Chapter 3. Son of Man / The Problem of Two Genealogies

Where did the tribes of Israel come from?

There are prophecies in the Bible that the Savior will come from the tribe of Judah. A tribe is one of the tribes of Israel, descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons. Thus, Israel numbered twelve tribes (clans, families, tribes). The Bible tells that before his death, Jacob (who also had a second name - Israel, given to him by God Himself (Gen. 32:28) called his sons to himself, blessed and uttered a prophecy about the fate of each tribe. When the turn came to his son Judah, then Jacob uttered the following words: “Judah! Your brothers will praise you. Your hand is on the back of your enemies; the sons of your father will bow down to you... The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until the Reconciler comes, and to Him is the submission of the nations...” ( Gen. 49:8-12) A descendant of Judah was King David, from whose family, in turn, came the Mother of God and Her husband Joseph.

The genealogy of the Savior is difficult for a modern unprepared person to read: it seems long, boring, and most importantly, completely unnecessary.

Instead of the amazing miracles of Christ and His teachings, the reader immediately stumbles upon this huge list of names. However, it is no coincidence that the New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus. For Christianity, the genealogy of the Savior is of fundamental importance. Why?

For 2000 years now, the debate has been going on about who Jesus Christ was? Many people agree that Jesus of Nazareth is a truly historical Person, and not a fictitious hero of Christian mythology, respect His moral teachings and reverence Him as a great Teacher of righteousness. But again and again they call into question what for Christians is the core of the Gospel and the immutable truth: Is Jesus the very Savior of the world promised by God to Adam? Why are Christians confident in this?

For people who recognize the authority and special meaning of the Bible, Old Testament prophecies could serve as an important confirmation of Christian confidence. The Bible, written long before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, contains prophecies that humanity will be saved through the appearance into the world of Christ, or the Messiah (“Anointed One” - Heb.). Among them, the reader will find “genealogical” evidence, which was intended to help people recognize the true Messiah. God, turning first to Abraham and then to the Israeli king David, predicted that the Messiah, the Savior of the World, would be their descendant. Believing this, the ancient Jews took the continuation of their family extremely seriously. The Israelites considered the birth of a child to be a blessing from God. Every family had to keep a pedigree. Genealogical tables were kept both in families and in the Jerusalem Temple. Any Israeli knew perfectly well which of the twelve Jewish tribes (tribes) he and his ancestors belonged to. Therefore, the given genealogy did not raise doubts about its authenticity - it could not be otherwise! - and was a self-evident argument.

Illustration: Julius Schnoor von Karosfeld. Victory of David over Goliath. 1860

Son of David, Lord of David

Paradoxically, the Messiah, the son of David, was also supposed to be the Son of God—in fact, the Messiah was supposed to be the Mighty God (Isa. 9:5,6—Hebrew, El-Gibbor). The son of David is destined not only to reign from the throne of David over all Israel, but also to have supreme authority over all the nations of the world (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:10; 49:6). Again, Yeshua is the only contender with proper credentials.

In Psalm 2:12, David wrote, “Honor the Son, lest He be angry, and lest ye perish in [your] way, for His wrath will burn quickly. Blessed are all who trust in Him.”

To “honor the Son” means to pay due respect to the Son, the symbolism of which can be seen in the kissing of the King’s ring. Therefore, Yeshua is the only one who has true power over every life. Yeshua is the only true Son of God to whom we must give due respect. Yeshua is the only Son of David who can bring true security to our people today and forever, as prophesied in Jeremiah 23:5-6:

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise up a righteous Branch for David, and a King will reign, and will act wisely, and will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety; and this is His name by which they will call Him: “The Lord is our justification!”

About King David

David (Beloved - Heb.) (a simple shepherd who became the greatest king of the Israeli people - was born about a thousand years BC in Bethlehem. David became famous for his numerous military victories, and especially for his famous victory over Goliath, when he went up against a heavily armed man Philistine with only one sling and the name of the God of Israel on his lips. David took the city of Jebus by storm and made it the capital of the kingdom of Israel with the name Jerusalem (the home of the world - Heb.). David reigned for forty years, under him Israel became a strong and powerful state. This king is the author of many prayer songs - psalms - which form the basis of modern Christian worship. Most of the psalms were written by David at the inspiration of God. They contain many prophecies about the coming Messiah, about His suffering and glory, that the Savior will be a descendant of David.

And when the question arose for the apostles, who also belonged to the people of Israel, whether to follow Jesus, then first of all they thought about and recalled the biblical prophecies familiar to them from childhood, asking: is it true that a man named Jesus from the tiny city of Nazareth - is this a descendant of King David? The genealogy of Christ answers this question in the affirmative. Moreover, the origin of the Messiah from Abraham and David was for the apostles just one of the huge number of biblical prophecies about the Messiah. And they all agreed with amazing unanimity on Jesus.

