The gospel reading for the divine liturgy on the Sunday before Christmas is “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” taken from the gospel according to Saint Matthew (Mt. 1:1-25). This genealogy lists the generations of people from Abraham to David, to the Babylonian captivity of the people of Israel, to the birth of Jesus. It is a selected genealogy, ending in the appearance of “Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Mt. 1:16). It differs from the genealogy presented in Saint Luke’s gospel which begins with Jesus “being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph,” and goes back all the way not simply to Abraham but to Adam (Lk. 3:23-38).
There are many purposes for presenting the genealogy of Jesus in the gospels, chief among which is the affirmation that Jesus, being in truth the Son of God, as all the gospels testify, has come “in the flesh” as a real human being. This affirmation was critically important in the time of the apostles and the first Christian generations because, unlike today, the temptation of the early period of Christianity was not to deny Jesus’ divinity, but to deny His real and authentic humanity.
As a matter of historical fact, the first Christian heretics were those who said that Jesus was some sort of divine being (how this was explained had many variations and versions) who only appeared to be a true man, but was not really one since “flesh and blood” were taken to be intrinsically degrading if not downright evil. Thus the apostle Paul had to insist that in Jesus, who belongs to the Jews “according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:5), the whole “fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9), and that it is the same Jesus who died and was buried and raised in the flesh as a real man, who is Messiah and Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:6-11).
The letter to the Hebrews is even more emphatic about the real humanity of Jesus than are the epistles of the apostle Paul already referred to. This letter insists that Jesus is not an angel or some other sort of celestial spirit, but is the Son of God Himself (Heb. 1-2). It insists with equal, if not greater power and pathos, however, that this Son of God was made for a while “lower than the angels,” that being a real human being, “by the grace of God He might taste death for every one” (Heb. 2:9).
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that He is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brethren in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. (Heb. 2:14-18)
In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard for His godly fear. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered; and being made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. (Heb. 5:7-9)
The letters of Saint John are the most powerful of all the New Testament scriptures on this point. It seems that the apostle and his community were plagued with people who refused to acknowledge the real incarnation of the Son of God as an authentic human being. The beloved disciple of the Lord soundly condemns them with a violence of conviction that would be shocking to many Christians today.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. (1 Jn. 4:1-3)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; for he who greets him shares his wicked work. (2 Jn. 7-11)
Another reason for the genealogies of Jesus in the gospels is to demonstrate that the Lord is indeed the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, affirmed, for example, in the song of the Virgin Mary in Saint Luke’s gospel (Lk. 1:55), and defended as a theological truth in the writings of the apostle Paul, for example, in his letter to the Galatians where he says that “the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring….which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). Their purpose is also to demonstrate that Jesus is equally the fulfillment of the promise to king David that one of his sons will sit upon his throne and reign over God’s kingdom which has literally no end (cf. Ps. 89; Lk. 1:32; Heb. 1).
The genealogies in the gospels of Saints Matthew and Luke are made to and from Joseph. This is not to give the impression that Jesus came from Joseph’s seed. Both gospels are absolutely clear on this point. Jesus is born from the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The point is rather that Joseph is Jesus’ father according to the law, and it is from the father that one’s lawful descent is to be traced. Jesus’ legal father is “Joseph, son of David” (cf. Lk. 1:27; 2:4), the legal husband of Mary (Mt. 1:20).
One other important point is made in listing the human generations which led to the birth of Jesus. This is the fact that God is faithful to His promises even though His chosen people are often not faithful. Among the people from whom Jesus came are both sinners and heathens. In a word, Jesus comes not only from the righteous and holy, but from the wicked and sinful. And He comes not only from Jews, but from Gentiles. The names of the four women specifically mentioned in Saint Matthew’s list—Tamar, Raham, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba)—were noted, not to say notorious, Gentiles, including one of David’s own wives, the mother of Solomon. The point to be seen here is one beautifully made in an early Christian hymn quoted in the Bible in the second letter to Timothy:
If we have died with Him,
we shall also live with Him;
If we endure,
we shall also reign with Him;
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us;
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.
(2 Tim. 2:11-13)
This is the wonderful witness of the genealogies of Jesus: If we are faithless, the Lord God remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself!
Behold, the time of our salvation is at hand.
Prepare yourself, O cavern,
For the Virgin approaches to give birth to her Son.
Be glad and rejoice, O Bethlehem, land of Judah,
For from you our Lord shines forth as the dawn.
Give ear, you mountains and hills
And all lands surrounding Judea,
For Christ is coming to save the people
Whom He has created and whom He loves.
(Vespers of the Sunday before the Nativity)
*Thomas Hopko,
The Winter Pascha: Readings for the Christmas-Epiphany Season (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997), pp. 71-75. Available for purchase at Eighth Day Books.
