The Birth of Jesus: Genealogical records were important to the Jewish people of Jesus’ day. They were maintained by the Sanhedrin and used to ensure purity of descent. Josephus, the famous Jewish historian who served in the court of Rome, began his autobiography by listing his ancestral pedigree. Similarly, Matthew opens his Gospel by tracing the lineage of Jesus. It has often been noted that, from David forward, the Lucan genealogy has forty-one generations traced through Nathan rather than twenty-six generations traced through Solomon. Possibly Luke records the actual descent of Joseph whereas Matthew follows the royal lineage.

1:1 At the very beginning Matthew establishes the two most significant points about Jesus’ family history: he was the son of David (therefore of royal lineage) and…