For people who accepted the Gospel, this meant that the Savior of the world was before them. And they followed Him, despite the fact that He was not noble, did not graduate from special religious schools, and was an ordinary carpenter by profession.

For the first generation of Christians, the genealogy of Jesus became an argument. And this argument does not cease to remain relevant. People still turn to this and other biblical prophecies to decide for themselves: was it really the Messiah who entered the land of Israel 2000 years ago, and not just a talented preacher and moralist?

But the evangelical lineage has other important purposes. Firstly, at different eras in the history of Christianity there were people who denied the unity of the Old and New Testaments. They argued that the God of the Old Testament was actually an evil, cruel and vengeful demon. And the Gospel God is a good God of love and forgiveness. It is interesting how the most consistent preacher of the change from the Old Testament to the New, the Apostle Paul, felt about such theories. Without much political correctness, he called it all “worthless women's fables” (Tim. 4:7). The best answer to such fabulists is the gospel genealogy of the “good God.” It shows that the God of the Old and New Testaments is the same.

And secondly, before starting the story of the birth of the Savior, the Gospel looks back at the past millennia, at how God prepared humanity for this event. The account of preparation is the Old Testament, but the Gospel gives only names. However, they contain the entire history of the Old Testament people, who believed and followed the One God, and went against the entire pagan world of that time.

Julius Schnoor von Karosfeld. Melchizedek blesses Abraham. 1860

Genealogy of Jesus Christ (+VIDEO)

The Pravoslavie.ru portal begins a new series of conversations - on the Gospel of Matthew. The purpose of this cycle is to explain the symbolism of the Gospel text and introduce it to its theological interpretation. The first conversation is devoted to the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ, which reveals both the Gospel of Matthew and the entire New Testament. What is the point of this rather impressive list of names? Why are the names of four women in this list, and not righteous women at all? How is the division of the genealogy into three groups explained, and why does the last one have not 14, but 13 names?

Why is it said about the earthly ancestors of the Son of God?

“Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

With these words begins the entire set of books of the New Testament.

Why is it said at the beginning of the Gospel about “genealogy,” if the prophet Isaiah said about Christ: “Who will explain His generation” (Is. 53: 8)?

Blessed Jerome explains: “Let us not think that the evangelist contradicts the prophet in the sense that the evangelist begins to expound what, according to the prophet, is impossible to expound; because the first, the prophet, speaks of birth according to the Divine, and the second, the evangelist, speaks of the incarnation (that is, birth according to the flesh - Archpriest O.S.). And he began from the carnal side so that through man we could begin to talk about God.”

And the Monk John of Damascus wrote: “The temporary birth by which Christ was born for the sake of our salvation, having become a Man from a Woman and being born at the usual time after conception, was natural, but what was supernatural was that He was born not from a seed, but from the Holy Spirit and from The Holy Virgin Mary is above the law of conception."

God becomes a Man in order to bring us closer to our own Divinity in His True Humanity, teaching us true human life.

The True Humanity of Jesus Christ sanctifies our earthly life in a special way. Sometimes we are too lenient about this temporary life. But it is precisely this that determines our eternal future and only therefore plays a decisive role in our destiny.

Earthly life is valuable – also because only in it are we honored with Holy Communion

The value of this earthly life is also due to the fact that only in it we are honored with Holy Communion. Communion itself (Eucharist) will be carried out only until the Second Coming of Christ. It is said: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). The words “until He comes” mean the cessation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist with the coming of Christ the Savior to this world. Only then, in Eternity, will we be able to appreciate what we have now on earth. We will remember with touching sadness and delight every Divine Liturgy in which we took part while still living here on earth. Angels, for example, do not receive communion, although they serve at every Eucharist (Liturgy). Truly, we should not neglect the spiritual values ​​of this earthly existence. Here is our spiritual homeland. Being born again is possible only in this earthly temporary life. And everything that happens here - today and now - has an eternal and enduring meaning and purpose. The True Humanity of Christ helps us in this earthly and temporary life to join His True Divinity in Eternity. That is why it is said by Jerome the Blessed: “And he began from the carnal side so that through man we would begin to talk about God.”

Let me also recall the words of the Hieromartyr Clement of Rome: “So, let us repent while we live on earth, for we are clay in the hand of the artist. Just as a potter, when he makes a vessel and it becomes bent or falls apart in his hands, can restore it again, but when he hastens to put it in a burning furnace, then it will no longer help him, so we, while we still live in this world, must repent with all our hearts in the evil that we have done in the flesh in order to receive salvation from the Lord while we have time to repent. For after our departure from the world we can no longer confess or repent there.”i.

