To many people, the names found in today’s gospel lesson might seem about as interesting as reading from a telephone book. Yet, if we give these figures their due attention, we discover that they are much more than just a laundry list of names, they are each integral to the birth of the Messiah.
Two different genealogies (family trees) of Jesus exist in the Gospels: one by St. Matthew and another by St. Luke. Because he is writing primarily to a Jewish audience, Matthew’s gospel presents the genealogy of Joseph, beginning with Abraham and moving forward to Jesus (father to son), while Luke, who is trying to appeal to a wider range of readers, gives us the genealogy of Mary, beginning with Jesus and moving backward to Adam (son to father) – proving Christ’s link with Adam, the first man.
Though each written from distinct perspectives, the most important aspect to remember is that both family trees trace the ancestry of Jesus through King David; hence Jesus is in fact the heir apparent to the title “King of the Jews” via both sides of His family. According to Messianic Tradition, without this significant link, Jesus would not have qualified as a “son of David” and thus, could not have been the “Christ.” Therefore, Jesus’ ancestral lineage proves His legal right to inherit and ascend David’s throne as the Messiah!
