The Roots Of Jesus And A Race Through Time Luke 3:23-38 Introduction

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Job Snow
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1 Introduction Matthew 22:42 (NLT) 42 What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he? They replied, He is the son of David. Many geneticists believe all human beings on the planet earth have a common ancestry. With DNA we can trace mitochondrial markers back to their ancient human beginnings. What scientists are just now beginning to discover, Bible believers have known in every generation. We share a common ancestry. All people on the planet earth have a common origin, a common maternity. I say a common maternity because the mitochondrial markers are passed from mother to child. We share a common origin. In this day of ethnic diversity, political correctness, and racial animosity, God s Word tells us there is only one race, the human race. We share a common human condition known as sin. We share a common Savior. Jesus is God s provision for all humanity. Jesus represents all of us. We sometimes slip into the artificial racial, or national designations that blind us, and cause a kind of cultural alzheimer fog- where we forget that we are human, we not only share a planet, we share relationship with one another. Transcending all of that is the fact that Jesus as Son and Savior offers an opportunity to any of us to share in God s grace, forgiveness and reconciliation. Why is the genealogy of Jesus important? Is Jesus qualified to be the Savior, the promised Son? The genealogy of Jesus is more than a human pedigree, it is a prophetic pedigree. The Bible is Jesus family album. What proof does He have that He is God s messenger, God s Messiah? In this passage of Scripture Luke demonstrates that even the roots of Jesus, his genealogy, prove He is the Messiah. His roots give Him the right to claim Messiah-ship, to claim that He is the Savior, the Son of God. If God did become a human being, what might we expect? Could we expect Him to predict and communicate His entry into the world? Could we expect Him to have an unusual entrance into this life? Could we expect Him to be without sin? Could we expect Him to have a keen or profound sense of difference from other men? 1

2 Luke has at least two purposes, in tracing Jesus ancestry from either his mother or supposed father Joseph (v.23)-back to David (v.31) and Abraham (v.34). Luke establishes Jesus credentials qualifying him to be Israel s Messiah. Second, by taking Jesus ancestry all the way back to Adam, Luke establishes Jesus as the Messiah for all mankind. Jesus is the Savior of the world, the whole world, your world. Jesus is nothing less than the perfect son of God (see v.38; 4:3,9). Luke wants to show Jesus connection to David, to Abraham, to Adam. Do you know anything about your family tree? In the ancient world pedigree was important. The Bible is filled with genealogies, Adam, Cain, Japheth, Ham, Shem, Abraham (you can imagine their lists are pretty short).. Numbers 1:18 (NKJV) 18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually. There are a number of reasons proof of ancestry was important in the world Jesus grew up in. Your ancestry determined where you lived, as the children of Jacob where given tribal allotments (Num.26:34-35). The transfer of property required accurate knowledge of one s family tree (Ruth 3-4); it served as a basis for taxation (Luke 2:4); the priests needed ancestral proof of their descent from Levi (Ezra 2:61-62); it could demonstrate the nobility of one s pedigree (Phil.3:5) (see Marvin Pate s commentary Moody Gospel p.108). Luke is writing to Gentiles, people who if they believe in a God, that God is transcendent, removed, untouchable, unknowable. Luke had to demonstrate that Jesus was fully human. He was a man, born of a woman, filled with human feelings and human emotions, yes and even human limitations. The gospel of Matthew was written by a Jew for Jews. The genealogy of Jesus is in the very first chapter. The theme of Matthew s gospel is Jesus is the King of the Jews. There Jesus pedigree is traced through his adopted father Joseph. Mark s gospel was written to Romans. It is only 14 chapters and reads like a made for TV movie. Roman Italians had a very short attention span. Like Americans they wanted you to get to the point. For the poor and for slaves, things like fancy genealogies just didn t matter. Mark s gospel emphasizes humility, humanity, and service. Dr. Luke is a Greek physician. The Greeks were looking for the perfect man. John s 2