And Saint Cyprian of Carthage instructs: “Take care, while you can, of your safety and life... We convince you, while there is still an opportunity, while there are still a few centuries left, to bring satisfaction to God... When the exodus comes from here, there will be no place for repentance, no real satisfaction. Here life is lost or saved. Here eternal salvation is secured by worshiping God and works of faith. And let no one be delayed on the path to salvation by sins or summer. For those who still live in this world, no repentance is too late. The entrance to God's condescension is open, and access is convenient for those who seek and understand the truth. Pray for sins, at least at the end and outcome of temporary life... Divine love provides saving condescension to the believer, and in death itself the transition to immortality takes place.”ii.

These words of Saint Cyprian that life is lost or gained here emphasize the importance of earthly life, which Christ teaches us in His incarnation. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).

"Son of Abraham" and "Son of David"

Manuel Panselin. Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. Fresco of the Protata Cathedral in Kareia (Athos)

The Gospel of Matthew was written for Jews, and was originally written in Aramaic (“Syriac”). All Jews were descended from Abraham, so it was important to emphasize that Jesus was from the House of David. Jews would not recognize a Messiah who did not come from David and Abraham. The Jews also knew that the true Messiah (Christ) was to be born in the very city where King David was born (see: Matt. 2:6).

Christ is the “son” of David and Abraham only by carnal descent. But there is also a hidden, spiritual meaning in these words: “son of David”, “son of Abraham”.

Abraham's son Isaac was sacrificed - just as Jesus Christ was sacrificed by His Father

The actual son of David, Solomon, built the world's first Temple dedicated to God, and Christ, in His Body, created the TEMPLE of the Church of God; Abraham's actual son Isaac was sacrificed to God, but God Himself stopped this act. And the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was sacrificed in exactly the same way, and also by His Father, as it is said: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” ( John 3:16).

On the other hand, the very word “Christ” (Heb. Mashiach) means, according to the interpretation of Blessed Theophylact, both “king” and “high priest” - bishop. The great king of the Jews was King David, and the great patriarch-high priest was Abraham. But the royal dignity of Christ is higher than any human royal dignity. It is said: “Who is this King of glory? “The Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord is mighty in battle” (Ps. 23:8); and again: “for the Lord is a great God and a great King over all gods” (Ps. 95:3). Christ was both a true prophet and a true high priest - for, as the Divine Word Himself, He announced the future and administered judgment. It is said: “But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth be silent before Him!” (Hab. 2:20).

What is "genealogy"?

Tree of Jesse

In answer to the question of why the Gospel begins with “genalogy,” it should be noted that the Greek word geneseos itself, translated as “genealogy,” more means “origin” and “gradual emergence.” In other words, Christ did not come to this world for the first time; He had previously demonstrated His Divine presence here in many different ways.

First: He is the Son of God and created this world. It is said: “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers—all things were created by Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

Second: it was His word that created the Divine Revelation of the books of the Old Testament. It is said: “Concerning this salvation were the searches and investigations of the prophets, who foretold the grace appointed for you, searching to what and at what time the Spirit of Christ who was in them pointed out...” (1 Pet. 1: 10-11).

Third: He is the Savior of the world promised in Paradise. It was said about Him: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it will bruise your head, and you will bruise its heel” (Gen. 3:15).

Blessed Theophylact wrote: “The name Jesus is not Greek, but Hebrew and means: Savior, for “yao” among the Jews means “salvation.”

The Explanatory Orthodox Bible says about the word genesis (“genealogy”): “In general, it denotes a relatively slow birth, more the process of birth than the act itself, and the word implies origin, growth and final emergence into the world.”iii. Most accurately, this process of the appearance of Christ the Savior into the world is conveyed by the following prophecy from the Pentateuch of Moses: “I see Him, but now not yet; I see Him, but not close. A star rises out of Jacob, and a rod rises out of Israel, and smites the princes of Moab, and crushes all the sons of Seth” (Num. 24:17).

But first of all, Jesus Christ is Lord and God!

As the Apostle Thomas once exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Thomas's assurance. Icon. Ohrid, Church of St. Clement, XIV century.

Law and Grace

As we see, in the prophecies of the Bible there is a hidden mysterious meaning that does not lie on the surface of the narrative and is revealed only to a thoughtful reader. However, the Monk Ambrose of Optina taught: “I advise you to read the Gospel more often and for a long time... Read so that only your ears can hear: you understand - you don’t understand, read. The gracious word of the Gospel greatly drives away boredom and despondency and will calm you down, just read more and longer.”iv.

After such important words about the significance of the Gospel, the very sound of the New Testament gospel, let us return to the actual meaning of this word - the Gospel - as good and joyful news. What is the goodness and joy of this message of the New Testament? And how is it fundamentally different from the message sent down in the Old Testament?

