Week One Reflection: The Genealogy of Jesus, Lk 3:23-38

Saint Joseph, Silent Teacher, Guide and Protector

Six things to know about St. Joseph:

He never speaks in the Gospels.
He disappears from the Gospels after he and Mary find Jesus
teaching in the Temple at age twelve.
We don’t know how and when he died.
He is apparently dead by the time Jesus is crucified, because Jesus
from the cross gives his mother Mary into the care of St. John.
There is no known tomb for St. Joseph.
Yet God the Father gave him an astonishing role to play in human
history—nothing less than the foster father and protector of God
the Son!
In this role he becomes a model of faithful strength and manhood.

Verses to memorize

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli. (Lk 3:23)

Passage

(NB: Parents, please read this passage for the children.)

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. Luke 3:23-38

Questions

Phew! The above passage from the beginning of the Gospel of St. Luke is
called a genealogy. Many people skip the genealogies in the Bible. But for Jews,
even today, genealogies are very important. Q: What is a genealogy?
A: A record of the ancestry and lineage of a family, person or group going back
many generations.
Q: Why are they in the Bible? A: Because according to Jewish custom and
law, the roles of priest, and later king were inherited from father to son. Some
prophets also inherited their role from their fathers.
Q: Why is Jesus’ genealogy especially important in the Gospels? A: Because,
as the genealogy above shows, Jesus is of the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe, and
he is the direct descendent (through Mary as well as Joseph) of King David, the
greatest of Israelite kings. Q: Why is it important that Jesus be
a descendent of King David? A: Two reasons: 1) The king of Israel was “the
anointed one”, or in Hebrew, the “Messiah”, and 2) God the Father, through
the prophet Nathan, had made a sacred covenant or promise that “a son of your
loins will rule forever on your throne.” By his resurrection, Jesus is the fulfillment
of that covenant of God with David. He is Messiah (Christ in Greek) and King.
Q: Can you make a genealogy of your family? How many generations back
can you go?
Q: Is Jesus a descendent of David through St. Joseph? A: No, he is a
descendent of David through his mother, Mary! (See Mt 1:16) St. Joseph is
Jesus’ foster father. God is his Father. God entrusted his son to Joseph.

Video

Courtesy of The Bible Project