3 gospel was written to the world looking for God. In John s gospel Jesus is portrayed as the God-man. The genealogy of Jesus Christ is immeasurably more than a list of ancient names; it is even more than a list of Jesus human forbears. It is a testimony to God s grace and to the ministry of His Son, Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners, who did not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Matt.9:3). If He has called sinners by grace to be His forefathers, should we be surprised when He calls them by grace to be His descendants? (John MacArthur Jr. Matthew p.9). There are two genealogies listed in the New Testament for Jesus. The simple explanation is the genealogy in Matthew traces Christ s ancestry through his adopted father Joseph. The genealogy in Luke traces the ancestry of Jesus through His biological mother. There are many Bible scholars that disagree with that simple explanation. Matthew s gospel records the paternity of Jesus from Abraham Jesus was a Jew. Luke s list ascends from Jesus to Adam and is written for all mankind (W.H. Griffith Thomas p.21). Thomas further notes Matthew s genealogy through Joseph (Mary s husband) gives the royal lineage, through his foster father and guardian. Even though Joseph was not Jesus biological father he had the right to David s throne. Luke s gospel records the genealogy of Mary, Jesus mother. Matthew shows Jesus as King of the Jews, while Luke depicts Him as Savior of the World (ibid p.21). There is no genealogy in Mark. A servant doesn t need one. There is no genealogy in John. The mighty God has none. The Jews were expecting a King. Kings must have a royal lineage. God had made promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The King would be from the tribe of Judah, from the son of Jesse, and David. God s promises and prophecies are sure. No conscientious Jew would dispute Christ s claim to be a son of David. But Jesus is not simply a Jewish savior, Jesus is the son of Adam. He is the savior of the world. Luke has 57 names, Matthew has 41. Luke s list is structured along the lines of 11 groups of seven people in each group, while Matthew s list is based on three sets of 14 generations. Jesus; the Son of Man (v.23) 3

4 Luke 3:23 (NKJV) 23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, Why did Jesus begin his ministry at about thirty years of age? In both Jewish and Greco-Roman culture 30 was the appropriate age to begin public service. At thirty priests began their duties (see Num.4:3,47). At thirty Joseph entered Pharaoh s service (Gen.41:46). David s reign as King of Israel began at the age of 30 (2 Sam.5:4). Jesus, the son of David, follows in his father s footsteps. Since Luke does not give us his precise age, we can t use this verse to identify with certainty the exact year of Jesus birth. At 30 a Scribe began his teaching ministry. Thirty was thought to be the age of maturity and development. Jesus lived 30 years, growing, developing, learning, experiencing, working, understanding life and love and responsibility. Jesus worked, Jesus took care of his family. Jesus could relate to people in the everyday circumstances of life. I think Jesus experience of human growth and human life makes him completely aware of our human experiences. Jesus; the Son of David (vv.24-31) Luke 3:24 (NKJV) 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, The names in verses are not mentioned in the Old Testament. We all have family trees. What makes Jesus family tree so interesting is-it qualifies him to be God s chosen Son. We receive our role in God s family through Jesus. In a sense, the only genealogy that counts for us is the one that connects us to Jesus, Jesus biology makes our roots less relevant. God makes His children out of Jews and Gentiles, males and females, Asian, black, Hispanic, it does not matter. Luke 3:27 (NKJV) 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, Jonan may be the son of Zerubbabel cited in 1 Chronicles 3:19. Rhesa could be an unmentioned son of Zerubbabel or it could be a transcription of the Aramaic word resa which means prince. Shealtiel is listes as the the father 4

