Mary, the mother of Jesus, is traditionally understood to have lineage that connects her to the House of David, fulfilling the prophecy regarding the Messiah’s descent. The genealogies of Jesus are presented in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, but they differ in terms of names and structure.
1. **Matthew’s Genealogy**:
– Matthew 1:1-16 provides a genealogy that traces Jesus’ lineage through Joseph, but it establishes His legal right to the throne of David. It goes from Abraham through David to Joseph, the husband of Mary. Notably, it points out that Mary is the mother of Jesus who is called the Christ, emphasizing her connection to this royal lineage indirectly.
– Key verse: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1, ESV).
2. **Luke’s Genealogy**:
– Luke 3:23-38 presents a different genealogy, suggested by many scholars to be Mary’s lineage, although it is recorded as Joseph’s. It traces the lineage back to Adam, thereby highlighting Jesus’ humanity. Some believe it goes through Mary’s side and connects Jesus to David via Nathan, one of David’s sons, rather than Solomon.
– Key verse: “the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon” (Luke 3:31, ESV).
3. **Connection to David**:
– Both genealogies emphasize the significance of Jesus’ descent from David, fulfilling the prophecies concerning the Messiah. This lineage is critically linked to the expectation of the Messiah coming from the tribe of Judah and the line of David.
– Prophetic reference: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2, ESV).
Thus, Mary is considered to have a royal lineage through David, making her connection to the prophecies concerning Jesus significant in the Christian tradition.