The Old Testament is a teaching about the Law, or good works. The New Testament is a teaching about grace and forgiveness. It is said: “For the law was given through Moses; But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The New Testament says about the Law: “For by the works of the Law will no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). In other words, we are all violators of the Law, and the main thing it shows us is our actual sinful state. In the Epistle of the Apostle James, the Law is directly called a mirror. It is said: “For whoever hears the word and does not do it is like a man looking at the natural features of his face in a mirror” (James 1:23). The law accuses us and makes sin more sinful, as the Apostle Paul said: “Has what is good become deadly to me? No way; but sin, which turns out to be sin because through good it causes death to me, so that sin becomes extremely sinful through the commandment” (Rom. 7:13).

Christ saves us not for the sake of our possible thanksgiving, but solely out of His mercy

The gospel is the good news that “...now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, to which the law and the prophets testify, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe” (Rom. 3:21-22 ). In other words, only those who completely fulfilled it could live by the Law (such people practically did not exist), but everyone who believed in Christ could live by the Gospel (that is, by Grace ). As it is said: “There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). Moreover, we must always remember that the Son of God saved us and not for the sake of the religious life that we lead now. In fact, our life - I mean business - has remained the same. It is said: “He saved us, not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). We can say that He saved us completely without reason, not for the sake of our possible thanksgiving, but solely out of His mercy and goodness. “I, I Myself, blot out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Is. 43:25).

Could we ourselves deserve, earn, or delight in salvation? It is said about the apostles: “They were extremely amazed and said to each other: who can be saved? Jesus, looking at them, said: “This is impossible with men, but not with God, for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10: 26–27). “Looking at them,” that is, at the apostles, the Lord speaks of salvation: “This is impossible for men,” and does anyone really think that, looking at him, the Lord will be able to say something different? All of us, by our deeds, deserve eternal death, and in this sense, there are no better or worse among us - but in Christ we receive forgiveness and partake of the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom of God. And all this is free, by grace. It is said: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness in the forgiveness of sins previously committed” (Rom. 3:24-25).

So, our previous sins are forgiven us. What was impossible for ourselves turned out to be absolutely possible for God (as we read: “with men this is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God”). We do not save ourselves, but are saved by Christ the Savior. Mastering this truth means comprehending the main meaning of the Gospel - the meaning of the Good News.

Three stages of salvation

Vision of the Ladder by St. John Climacus. Miniature from “The Ladder and Parenesis of St. Ephraim

But with all this, we Orthodox believe that
salvation is the work of a person’s entire life.
In the Orthodox understanding, human salvation consists of three steps: redemption, sanctification, deification . These stages of spiritual growth correspond to three different virtues: faith, hope, love. And also three different states of man in relation to God: slave, mercenary, son.

Let's look at these three steps in detail.

The first step is redemption. Redemption is carried out by the Blood of the Lamb of God - the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says that after the fall of our first parents, the Lord made them clothing of skins (see: Gen. 3:21). According to the interpretation of the holy fathers, this means that then the first blood sacrifice was made, the first sacrificial blood was shed, which prefigured the future redemption of mankind by the Blood of the Son of God. And people dressed in the leather skins of sacrificed animals as a sign of a constant reminder, first of all, of the coming sacrifice. The stage of redemption corresponds to the biblical virtue of faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that He exists” (Heb. 11:6), as the Scripture says.

And this level corresponds, in turn, to the “social” position described in the Bible - slave. The slave does not hope for reward. A sinner who comes to God hopes only for mercy. It can be said that the entire Protestant world in its thinking stopped only at this level, although the Protestants did not really even rise to this level, but only moved even further away from the mystery of redemption.

The second stage is sanctification. The Bible says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). This level corresponds to another biblical virtue - hope. A person not only believes, he hopes, he relies on the fruits of his faith, that faith which “is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

This is, first of all, work, this is a way of life. The person here is an employee. Having achieved a certain perfection in his active faith, he can already rely on what he has achieved through his prayers, fasting and good deeds. The Catholic world stopped at this stage - and then only in its reasoning. In reality, Catholics have not risen to either the first or second level.

The third step in the matter of salvation is deification , a concept known only to Orthodox Eastern Christian theology. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ says: “Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We can reason with you about what, for example, the perfection of Moses consists of: he did not steal, did not commit adultery, was righteous, pious... But when we are called to the perfection of God, we do not know what to say in response, but the Lord calls us to be like this! So what is this perfection?

The Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love is the mystical entry into the life of the Holy Trinity. This stage of salvation corresponds not to the “social”, but to the close, “family”, related relationship of a person to God - a son.

Not a single Orthodox person can say about himself: “I am saved.” Salvation is his life's work

So, salvation is an ascent in grace through the steps: slave, hired hand, son; through virtues: faith, hope, love. Not a single Orthodox person can say about himself: “I am saved.” Salvation is his life's work.

