How can Jesus be linked to David's bloodline through Joseph?

Question

Joseph didnt Marry Mary until after the virgin birth. That means no ties with the step father.

Answer 1

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Mary's genealogy is entirely irrelevant to Jesus' supposed lineage from King David. Mary's genealogy is therefore not traced anywhere in the New Testament. In both the first chapter of Matthew and in the third chapter of Luke, these New Testament authors provide a genealogy of Joseph alone, although these genealogies severely contradict each other. As mentioned above, Joseph's genealogy is irrelevant to Jesus because according to Christian doctrine, Joseph was not Jesus' father.

I should mention that according to both Catholic and Protestant tradition, whereas Matthew's genealogy is that of Joseph, Luke's genealogy is of Mary. Although this tradition is completely alien to the words of the Gospels, it was a necessary doctrine for the church to embrace.

Nowhere in the third Gospel, or in the entire New Testament for that matter, does it state that Mary was from the House of David. On the contrary, Luke 1:27 insists that it is Joseph who was from the House of David, not Mary. In fact, Luke claims that Mary was the cousin of Elizabeth, who he says was a descendant of Aaron the high priest,1 placing her in the tribe of Levi, not David's tribe of Judah. Moreover, in Luke 2:4, the author writes that the reason it was necessary for Joseph and Mary to return to Bethlehem was because Joseph was from the House of David.

There are a number of reasons why the church has a vital interest in claiming that Luke's genealogy is through Mary's line. To begin with, Paul claims in Romans 1:3 that Jesus was from the seed of David after the flesh. This has always been understood to mean that Paul was claiming that King David was the biological ancestor of Jesus. Although at the time Paul penned the Book of Romans, he was completely unaware that Christendom would eventually claim that Jesus was born of a virgin birth. The church desperately needed to have Paul's statement correlate with the virgin-birth story. This was solved by insisting that whereas Matthew's genealogy was through Joseph's line, Luke's genealogy was through Mary's line. In this way, Jesus could now be from the seed of David after the flesh through Luke's genealogy. Claiming Luke's genealogy is through Mary's line, not only solved the problem of what to do with Romans 1:3, but established a physical link between Jesus and King David.

Finally, it resolves an awkward discrepancy between Matthew's and Luke's genealogies. Whereas in Matthew's genealogy, Joseph's father is Jacob,2 in Luke's genealogy it is Heli.3 By claiming that Luke's genealogy is of Mary, Heli becomes Mary's father and Joseph's father-in-law. Problems solved. >>

Answer 2

That is correct. However, both Joseph and Mary were connected to David's bloodline. The use of Joseph's line was made by Matthew to give a genealogy that the Jews may have accepted.

If you notice, Matthew states "Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ." He never states that Joseph is the father. However, Jesus could be linked to Joseph through the marriage even though Joseph was not the father.

Answer 3

In my Harper's Study Bible a footnote for Matthew 1:16
states that
"the different accounts of the geneology of Jesus in Matthew and Luke is usually explained by the fact that Matthew records the geneology of Joseph as legal (rather than natural) father of Jesus. Luke on the other hand appears to trace the geneology of Jesus through Mary, His mother, which accounts for an almost completely different set of ancestors listed from Heli to David (LK3:23-31). It was assumed that Heli was Joseph's father-in-law. Mary's name is not mentioned before Heli's because it was not customary among the Jews to trace geneology through a female." Hope this helps.

Answer 4

This is a legimitate question. However, Joseph was not the only parent with ties to David's bloodline. Back in Biblical times, it was not uncommon for cousins to marry. So, Jesus was linked to David through her.

However, even if this is not the case, Joseph took Jesus as his son. So, because Joseph did this, Jesus is linked to David through the bloodline of Joseph.

Answer 5

Through Nathan, Mary comes from the blood line of Nathan and even if Joseph was Jesus Father Jesus was going to be the next king of the Jews anyway because of Solomon brother of Nathan son of King David. Nathan was the son of King David and Bathsheba. He was a younger brother of Solomon. He was David's third son born in Jerusalem.

According to the Zohar (Shlach 173,2), Moshiach (the Jewish Messiah) will descend from Nathan. Since Yo'ash (Jesus)was the only descendant left from the house of David (Kings 2, 11) it follows that Yo'ash must have descended from Nathan.

Answer 6

Wow..you need to start at the VERY beginning...you shouldn't have to ask that question. Are you just TRYING to prove something wrong in the bible? (because that WON'T happen) or are you serious? I'm not being sarcastic, just an honest question...somethings are a little deeper than ink on paper. That's where God's favor and faith come in. That's what makes Christianity far different than any other religion out there...


And PLEASE don't listen to some of these people....please...wordy sentences, and throwing bible names out doesn't impress anyone....If you want an answer NO ONE can dispute....Jesus is the SON OF GOD, Alpha , Omega, King of Kings....and THAT'S how he's the Messiah! God is the Father of everyone...even these mislead....so THERE'S your bloodline for anyone that won't make time to read and get the facts and genealogy.

Answer 7

If you read Luke, Jesus is direct bloodline to David through Mary.

Answer 8

I'm pretty sure both jesus and mary were possible candidates for the bloodline, (yes, that means distant cousins...)

but as you said, technically jesus was a bastard child and couldn't have qualified for the kingship, ... unless joseph was the father.

just one reason he was definitely not the messiah.

edit: Toni, jewishness is passed through the mother, kingship through the father. at least thats my understanding of it, which of course, is part of why jesus was not considered the messiah.

Answer 9

Joseph married Mary before the birth of Jesus.
He was legally Jesus' dad, though not his father.

Answer 10

He's not. He's linked to David's bloodline through Mary, who was also a decendant of David.