A Year in Luke/ActsNäide

Going back to the point made last week about the details of Jesus’ birth that Luke highlights in contrast to Matthew, we see the same with the genealogy of Jesus that Luke provides.

Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17) starts with Abraham and is written in sets of fourteen, from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the Babylonian exile until Jesus. Matthew uses this genealogy right at the beginning of his gospel for specific theological reasons. It shows how Jesus is related to Abraham, the father of Israel, and David, who represents the royal line. It is told in sets of fourteen which have creation and sabbath resonances as two sevens.

Luke’s genealogy starts from Jesus and goes back, not to Abraham, but to Adam and ultimately to God. This is to show Jesus as the son of God. Even though it is through the line of Joseph, who, of course, was not technically his biological father, it shows Joseph’s royal lineage and that Jesus comes from a royal family. By going further back to Abraham, Luke is communicating that Jesus is not only Israel’s Messiah but the Savior of the world.