Even though Jesus’ genealogy is expressed in terms of three periods each of 14 generations, totaling 42 generations (Matt 1:17), there are actually only 41 persons recorded because David was counted twice (Matt 1:6). The genealogy recorded in Luke is also considered by some to have a total of 78 generations because it includes
Matthew’s genealogy spans 2,000 years, recording the generations beginning with Abraham, whereas Luke’s genealogy spans the entire Old Testament period of 4,000 years. The genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew begins with Abraham and ends with Jesus Christ, while the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke starts with Jesus and ends with God Himself. Besides having disparate listing formats, the two genealogies are identical from Abraham to David except for one name (see “Ram” in Matt 1:3; “Arni” in Luke 3:33; ASV, NET, NJB, NLT, NRSV, RSV). However, the names are all different from David to the generation before Jesus’ father Joseph. Also, the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke lists a total of 56 generations from Abraham to Jesus, which is significantly more than the number of generations listed in Matthew.
Although these points will be discussed in greater detail later, let us consider a few important points now. The genealogy of Matthew 1 does not record all the generations in continuity; many generations have been omitted. This indicates that the genealogy in Matthew 1 contains a deliberate intention according to God’s administration of redemption. Moreover, Matthew’s genealogy lists a total of five women—Tamar (Matt 1:3), Rahab (Matt 1:5a), Ruth (Matt 1:5b), Uriah’s wife (Matt 1:6), Mary (Matt 1:16); however, the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke mentions no women.
The genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew is known to be the genealogy of Joseph’s lineage, whereas the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke belongs to the line of Mary, Jesus’ mother.10 The genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew contains 42 generations divided into 3 periods of 14 generations. This structure confirms how God administered in each generation according to the covenants with Abraham and David until the fullness of the time had come when He sent Jesus Christ as the ultimate fulfiller of these covenants (Gal 4:4). Furthermore, the structure of the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke (linear ascending) verifies that Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save sinful mankind (Rom 3:22; Acts 2:21; 10:43; 16:31), is indeed the “Son of God” (Luke 3:22; 4:3, 9; Rom 1:2–4; cf. Luke 1:35; 2:49).
2. Structure of the Genealogy in Matthew 1 (Matt 1:1–17)
Matthew 1:17 “fourteen generations…fourteen…fourteen”
The genealogy of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew is introduced in Matthew 1:1, its content is presented in Matthew 1:2–16, and its structure is explained in Matthew 1:17. Thus, Matthew 1:17 is the key to interpreting and understanding the genealogy in Matthew 1.
Matthew 1:17 Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of Christ fourteen generations.
It was 14 generations from Abraham to David (Matt 1:2–5), 14 from David to the exile to Babylon (Matt 1:6–11), and 14 from the exile to Babylon up to Jesus Christ (Matt 1:12–16).11 It is clear that Matthew intended to divide the history of Israel into three parts using major historical events as reference points. Furthermore, it is also clear that he used “14 generations” to reveal God’s administration in the history of redemption.
There is no need to be overly attached to the meaning of numbers in the Bible. However, it would be a mistake to say that there is no significance to the number “14” here. Obviously, 14 is 7 doubled. In the Bible, the number 7 is the sum of 3 and 4. The number 3 is the heavenly number representing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and 4 is the number representing the earth with its 4 cardinal directions of east, west, north and south. Thus, 7 is a symbolic number that signifies fullness, abundance, the entirety, and the time it takes to fulfill a plan.12 It is a perfect number that lacks nothing; it is a number of completion and wholeness. The Semites13 gave more weight and significance to 14 than to 7 because 14 is 7 doubled.14
The fact that the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke is made up of 77 people also conclusively affirms the perfect integrity of God’s administration of redemptive history—that through many generations, God administered His plan without error. Therefore, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, through the use of the numbers “7” and “14,” testifies to the complete fulfillment of the plan of salvation through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Organizing the 42 generations from Abraham to Christ into three periods of 14 generations each conveys a strong message that God’s perfect administration was provident in each period. Behind every course of Israel’s history, God sovereignly intervened to fulfill His predestined will at the right time (Eph 1:4; 3:11; 2 Tim 1:9).
The genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew is an astonishing proclamation that Jesus Christ came at the preordained time (Hab 2:3; Mark 1:15; Gal 4:2) in accordance with God’s plan of redemption. Apostle Paul called this “an administration suitable to the fullness of the times” (Eph 1:10). The word administration means “the act of planning, organizing and managing an affair or activity,” which would signify God’s ruling and managing the entire universe.
We must be able to discover God’s perfect and flawless administration of redemption in this genealogy. Moreover, we must receive wisdom to understand that even human history, through which we are living at this moment, is not something that flows in any coincidental or random way. We must understand that history is proceeding toward the second coming of Christ under the administration of the perfect God, the Alpha and Omega of history (1 Tim 2:6; 6:15; Heb 10:37).
3. Structure of the Genealogy in Luke 3 (Luke 3:23–38)
Luke 3:23 And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli.
Luke 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Unlike the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew, the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke does not provide any explanation about special dividing points or any explanations about certain people. Rather, the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke simply and systematically lists all 77 people.
In Matthew 1, the genealogy is listed in order from ancestor to descendant, but in Luke 3, the genealogy is listed in reverse order from descendant to ancestor. In the Old Testament, choir members were the only ones whose genealogies were listed in reverse order (1 Chr 6:31–48). This “linear ascending structure” of the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke is its most prominent feature and the key to interpreting the genealogy in the perspective of redemptive history.
When we carefully examine the persons listed in the genealogy of Luke, we can see that these 77 people are listed in 11 groups of 7 people each with important persons serving as dividing points. The people who are listed first in each of the 11 groups (i.e., Jesus, Joseph, Mattathias, Shealtiel, Joshua, Joseph, David, Arni, Terah, Cainan, Jared) generally hold important positions in the history of redemption.
Some assert that the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke was not categorized by birth but by themes. In other words, the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke is not historically (biologically) organized, but is organized according to various theological themes.15
Some people also divide up the 77 people listed in the genealogy of Luke’s Gospel into groups of four periods: 21 (3x7) generations from the return of the exile to Jesus