But look what's happening today. Imagine a huge, beautiful palace in which many people live. A disaster happened and the palace collapsed. And then a team of hack restorers appears, offering to quickly and efficiently restore it. These restorers are Protestants or Catholics who come to us with a “mission of salvation,” but do not even have an idea of ​​what and how to do. Simple-minded people trust them, and instead of a palace they build a primitive shack and say: “Ready, restored!”

We have never understood salvation the way it is taught on the Protestant (rationalist) or Catholic (scholastic) levels. Salvation is not only a refusal of drunkenness, drugs, external participation in the life of the parish, prayers, and fasting. Salvation is much more than that. We have heard what the first man was like before the Fall, to what heights the Lord called him, and we see how low he fell. But we also know that there is a second Adam (see: 1 Cor. 15: 45; 47–49) - the Lord Jesus Christ; we know why the Son of God came into this world. He came to revive humanity, to reveal the beginning of a new life, to give us a new nature. He came to take us to Heaven. We all know, to one degree or another, that we need salvation by grace. Each of us feels and recognizes the need for change. A person feels with every cell of his body that he needs change. Our current state does not suit anyone! And if someone said that “I am rich, have become rich, and have need of nothing,” then it is the Church’s job to show that such a person is “unhappy and pitiful, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).

The Word of God teaches us: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Yes, we really all died in Adam, but we, by the grace of God, must be resurrected in Christ!

A serious and thoughtful study of the Holy Gospel will help us understand our entire life as a kind of transubstantiation (which is what salvation means in our understanding), or deification . Deification the continuous acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is what St. Seraphim of Sarov saw as the meaning of a Christian’s life.

Women of the lineage

So, the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

“Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac gave birth to Jacob; Jacob begat Judah and his brothers; Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar; Perez begat Hezrom; Hezrom begat Aram; Aram gave birth to Abminadab; Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon; Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab; Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David king; David the king begot Solomon from Uriah; Solomon begat Rehoboam; Rehoboam gave birth to Abijah; Abijah begat Asa; Asa begat Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat begat Joram; Jehoram begat Uzziah; Uzziah begat Jotham; Jotham begat Ahaz; Ahaz begat Hezekiah; Hezekiah begat Manasseh; Manasseh begat Amon; Amon gave birth to Josiah…” (Matthew 1: 2–10).

Usually, when the genealogies of the Bible are read, the reader rushes to quickly skim these texts with his eyes, without even realizing the spiritual secrets that are hidden in these genealogies themselves.

“...Josiah gave birth to Joachim; Joachim gave birth to Jeconiah and his brothers before moving to Babylon. After moving to Babylon, Jeconiah gave birth to Salathiel; Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel; Zerubbabel begat Abihu; Abihu begat Eliakim; Eliakim begat Azor; Azor begat Zadok; Zadok gave birth to Achim; Achim begat Eliud; Elihu begat Eleazar; Eleazar begat Matthan; Matthan gave birth to Jacob; Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1: 11–16).

According to the very genealogy of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, three main questions arise.

Why, in addition to the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are the names of only those women who committed sexual impurity given in the genealogy?

Tamar and Judah. Ferdinand Bol. 1653. Pushkin Museum im. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow

These women -

1. Tamar (her name means "palm tree")
2. Rahab ("broad")
3. Ruth (“beautiful”) and
4. Bathsheba (“daughter of the oath”).

Why is the genealogy divided into three parts?

Why is it said: from Babylon to Christ there are 14 generations, but when we count, we find only 13?

Christ came to save not the righteous, but sinners, as His genealogy indicates

Answering the first question - about the presence of some sinful women in the genealogy of Jesus Christ - we must remember that, as is known, Jesus Christ came into this world to save not the righteous, but sinners (see: Matt. 9: 13), which is directly follows from His own genealogy.

Genealogy commentators pay close attention to this circumstance. Christian historian William Barclay wrote: “The most striking thing about the genealogy is the names of the women. In general, female names are extremely rare in Jewish genealogies. The woman had no legal rights. They looked at her not as a person, but as a thing. She was only the property of her father or husband, and they could do with her as they pleased. In his daily morning prayer, the Jew thanked God for not making him a pagan, a slave, or a woman.

