CAREFUL WHAT U ASK FOR;

It is good, therefore, to consider this most important genealogy and to see the amazing accuracy and extent of it, for it is more detailed and comprehensive than any other ‘family tree’ in human history. We will be convinced that God carefully watched over this line of descent and saw that it was properly recorded, at times by men who had no idea of its real importance.
GENEALOGICAL LISTS ESTABLISH CHRIST’S MESSIAHSHIP
There are four primary lists of Christ’s line of descent, three of them beginning with Adam, and they appear in the Bible as follows: (1) Genesis and Ruth; (2) 1 Chronicles, chapters 1-3; (3) Matthew, chapter 1; and (4) Luke, chapter 3 (Luke actually runs back from Jesus to Adam). With one exception, they agree exactly from Adam to Solomon, the son of David. Then, parallel to Solomon, Luke lists Nathan, another son of David. To this point Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus from Heli, the father of Mary, the wife of Joseph, thereby proving Jesus’ natural right to the Messiahship as a son of David, for Jesus had no earthly father, being the foster son of Joseph, but the actual Son of God by a miracle.—Luke 1:34, 35.
REASONS FOR DIFFERENCES IN ANCESTRAL LISTS
The account by Matthew traces Jesus’ descent in the line of Solomon, through which the legal right to the throne of David ran. Therefore Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts purposely differ on lines of descent from David down to Jesus. It is noteworthy, however, that both writers take care to make it clear that Jesus was not actually the son of Joseph, but was the true natural son of Mary. Matthew says: “Jacob became father to Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.” (Matt. 1:16) Luke says: “Jesus himself, when he commenced his work, was about thirty years old, being the son, as the opinion was, of Joseph.”—Luke 3:23.
There are different names in the Chronicles account from those of Matthew, who follows Solomon’s line, as do the Chronicles. These names appear after Zerubbabel, the nineteenth after Solomon. This difference can easily be explained by the fact that in many Bible genealogies some links are left out. A good example is found in Ezra’s genealogy, in which he showed that he was a priest. (Ezra 7:1-5) His list omitted several names that are found in a parallel listing at 1 Chronicles 6:3-14. Why did Ezra leave these names out? He likely did this to avoid unnecessary repetition and to shorten the long list. Also, he may have used only the best-known names, just as today, a person wanting to prove that he was a descendant of some famous man, such as George Washington, would need only to name a few of the most recognizable, acknowledged descendants of the famous man, and show that his own father or grandfather was one of them. Ezra used what was needed to serve his purpose, and achieved it. This practice appears in some other Bible genealogies.
JESUS’ OPPONENTS COULD NOT CHALLENGE PUBLIC RECORDS
As to Matthew’s and Luke’s listing of Jesus’ genealogy, they doubtless got their list from the public register in the town of Bethlehem of Judah, where Jesus was born. (Luke 2:1-5; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1-6) There is a remarkable fact that should end any doubt about Jesus’ being both the natural heir of David, and the one having the legal right to David’s throne, since he was the firstborn son (actually foster-son) of a man descended from King Solomon. It is this: None of Jesus’ enemies among the Jews ever challenged his descent from David, either on the side of his mother or of his foster-father. Now we know that the Pharisees and Sadducees were as eager as a pack of wolves, seeking any possible way to discredit Jesus. But they could not deny the official birth registers, well known to the people and available for anyone to check. Neither did the pagan enemies attack Jesus’ genealogy until after the Jewish records were destroyed when the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem. Then, of course, no one could check their lying claims with the public records.
Jesus, being the long-looked-for Messiah, fulfilled and closed the Bible genealogy. He gained the throne of David, to sit on it without successors. (Luke 1:31-33) He was used by God to establish a new priesthood, he now being in heaven as a “high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever,” not of the Levitical priesthood of the Jews. (Heb. 6:20; 7:11-14, 23, 24) The Biblical record of Jesus’ genealogy remains in the Bible as part of the foundation of our faith and as a testimony to the sureness of the word and promises of G