesus, although John suggests that John the Baptist did not know Jesus.

GenealogiesTthe Gospels of Matthew and Luke contain genealogies of Jesus, back through the male line from Joseph to David and beyond. They show that the ancient Jews held great store by the art of numerology, by which both genealogies purport to show that Jesus was destined for greatness. The two genealogies are completely different and Matthew says that the father of Joseph was called Jacob and the father of Salathiel (father of Zorobabel) was called Jechonias. Luke says that the father of Joseph was called Heli and the father of Salathiel was called Neri. Some who can not imagine errors or literary inventions in the Bible say that the genealogy in Luke is that of Mary, in spite of Luke 3:23 and in spite of the Christian tradition that her father was called Joachim.

Matthew demonstrated that there were 14 generations: from Abraham to David; from David to Josiah; from Josiah to Jesus. To do this, he had to ignore 3 kings in the Old Testament and have David in the preceding (as 14) and following (as 1) groups, but not so Josiah.

Luke had great men occur in multiples of 7 generations starting from Adam, with: Enoch at 7; Abraham at 21; David at 35; Jesus at 77. He also had: Joseph at 42 and 70; Jesus (Jose) at 49. To do this, he had to insert his own fictitious people into the Old Testament list: Kainan at 13; Admin at 28.

ParablesMany of the parables in Matthew and Luke are almost identical, but are placed in different contexts or times in the ministry of Jesus. This is because the 'Q' document consisted of a list of sayings attributed to Jesus, but did not tell where or when Jesus spoke them. The two evangelsits had to provide their own contexts. Trial of JesusOnly Luke tells us that Pontius Pilate sought to have King Herod Antipas of Galilee decide the fate of Jesus. This is improbable, because any crime committed by Jesus in Jerusalem was in Pilate's jurisdiction, and Pilate would have risked severe censure in Rome by giving a king priority over his own role as judge. Death of JesusMatthew says that when Jesus died, the graves opened and the dead arose and walked into Jerusalem, where they were seen by many. This marvellous event must have been known far and wide, and frequently discussed among the early Christians, yet Luke seems to have known nothing of it. Resurrection of JesusMatthew says that as the women arrived, an angel descended and an earthquake moved back the stone. The angel told the women that Jesus was risen, and they went away without looking in Luke says that stone was already moved. The women entered the tomb and saw two men in shining robes, presumably angels, who told them that Jesus was risen.

Only Matthew tells us that the Jewish religious leaders gave money to members of the guard placed on the tomb and told them to say that the disciples had come in the night and removed the body of Jesus.

In Matthew, Jesus told the women to ask the disciples to meet him in Galilee. They went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus appeared to them and instructed them to preach his gospel. In Luke, Jesus appeared to two men (apparently Cleopas and Peter) on the road to Emmaeus, but they did not recognise him. Later in the day, he spoke to the disciples at a meal in Jerusalem and then took them out to Bethany, where he rose bodily up to heaven on the very evening of his resurrection.

Answer 3

The answer is quite simple. They are two different genealogical lines although both go back to David and Abraham. Luke opens his genealogy in Luke 3:23 as emphasizing (as was supposed) son of Joseph and then takes the maternal lineage all the way back to Adam showing Jesus' significance to all people. Matthew provides the legal lineage from David through Joseph to Jesus, while Luke provides the physical lineage from David through Mary to Jesus.

Additionally, Matthew is quite careful in his choice of words in order NOT to identify Jesus as the son of Joseph. The Greek pronoun 'whom' in Matthew 1:16 is feminine and refers to Mary. Matthew also mentions women in Jewish genealogy which is very unusual. This is underscored by the type of women mentioned - Tamar involved in a scandal with Judah (Genesis 38); Rahab, the Canaanite harlot of Jericho (Joshua 2); Ruth, a Moabite and not an Israelite (Ruth 1:4); and Bathsheba, the wife of Urriah, who committed adultery with David (2 Samuel 11:1-12), probably a Hittite. Matthew shows that God's Grace forgives the darkest of sins and reaches beyond the nation of Israel to the world. He also shows how God lifts the lowest to place them in the royal lineage.

We can see then that the 'difference' between the two accounts is because one used the paternal line of Joseph, Jesus step-father while Luke used Mary's maternal line. When you allow Bible to interpret The Bible, you will find most 'differences' are not really differences but misinterpretations.

Answer 4

Excellent question. Which many struggle with as Joseph was not actually the father of Jesus Christ.

1- The Genealogy given in Matthew is for Joseph who was of Israel of the tribe of Judah of the house of David (the King line). Therefore when Mary married Joseph Jesus inherited the title of King

2- The Genealogy given in Luke is for Mary, who was of Israel of the tribe of Levi of the house of Aaron (the Priest line), Therefore, Jesus inherited the title of High Priest.

Jesus Christ therefore holds both titles in Israel. King and High Priest, even today

Church positions such as Pope have no authority over Jesus Christ as a mater of fact they remain under his authority, and upon the days of judgment laid out in the book of Revelation (Chapter 20) they will answer.

Consequently this is the very reason America (The United States) has no physical King, as the founding fathers especially George Washington recognized Jesus Christ as the only one worthy of the title King.

Read from his Inaugural address 1789

Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station; it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official Act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States, a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes: and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.

No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. And in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their United Government, the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted, cannot be compared with the means by which most Governments have been established, without some return of pious gratitude along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me I trust in thinking, that there are none under the influence of which, the proceedings of a new and free Government can more auspiciously commence.

Even George Washington respected the titles given Jesus Christ.

Answer 5

Both genealogies are of Jesus through Joseph, with the authors ignoring for the moment the concept of the virgin birth, but because of the obvious discrepancies some conservative Christians insist that Luke's genealogiy is that of Mary, in spite of Luke 3:23. Not only do they differ from each other, they both have significant differences from the Old Testament genealogies - and this is not solved by saying that one or the other is the genealogy of Mary. The early Church Father, Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History) wrote that "each of the faithful has been zealous in making guesses on these passages."

Matthew says that Joseph's father is called Jacob, just as in the Old Testament Joseph's father is called Jacob. This gospel demonstrated that there were 14 generations: from Abraham to David; from David to Josiah; from Josiah to Jesus. To do this, the author had to ignore 3 kings in the Old Testament and have David in the preceding (as 14) and following (as 1) groups, but not so Josiah. Then, we have no possible way of verifying Matthew's list of Jesus' ancestors from the time of the Exile.

Luke says that Joseph's father is called Heli. This gospel had great men occur in multiples of 7 generations starting from Adam, with: Enoch at 7; Abraham at 21; David at 35; Jesus at 77. Its author also had: Joseph at 42 and 70; Jesus (Jose) at 49. To do this, he had to insert his own fictitious people into the Old Testament list: Kainan at 13; Admin at 28. Once again, we have no possible way of verifying Luke's list of Jesus' ancestors after King David.

Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, led the first group of exiles back from captivity in Babylon. Therefore, both Matthew and Luke see it as important to have Jesus descended from Salathiel and Zorobabel, but Matthew says that Salathiel's father was Jechonias, while Luke say he was called Neri.

We can see from this that part of the difference between the two accounts is because neither author had any idea who Jesus' ancestors were, but part of it results from a fascination with numerology.