Jesus’ Genealogy in Matthew and Luke

The genealogy of Jesus Christ is recorded in two places in the New Testament — Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38. At first glance, both seem to tell the same story: tracing the lineage of Jesus. Yet, a closer look reveals that they differ significantly in structure, purpose, and even in the names they include.

Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage forward — from Abraham to Jesus — while Luke traces it backward — from Jesus to Adam. Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of Abraham and Son of David, emphasizing His Jewish royal descent. Luke, on the other hand, shows Jesus as the Son of Adam, connecting Him to all humanity and underscoring the universality of His salvation.

However, these genealogies seem to contain discrepancies. For instance, Matthew 1:16 records that “Jacob begat Joseph”, while Luke 3:23 says that “Joseph was the son of Heli.” Furthermore, Matthew traces the Davidic line through Solomon, while Luke follows it through Nathan, another son of David.

This has led many to question: Which genealogy is correct? Does one contradict the other? And if so, does that undermine the Bible’s credibility?

To answer this, early Church historians such as Eusebius of Caesarea (3rd–4th century) offered a thoughtful explanation. He suggested that Matthew presents the physical or biological genealogy, while Luke records the legal or adoptive line. According to Jewish custom, if a man died childless, his brother could marry the widow to produce an heir for him — a practice known as the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5–6).

In this light, Eusebius explained that Heli and Jacob were brothers. When Heli died without children, Jacob married his widow and fathered Joseph. Thus, Joseph was the biological son of Jacob (as Matthew records) and the legal son of Heli (as Luke records). Both genealogies, therefore, are correct — each tracing Joseph’s lineage from a different but complementary standpoint.

Some scholars also propose that Luke’s genealogy traces the lineage through Mary, while Matthew’s traces it through Joseph. This would mean that Luke is showing Jesus’ biological descent through Mary — who, as a descendant of David through Nathan, fulfills the Messianic lineage — while Matthew records His legal right to the throne through Joseph, a descendant of David through Solomon.

Whichever interpretation one follows, both genealogies work together to reveal a powerful truth:

Jesus Christ is the true Son of David, the rightful heir to the promises of God — both legally and by blood.
He is also the Son of Adam, the Savior of all humanity.

Far from being a contradiction, these two genealogies beautifully display the divine wisdom behind the coming of the Messiah — fully God, yet fully man; the fulfillment of prophecy and the hope of every nation.