In general, the very existence of these names in the genealogy is an extremely amazing and unusual phenomenon. But if you look at these women - who they were and what they did - you have to be even more surprised. Rahab, or Rahab, as she is called in the Old Testament, was a harlot from Jericho (see: Josh. 2: 1–7). Ruth was not even a Jew, but a Moabite (Ruth 1:4), and doesn’t it say in the law: “An Ammonite and a Moabite cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord, and the tenth generation of them cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord forever” (Deut. 23 : 3)? Ruth was from a hostile and hateful people. Tamar was a skilled seductress (see: Gen. 38) - she entered into sexual relations with her own father-in-law (the sin of incest). “David most cruelly took Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, from Uriah, her husband (see: 2 Kings 11 and 12)” - he committed the sin of adultery with this woman. “If Matthew had searched the Old Testament for unlikely candidates, he could not have found four more inconvenient ancestors for Jesus Christ. But, of course, there is also something very remarkable about this. Here, at the very beginning, Matthew shows us in symbols the essence of the Gospel of God in Jesus Christ, because here he shows how barriers are being broken down.

The barrier between Jew and pagan, man and woman has disappeared: everything is dear to God

The barrier between Jew and Gentile has disappeared. Rahab - a woman from Jericho; the Moabite Ruth also found a place in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Thus, the truth was reflected in the genealogy that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. Already here the universalism of the Gospel and the love of God is obvious.

Barriers between women and men have disappeared. There were no female names in the normal genealogy, but there were female names in the genealogy of Jesus. The old contempt has passed; men and women are equally dear to God and equally important to His purposes.

The barriers between saints and sinners have disappeared. God can use for His purposes and fit into His plan even one who has sinned a lot. “I have come,” says Jesus, “to call not the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Already here, at the very beginning of the Gospel, there are indications of the all-encompassing love of God. God may find His servants among those from whom respected orthodox Jews would shudder.”

Does the righteousness of a people depend on the way it is governed?

“The Evangelist divided the genealogy into three parts, wanting to show: the Jews did not become better with the change of government.”

Saint John Chrysostom offers the following interpretation of the fact that the genealogy is divided into three parts: “So, all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the migration to Babylon to Christ there are fourteen generations” (Matthew 1:17). Chrysostom explains: “The Evangelist divided the entire genealogy into three parts, wanting to show there that the Jews did not become better with the change of government; but even in the times of the aristocracy, and under the kings, and during the oligarchy, they indulged in the same vices: under the control of judges, priests and kings, they showed no success in virtue.”v.

Nowadays, many people attach too much importance to various forms of political structure of society. However, we see, and this is obvious: with a change in government, people do not become better. The Jews also sinned under the patriarchs (the time from Abraham to David) - the communal-tribal, or nationalistic, period of government. They also sinned under kings (from David to Babylon) - the monarchical period of government. They also sinned under the rule of various religious oligarchic parties - a period of political pluralism. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ needed to come into this world, because no political and nationalistic speculation can protect a person from the power of sin. The Scripture says: “Cease ye to trust in a man whose breath is in his nostrils, for what is he?” (Isa. 2:22); and again: “Do not trust in princes, in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, and he returns to his land: on that day [all] his thoughts disappear” (Ps. 145: 3-4).

All forms of human government are evil to one degree or another. The ideal form of government is a theocratic monarchy (the power of church judges), when power entirely belongs only to God and only comes from Him, through His judges. When the Jews wanted to replace the theocratic monarchy (the power of the judge-priest Samuel) with an ordinary monarchy, the Lord God said to the prophet Samuel: “Listen to the voices of the people in everything that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). And the entire period of the kings was a period of spiritual decline. It is said: “For such a passover was not kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, and in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 23:22). Imagine, brothers and sisters, all these kings were so busy with themselves that Easter was not celebrated on all their days. Isn't this a decline? Isn't this a spiritual crisis?

And what can we say about other forms of government!.. Russia emerged from the Bolshevik “Egyptian” captivity, but what met it on the way to Orthodox Canaan? – Cult of the golden calf in the desert. And they want to make us all jump and rejoice around this new golden idol. Now the national idea of ​​Russians is one - enrichment. We need a period of judges who alone can lead Russia to the Land of the Promised Revival of Holy Rus'. The period when the judicial and legislative powers will be under the complete control of the prophet-judges, the priest-judges.

"For our sake man"

Christ. Mosaic of Saint Sophia of Constantinople

Third question: why is it said in Matthew that from Babylon to Christ there are fourteen generations, but when we count, we find only thirteen? Chrysostom explains: “It seems to me that he (that is, the Evangelist Matthew. - Archpriest O.S.) counts among the generations the time of captivity (captivity of sin. - Archpriest O.S.) and Jesus Christ Himself, copulating Him with us everywhere. "vi. In other words, Christ entered this world according to Divinity, but according to Humanity, He left it. He united and became completely akin to us and thus became one of us. The Apostle Paul wrote: “He, being in the form of God... made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

So, from the entire genealogy of Christ it becomes obvious that the Son of God does not disdain our depravity and defilement (remember defiled women). If the Lord did not disdain them, this means that He does not disdain you and me. On the other hand, the fact that at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew the names of defiled women are given is evidence that the Gospel itself was written for those who consider themselves sinful and defiled. Therefore, if you consider yourself righteous, then do not read it or listen to its interpretation. The “righteous” do not need Christ either. It is said: “You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ, having fallen from grace, but we in the spirit wait for and hope for the righteousness of faith” (Gal. 5: 4-5). So, the Gospels were written, and the Son of God came into this world for the salvation of sinners, “for us for man’s sake and for our salvation”vii.

