On a Jewish counter-missionary website, I saw the following argument why Jesus cannot be the Messiah. It is based on the genealogies given in Matthew and Luke.

The website is at: http://www.messiahpage.com/htmldocs/whynotj.html

-- Cut and pasted from the above site --

7) The problem with his genealogy.
One Counter-missionary I spoke with said this alone was the biggest factor in his list of why Jesus did not qualify as the Jewish Messiah.

Even if Jesus had accomplished all that the prophets spoke of his genealogy alone would disqualify him as being Messiah!

The Messiah must be a descendent of King David.

A) Christians say: this can be done by using Joseph's lineage.

• However Christianity claim to Jesus being born of Mary/The Virgin Birth removes Joseph from the picture.
• Christians then say: that Joseph adopted Jesus and passed on his lineage by way of adoption!
• There is NO Biblical basis to this concept of passing on ones line through adoption.
  Since Joseph descended from Jeconiah. He then falls under the curse of that King! Which means that none of his (Jeconiah's) descendants could ever sit as King upon the throne of David
  (Jeremiah 22:30; 36:30)

B) Some will trace Jesus back to King David using Mary's lineage.
(Third chapter of Luke)

• Problem, the third chapter of Luke traces Joseph's genealogy not Mary's.
• Problem, even if Mary's line could somehow be traced back to King David- tribal affiliation goes only through the father, not the mother.
  Num1:18; Ezra 2:59
  
• Problem, if the family line could go through the mother, Mary does not qualify as being from a legitimate Messianic family. Since the Messiah must be a descendent of David THROUGH his son Solomon.
  (II Sam. 7:14; I Chron 17:11-14, 22:9-10, 28:4-6)
  
  But Luke - goes through David's son Nathan, not Solomon!
  Another issue is that of Luke and Matthew listing both Shaeltiel and Zerubbabel as descendants from "the cursed" Jeconiah. Should Mary descend from them, this would not be of any help.>

-- end cut and paste

My question is: What is the Christian solution to these problems?

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 21, 2003

Answers

Wayne: OK. Where do I find a good exegetical comment?

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 21, 2003.

Actually I did find this site. It seems to be Catholic, but may not accurately represent official Church teaching.

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 21, 2003.

Thanks, Wayne. I'll look for one of them.

I found this other Jewish counter-missionary site which points out that according to Jewish tradition, the curse of Jeconiah has been lifted. It even suggests that his grandson Zerubabbel is expected to be an ancestor of the Messiah. It is http://www.messiahtruth.com/curse.html. Warning: it is highly critical of the gospel genealogies.

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 21, 2003.

In his epistle to the Hebrews Paul related to us God's Will; and an explanation for the Jew's blindness. When the full entry of all Gentiles is accomplished for God's Church, He alone will open the eyes of the Jews. They shall acknowledge their King & Messiah as a nation. Till then, God really wants them in the dark.

As for the genealogical truth of Jesus and Mary, we have God's own Word, through the Angel Gabriel: ''He (Jesus) shall be great, called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father.'' There is no higher authority.

Without intent to berate today's Synagogue, we should realise His kingship was denied by their ancestors. Who were these? Anxious Jews, determined to resist; and not above paying the ones who had guarded Jesus' tomb to lie to the people. These were the elders & chief priests of Jerusalem. Consulting over it when the guards reported what had transpired at His tomb; gave the soldiers ''much money, telling them, 'Say,that His disciples came by night and stole Him while ye were sleeping. And if the Procurator hears of this, we will persuade him and keep you out of trouble,' ''(Matt 28:11 to 15). Naturally, today's Synagogue which disputes the true Messiah, will hardly take the New Testament Word for this all, if God hasn't allowed it.

God found it quite simple to bring ONE adamant and self-confident Jew around to the truth.

From the bitter enemy of the Church to her holy Apostle, in one day! Saul the Pharisee; turned rump over teakettle on the road to Damascus; our great Saint Paul. That is the power of Jesus Christ!

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), June 21, 2003.

from the New American Bible footnotes for Matthew: "The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph's adoption the child belongs to the family of David."

-- Phil (ironchefphil@yahoo.com), June 21, 2003.

Eugene:

Excellent point and scripture quote. Luke 1:32 is certainly all that a Christian needs for a firm faith that Jesus is the Messiah and of the House of David. We don't need the genealogies for this. I am aware that my query falls in the category of speculations discouraged by 1 Tim 1:4 and Titus 3:9.

However, there must be a Catholic response to the apparent problems raised by the genealogies. These problems must have been obvious from the earliest days of Christianity. The Jewish website I mentioned only lists modern Protestant attempts to deal with them. Here are the issues where I still have doubts:

• How do we account for the difference between the two genealogies? Are we as Catholics required to believe that the genealogy in Luke is that of Mary, and that in Matthew is that of Joseph? What was the consensus of the Church Fathers?
• How have the Church Fathers dealt with the curse of Jeconiah, if at all? Do they concur with the Jewish scholars who opine that the curse has been lifted, citing later texts like Haggai 2:23?
• What about the fact that Luke's genealogy does not go through Solomon and Asa? How is this interpreted?

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 21, 2003.

Pay close attention:

''And Jesus Himself, when He began His work, was about thirty years of age,

BEING--AS WAS SUPPOSED--the son of Joseph. (stop.) At that pause, we LEAVE Joseph, return to the Son of God.

''(Jesus) the Son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janne, the son of etc., etc., and back to Nathan, son of David. This is the male line of MARY, not Joseph. (Luke 3, 23 to 31) --Mary's own sire was Levi, and the male line was her own Son's. This is misunderstood by scholars. They are mistaking Levi for Joseph's father. Not Mary's.

Levi was Joachim's name at birth, and, as often happened in scripture, a new name was later assigned him; owing to a new dignity. Such as, Abram--into Abraham; and Simon--into Peter, and Saul--into Paul.

Levi is Mary's father, Joachim. The male line came to Jesus by blood and His holy mother. Because, as we know, He had no mortal father.

The fact Nathan is excoriated by the Jews is irrelevant. God has simply misled them for His own divine reasons, His Will. Jesus is descended from David as sure as the Father lives! Gabriel clearly says so. If the Synagogue is unsatisfied with that; WHAT OF IT?

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), June 21, 2003.

Eugene:

My NJB Luke genealogy records ... son of Heli (=Eli, not Levi), which in Aramaic is a standard short form for Joachim (=Eliachim).

Found this resource which may add more to the discussion.

Also the Catholic encyclopedia has an article here. Haven't read it as the site currently isn't working.

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), June 22, 2003.

Yes, I've recalled the detail. In the works I read, Levi- Heli are written as one name. I'll try to recver the source, and show it here.

Thanks for the helpful word. We have unity and we know the truth. Gracias a Dios!

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), June 22, 2003.