How was it that Jesus was a son of David when Joseph was not his biological father?

[TonyChanYT]

Luke supplied a genealogy bottom-up, Luke 3:

23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,

Jesus was not a biological son of Joseph but a biological son of Mary.

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David

According to this genealogy, Jesus was a biological descendant of David through Nathan and Mary. How was Jesus of the line of David if Mary was a virgin?

Now, Matthew provided a top-down genealogy, Matthew 1

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham ...
6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, ...
11 Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

This Jeconiah or Coniah was cursed in Jeremiah 22:28-30. His physical descendants would not sit on David's throne. To get around this curse, Joseph was not Jesus's biological father. He adopted him. Jesus was immune from the curse.

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Now in Luke 1:

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

Joseph was a biological descendant of David and Jeconiah. The biological descendant of Jeconiah could not be king.

32 He [Jesus] will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

Gabriel affirmed that Jesus was a son of King David. From Joseph's side, Jesus was not a biological son but an adopted son. As such, Jesus could be king.

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

It was the kingdom of God.

Let proposition P1 = Jesus was a son of David.

Is P1 true?

According to human logical reasoning, affirming P1 on either Joseph's or Mary's side has some weaknesses. However, Gabriel affirmed this. On balance, I accept P1.

 

[JohnDB]

Translational difficulties and tradition.

Read Galations 3:16.

ZeraDavid is the expression.
Seed of David
Seed of Solomon
Seed of Jacob
Seed of Judah
Seed of Isaac
Seed of Abraham
Seed of the Woman.

 

[Stumpmaster]

Luke supplied a genealogy bottom-up, Luke 3:


Jesus was not a biological son of Joseph but a biological son of Mary.


According to this genealogy, Jesus was a biological descendant of David through Nathan and Mary. How was Jesus of the line of David if Mary was a virgin?

Now, Matthew provided a top-down genealogy, Matthew 1


This Jeconiah or Coniah was cursed in Jeremiah 22:28-30. His physical descendants would not sit on David's throne. To get around this curse, Joseph was not Jesus's biological father. He adopted him. Jesus was immune from the curse.


Now in Luke 1:


Joseph was a biological descendant of David and Jeconiah. The biological descendant of Jeconiah could not be king.


Gabriel affirmed that Jesus was a son of King David. From Joseph's side, Jesus was not a biological son but an adopted son. As such, Jesus could be king.


It was the kingdom of God.

Let proposition P1 = Jesus was a son of David.

Is P1 true?

According to human logical reasoning, affirming P1 on either Joseph's or Mary's side has some weaknesses. However, Gabriel affirmed this. On balance, I accept P1.

I read somewhere that Jewishness is determined through the female line, so no problem for Jesus being a son of David, as follows:

Copilot Capsule:

Yes, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is indeed descended from King David. Although her lineage is not directly named in Matthew’s genealogy, it is recorded through another of David’s royal sons in the Gospel of Luke. Let’s explore this further:

1. Matthew’s Genealogy (Matthew 1:1f):
   • Matthew’s genealogy traces the legal line of Jesus through Joseph, who was Jesus’ legal (though not natural) father.
   • It establishes Jesus’ claim and right to the throne of David.
   • The genealogy in Matthew includes names such as David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
   • After David, the names in Matthew’s genealogy continue through the kings of Judah.
2. Luke’s Genealogy (Luke 3:23-38):
   • Luke’s genealogy is evidently that of Mary, though some scholars believe it could also be Joseph’s.
   • Luke traces the lineage through Nathan, another son of David.
   • The names in Luke’s genealogy differ from those in Matthew’s genealogy.
   • Both genealogies meet at Shealtiel and Zerubbabel and then split again, only to come together at Joseph (whom Luke notes was “thought” to be the father of Jesus).
3. Significance:
   • By birthright from both his legal father (Joseph) and biological mother (Mary), Jesus had a rightful claim to the Davidic throne.
   • Luke’s genealogy emphasizes Jesus’ connection not only to Abraham but all the way back to Adam and God, highlighting the universal offer of salvation.

In summary, Mary’s ancestral lineage can be traced back to the house of David through Nathan, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke12. This lineage establishes her descent from King David, fulfilling the Messianic prophecies. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!

 

[Bob Estey]

Luke supplied a genealogy bottom-up, Luke 3:


Jesus was not a biological son of Joseph but a biological son of Mary.


According to this genealogy, Jesus was a biological descendant of David through Nathan and Mary. How was Jesus of the line of David if Mary was a virgin?

Now, Matthew provided a top-down genealogy, Matthew 1


This Jeconiah or Coniah was cursed in Jeremiah 22:28-30. His physical descendants would not sit on David's throne. To get around this curse, Joseph was not Jesus's biological father. He adopted him. Jesus was immune from the curse.


Now in Luke 1:


Joseph was a biological descendant of David and Jeconiah. The biological descendant of Jeconiah could not be king.


Gabriel affirmed that Jesus was a son of King David. From Joseph's side, Jesus was not a biological son but an adopted son. As such, Jesus could be king.


It was the kingdom of God.

Let proposition P1 = Jesus was a son of David.

Is P1 true?

According to human logical reasoning, affirming P1 on either Joseph's or Mary's side has some weaknesses. However, Gabriel affirmed this. On balance, I accept P1.

Joseph wasn't his biological father, but he was his father.