He is the One source of possible positive changes in the life of the entire human race, for which we ask every day in prayer: “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). And no amount of human political speculation can ensure a happy and decent life for all of us. This problem can only be solved with the advent of His Kingdom, “on earth as in Heaven.”

And having united Himself, becoming akin to us, He united us with His Heavenly Father Himself. It is said: “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him, and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that He might show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4–7). As the Holy Church teaches about the Son of God: He came down to earth to take us to Heaven - He became Man in order to make us God-likeviii.

The spiritual meaning of the names of the genealogy of Christ

Biblical names were given under the influence of the prophetic spirit and were characteristic of an entire generation

Now let’s look at the spiritual meaning (translation) of all the names of Christ’s genealogy in their order of 14 genera. As you know, biblical names were given under the influence of the prophetic spirit and, as a rule, were a characteristic for an entire generation

First 14 births:

1. Abraham is the “father of multitudes”;
2. Isaac - “laughter”;
3. Jacob (Israel) – “deceiver” (“soldier of God”);
4. Judas – “praised”;
5. Fares - “gap, hole”;
6. Esrom – “blooming”;
7. Aram – “high”;
8. Aminadab – “generous”;
9. Naason - “sorcerer”;
10. Salmon – “dark”;
11. Boaz – “witty”;
12. Ovid – “worshipper”;
13. Jesse - “wealth”;
14. David – “father’s brother”, “beloved”.

The general spiritual characteristics of the period from Abraham to David are as follows:

Genealogy of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Luke in the Book of Kells

(Abraham) – blessing through one is given to many; (Isaac) – this blessing turns into joy, but also bewilderment for posterity; (Jacob) - the hopes placed on the descendants turned out to be deceptive, but over time (Israel) - the situation changed for the better; (Judas) – the glorification of God continued; (Phares) - but a gap has already formed from the sins committed; (Esrom) – the flowering of spirituality continued; (Aram) – spiritual heights beckoned; (Aminadab) - and generous mercy poured out; (Naason) - spirituality could not stop sorcery and sorcery; dual faith: magic and monotheism coexisted; (Salmon) – from such coexistence and duality, darkness descended into this world; (Boaz) - but reason suggested a different direction; (Ovid) - the worship of God was preserved; (Jesse) - and it brought riches of spiritual life; (David) – as the fruit of the richness of spiritual life, love increased.

The next 14 births:

1. David – “father’s brother”, “beloved”;
2. Solomon – “prosperity”, “prosperity”, “peace”;
3. Rehoboam – “increasing the people”;
4. Abijah – “(my) father is Yahweh”;
5. Asa – “doctor”;
6. Jehoshaphat – “Yahweh judges”;
7. Joram - “Yahweh exalts”;
8. Uzziah – “my strength is Yahweh”;
9. Jotham - “Yahweh perfect”;
10. Ahaz - “he grabbed”;
11. Hezekiah – “Yahweh will strengthen”;
12. Manasseh – “who lets one forget”;
13. Amon – “master”;
14. Josiah – “Yahweh sustains.”

The spiritual characteristics of the generations from David to the Babylonian captivity were as follows:

(David) - brotherly love flourished; (Solomon) - from this peace and prosperity reigned in the world; (Rehoboam) - the people grew and became stronger both spiritually and physically; (Abiyah) – the awareness of sonship to God flourished; (Asa) - and this healed the hearts of the people; (Jehoshaphat) – we had to not forget about the judgments of God; (Joram) - it was necessary to remember that true greatness (exaltation) comes only from God; (Uzziah) – one could look for true strength only in God; (To Jotham) – perfection had to be found only in God, without relying on one’s own strength; (Ahaz) - the enemy could take possession of everyone’s soul; (Hezekiah) - only God could strengthen; (Manasseh) - He (God) consigned to oblivion the sins of those who repent; (Amon) – the Creator miraculously showed His care; (Josiah) – thus, God supported the life of entire generations.

Last 14 names:

1. Jehoiachin – “established by Yahweh”;
2. Salafiel - “I asked God”;
3. Zerubbabel – “born in Babylon”;
4. Abihu – “(my) father is He”;
5. Eliakim - “God has established”;
6. Azor – “helper”;
7. Zadok - “He (God) showed Himself righteous”;
8. Achim – “brother”;
9. Eliud - “God praised”;
10. Eleazar - “God helps”;
11. Matfan - “gift”;
12. Jacob – “deceiver”;
13. Joseph - “He will add”;
14. Jesus – “Yahweh saves.”

