Jesus' Legal Title to David's Throne

Matthew's account presents Jesus Christ as King of the Jews by establishing His legal qualifications through the genealogy of Joseph. A careful study reveals that He is the only one who could have met all the requirements relating to God's promise to David.

His lineage is established from Abraham with whom God made the foundational covenant with the Jews. It continues forward to Christ through David and Solomon. In doing so three groups of fourteen generations are listed highlighting key people in Christ's ancestry. Unique to this list are the four women whose significant place in Israel's history is a display of God's sovereign grace. These women are not even all Jews as through them God was to provide salvation for all the nations of the earth.

Christ, not being a physical descendent of Joseph, avoided coming under the curse on Jeconiah that disqualified his direct descendents. The conclusion of the genealogy is significant as Joseph is identified as "the husband of Mary" rather than as the father of Jesus. However, Joseph being the legal father of Jesus gave Him the legal right to the throne of David. Christ's physical right to the throne is established through Mary as seen by her genealogy as recorded by Luke.

For the promises made to David to be fulfilled Israel first needed a Savior from their sin so they would be spiritually fit to be in the promised kingdom over which Christ will rule when He comes the second time.