5 of Zerubbabel however 1 Chronicles 3:19 (LXX) Maxoretic text lists Pediaiah. Machen argues that because Shealtiel and Pedaiah were brothers (1 Chron.3:17 a levirate marriage was involved. (v.27) This Zerubbabel is well known in the Bible. He was appointed governor of Judea by the Persian authorities when the Jews returned from Babylonian exile. He supervised the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3:2, 8) and was exhorted by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to finish the task (Hag.1:1-15; Zech. 4:6-10). Isaiah 11:1-4 (NKJV) 1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. (v.31) Nathan was the third son born to David. He was born in Jerusalem (2 Sam.5:14). He should not be confused with Nathan the prophet. Jesus qualified as the Davidic heir. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NKJV) 12 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Psalm 132:11 (NKJV) 11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. Psalm 18:43 (NKJV) 43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people I have not known shall serve me. Over and over again Jesus is called the son of David (see Matt.12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31). For generations Jews were looking for the Messiah, the promised deliverer of Israel. The people expected a great military leader, a general, a liberator from the yoke of foreign dominion. In fact, they expected Him to make the nation the center of a universal rule. He would under God conquer the world, establish his throne and execute a fiery 5

6 judgment upon the nations and the people of the world. There was plenty of prophetic pronouncements that caused them to come to that conclusion. If Luke can demonstrate that Jesus fulfills all the prophecies as they relate to King David, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he can go along way towards convincing the prophecy literalists. Psalm 89:3-4 (NKJV) 3 I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 4 Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations. Jesus; the Son of Adam (vv.32-38) Luke 3:32-35 (NKJV) 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, Luke s list from David to Abraham parallels Matthew 1:2-6, except that Luke adds tow names Admin and Arni that Matthew does not have, neither of which are mentioned in the Old Testament. The others are known from the Old Testament, Jesse, David s father (I Sam.16:1); Obed, Jesse s father (Ruth 4:17,21,22) Boaz, husband of Ruth (Ruth 2-4); Sala, Boaz s father (I Chron.2:11), Nahshon (Num.1:7); one of the leaders of the tribe of Judah who helped Moses take the census in the wilderness (Num.1:7); Amminadab, father of Nahshon (Num.1:7); Hezron, one of the leaders of the tribe of Judah (Gen.46:12); Perez, twin brother of Zerah born to Judah and Tamar (Gen.38:29); the patriarchs: Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham; Terah (Gen.11:26,27) and Nahor (Gen.11:22), Abraham s father and grandfather. (v.35) Serug is a name probably taken from Sarugi, west of Haran (Gen.11:20 LXX); Reu was a Semite whose name means friend of God (Gen.11:18). Peleg (Gen.11:16) means division, no doubt with reference to the Tower of Babel (Gen.11). Heber probably means Hebrew making him the father of the Hebrew people. Shelah and Arphaxad are found in Genesis 11:10-13; Cainan occurs only in the LXX of Genesis 11: Jesus family is full of significant historical figures (Pate, p.111). 6

7 Some people are well known. Some people are unknown. Some had an authentic walk with the Lord. Jesus represents both the well known and the unknown people in the world. The Lord is aware of everyone, the famous and infamous, the known, the barely known and the unknown. God s reward is not based on fame, but faith, not public accolade but personal trust and faith and obedience to Christ. God honors the faithful. Have you ever heard the testimony of well known Christians who point to less known people who pointed them in the direction of Jesus Christ? God often gets people s attention through a grandparent, a relative, or a friend the world never knows. Adam is called the son of God because he has no biological father. He was created directly by God. Angels are called sons of God because they were created directly by God. Jesus is the second Adam. Adam failed in his obedience to God. Jesus the true Son of God, succeeds when tested (see Luke s temptation account in the next chapter; 4:1-13). Jesus; the Son of God (v.38) Jesus is the Adamic heir fully man, fully God. Jesus is the only being in the history of the world who can fully represent man before God and God before man. This was the function of a priest, the High Priest. The High Priest bore the name of God before men, and He carried the names of men before God. Hebrews 2:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV) 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. The Scriptures teach Jesus did live a perfect life. He never sinned (2Cor.5:21; Heb. 4:15). 7

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Luke 3:23 Jesus,