2167.—Genealogy of Christ.
Many have greatly puzzled themselves over the genealogy of our Lord as given by the two evangelists, but it does not seem a difficult question. Matthew gives the royal line from David, thru the male members of the family, revealing Christ as the heir to the kingdom, and Joseph, as reputed father—His father by law—is named as His direct ancestor. Luke reveals Him as the son of man and the seed of the woman, but counting the genealogy, as was customary, thru the male members of the family, so that Mary's immediate ancestor was Heli, but she, being married to Joseph of the same tribe, Joseph is mentioned instead of Mary. The one is the genealogy of Jesus thru David's seed to Joseph, the other the genealogy of Jesus from David's seed to Mary, the daughter of Heli, and thru the husband Joseph tracing it back to Adam the son of God.