Bible Study series: Luke 3:23-38. We can learn at least eight things from this genealogy. (This post was published on December 25. Perfect.)
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together.
I also translate to learn. The translation in this post is from the NIV. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 3:23-38
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 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, 36 the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God. (Luke 3:23-38)
Comments:
I pasted this list from the New International Version, since I did not want to type out all the names, and my translation would be just like theirs (if I did not miss a name)!
23-38:
Moses’ genealogy is presented before he launched into his ministry to lead his people to freedom (Exod. 6), so also Luke follows this biblical precedence, before Jesus is anointed at his baptism, which empowers him to lead his people towards freedom (Liefeld and Pao, p. 96).
You can click on the links in this section for more commentary on the genealogy.
Luke traces Jesus ancestry all the way back to Adam, probably to show that Jesus identifies with the whole human race (Liefeld and Pao, p. 96). This explanation certainly fits the global commission which Jesus will place on his followers (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). (Liefeld and Pao do not spend much time on Luke’s genealogy)
The main point of the genealogy is that Jesus fits in to the flow of God’s dealing with Israel and all of humanity. He is the apex and culmination of God’s redemptive history and salvation story. It all points to him now.
If you want to see how this genealogy can be reconciled with Matthew’s, please see this post:
Reconciling Matthew’s and Luke’s Genealogies: Mission: Impossible?
The two genealogies can be harmonized, as that link shows.
But there is a larger issue for the Christian reader. Small variations should not mean that one’s faith becomes brittle so that it snaps in two. In the larger story of God, Jesus descends from David and fits into the OT narrative, from Adam through Abraham, the patriarchs, David and a long list of kings.
Please see my post on the massive numbers of agreements in the four Gospels.
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
Celebrate the similarities; don’t snap in two over the differences. The overall story line is secure and reliable.
No, the two genealogies in Matthew and Luke do not have pagan roots, but a biblical source.
Luke’s Birth Narrative: Pagan Myth or Sacred Story?
So what can we learn?
1.. Jesus is a Jew (not an Arab or Palestinian).
2.. He is the ultimate descendant of Abraham, of whom Galatians 3 speaks.
3. He is not descended from Levi, who produces the lineage of priests. Instead, he descends from Judah (also see Heb. 7:14). He will be called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). It was prophesied that kings will come through Judah (Gen. 49:10).
4. Since he is not of the tribe of Levi, he is free to be a part of the better and higher priesthood: the priesthood of Melchizedek (Heb. 6:20-7:28)
5. As Abraham’s descendant, he stands at the peak, the apex of God’s rescue plan for humanity, to the Jew first, and then the Gentiles.
6. The whole flow of the OT is culminated in Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God
7. When these kings and others, like Adam, committed great sin, this did not stop the birth of the Messiah.
8. God can work through imperfect people and redeem them and those who come after them.
GrowApp for Luke 3:23-38
1. If your ancestry is full of scoundrels, how do you honor them by talking about God’s redemption and love that he may have shown them before they died? Or should you move past the past and look to your redeemed life and his future for you and your descendants?
2. How do you respond if your ancestry has many godly people in it? Have you felt something get transmitted from them to you? What?
RELATED
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
For the bibliographical data, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 