The spiritual characteristics of the generations from Babylon to Christ were as follows:

(Jechoniah) – one could only hope for steadfastness and affirmation in God; (Salafiel) - therefore it was necessary to multiply prayers; (Zerubbabel) - after all, the spirit of Babylon continued to live among the people; (Abihu) - but we had to remember the Spirit of God; (Eliakim) - after all, only He (the Lord) could establish in the truth; (Azor) – humanity needed help; (Zadok) - He (the Lord) also affirmed in righteousness; (Achim) - a believer became a brother to another believer; (Eliud) – it was necessary to praise the name of God; (Eleazar) – help from God was approaching; (Matthan) – the gift of salvation promised from God was approaching; (Jacob) – true faith could change the fate and name of everyone; (Joseph) – God Himself could replenish everything; (Jesus) – salvation from God has come.

The mosaic of the meanings of names leads to the Coming of Christ, revealing the spiritual meaning of the expectations of the human race

This mosaic of the meanings of names led us to the very Coming of Christ, revealing the spiritual meaning of the expectations and experiences of the human race on the eve of the manifestation of its Salvation. The name as a symbol is a common occurrence in biblical exegesis. As an example, we can cite the following words of the Apostle Paul: “There is an allegory in this. These are two covenants: one from Mount Sinai, who gives birth to slavery, which is Hagar, for Hagar means Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem ... "(Gal. 4: 24-25).

A similar system of allegorical interpretation in Christianity was more characteristic of the Alexandrian theological school. Many holy fathers adhered to a similar system of interpretation, especially the Sinaitic fathers.

It is in vain that some people think that the genealogy of Christ is a dry and meaningless list of names. First, we have already seen that the names of four sinful women are indicated in the genealogy in order to give hope to other sinners for salvation. Moreover, it is significant that the names of the three kings who followed Jehoram are omitted. These kings reigned from 884 to 810 BC; their names are Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah. These kings, unlike the sinful women cited above, were unrepentant sinners and were not worthy of having their names mentioned in the genealogy of Christ. Truly, the only unforgivable sin, as the holy fathers teach, is unrepentant sin. So the genealogy of Christ has a more religious and less historical significance.

If we are alive and the Lord allows, we will continue these conversations.

Prophecy of the Seed of Abraham

Abraham (father of many - Heb.) is the ancestor of several Semitic tribes, of which the main ones are Jews (through a son named Isaac) and Arabs (through Ishmael). Abraham was born at the turn of the 3rd - 2nd millennium BC. in the city of Ur (now Orpah), on the Euphrates River. At the age of 75, he received a revelation from God and, together with his wife Sarah, went to the land of Canaan (future Palestine). Here Abraham received another revelation in which God promised to give this land to his descendants (hence the name “Promised Land”). The Lord appeared to Abraham many times and promised that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Here, for example, is one of these promises: “... I will bless you with blessing and multiply I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven and like the sand that is on the seashore... and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have listened to My voice” (Gen. 22: 17-18).

Both Jewish and Christian traditions regard these words as a blessing to all the nations of the earth through Christ, who would be born of Abraham. Only Christians believe that the Savior has already come - it was Jesus of Nazareth. And the Jews are still waiting for their Messiah.

The genealogy tells us what a long and difficult path humanity had to go through before being able to meet Christ. This path was and remains difficult; the believer will face both ups and downs, moments of real spiritual joy and frightening hopelessness, encounters with true holiness and obvious meanness. The main thing is to go. The end of the journey is the meeting with Christ.

And finally, the last thing. The Gospel is an infinitely deep book, with many meanings that are gradually, rather than immediately, revealed to understanding. All Christians try to read it at least a little every day and throughout their lives and can always find and constantly find in it something relevant to themselves. Therefore, one should not think that something in the Gospel is unnecessary or outdated. It’s just that some things in the Gospel are difficult to understand, and even more difficult to follow, because we are not always able to perceive it... And you can turn several pages without reading, and sometimes this is even necessary, but only in order to someday necessarily return to him again.

Hope for the future

One day Israel as a people will enjoy this security when we as a nation return to the son of David, the Lord Messiah Yeshua, as prophesied in Hosea 3:5: “After this the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king and they will revere the Lord and His goodness in the last days.”

Today, each of us personally can return to our true Lord and King, Yeshua, and be saved, live in security and accept His goodness. Let us “honor the Son” by submitting to His authority through obedience to His Word. By acknowledging our sins and relying on His atonement, trusting in His sacrifice, we can rest knowing that He is our Lord and our Righteousness.

Author - Sam Nadler / wordofmessiah.org Translation - Irina Petra for

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