The Gospels are very specific regarding the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Each of the four Gospels relates the life of Jesus Christ from a different perspective.

a. The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of Jesus Christ the King. The genealogy in Matthew shows Jesus Christ’s royal lineage from Abraham and David through his mother Mary.

b. The Gospel of Mark is written from the perspective of a servant. Neither the genealogy nor the birth of a servant is ever recorded in Mark. The record of Mark starts with Jesus Christ as a grown man.

c. The Gospel of Luke is written from the perspective of Jesus Christ as a human being -- a man. The genealogy recorded in Luke is through his adoptive father, Joseph.

d. The Gospel of John is written from the perspective of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Again, there is no human genealogy or childhood recorded in John.

The first chapter of Matthew outlines Jesus Christ’s royal lineage through the House of David. Mary had to be a direct descendant of David, or Jesus Christ’s claim to the throne of Israel would fail on legal grounds. Matthew 1: 16 of the King James version, and many other versions, contain a serious mistranslation that lead some readers to believe it is the genealogy through Joseph, the husband of Mary. Biblical research will clearly show that this is incorrect.

In verse 17, it is clear that God has placed a safeguard to enable us to avoid such a misunderstanding and mistranslation.

By carefully counting in the record of the Gospel of Matthew, we must take note that the first two groupings each contain 14 generations. The third group will only have 13 generations if Joseph were the husband of Mary. Verse 17 gives the first clue that there is an error in verse16. By counting the generations listed in Matthew 1: 2 - 16, we see that it doesn't add up.

Most theologians throughout the years have maintained that Matthew is giving the genealogy of Joseph, implying that Joseph is the husband of Mary. However, Matthew clearly states that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

That which is conceived in Mary is conceived by the Holy Spirit. Now let's take a look at the correct translation of Matthew 1: 16.

Another indication that this is not the genealogy through Joseph, the husband of Mary, is in Luke 3: 23.

We have taught time and time again that words in italics are added by the translators. However, in this situation, the King James Version places the words "the son" before 'of Heli' in italics. This is a serious and misleading error in translation. In the Stephens Greek Text, the two words 'the son' (huios) does appear. These words should not appear in italics. They were not added by the translators. They were erroneously put in italics by the translators.

A closer look at the Greek text of Matthew 1: 16 reveals the mistranslation of the word 'husband'.

In Greek texts, the word for 'husband' in this verse is 'andra'. The root of this word is 'aner', and is generally used for a male person of full age and stature such as a ‘father’. The translation of the word must be based on the context of the verse. Other examples include:

In the above four verses, 'aner' has been translated as 'sirs', 'prophet', 'man', and 'murderer'. Seeing the various ways in which 'aner' is used in the bible, we must look closely at the preceding verses to find it's true meaning. In the context of Matthew 1: 16, we see how it should have been translated as 'father'. This Joseph was the father of Mary. In Luke 3: 23 the Joseph being referred to is not the same person as in Matthew 1: 16. That Joseph is the husband of Mary. You should reread and study this point until it becomes clear to you. Now, the math pertaining to the (14) fourteen generations is also correct:

Aramaic versions of the Bible also indicate that the Joseph in Matthew 1: 16 is the father of Mary. 'Aner' in Aramaic is the word 'gbra', which means 'mighty man'. A man who is head of a household (a father) is referred to as the 'mighty man'. 'Bala' is the Aramaic word for husband, and is used a few verses later.

First, let’s review Matthew 1: 16 one more time.

Now we see the word ‘bala’ in the next verse which is used for ‘husband’.

So, we can clearly trace the royal lineage of Jesus Christ through the human blood of his mother Mary. This proves he has the legal right to be King of Kings.

The Gospel of Luke recounts the genealogy of Jesus Christ’s adoptive father Joseph. In Eastern culture the male side of the family is considered the legal side. Since it was supposed that Joseph was Jesus Christ’s father, this genealogy would have been considered more important.

Luke relates Jesus Christ’s life as a man, a mortal human just like the rest of us. The genealogy is listed like that of the common man, which goes in reverse of royal lineage. It begins with Jesus, and works back through the generations. We see that these verses go all the way back to Adam. Here the generations are listed in order starting with Adam:

God

In each Gospel, we see a different perspective of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the record of Jesus Christ the King, and the genealogy recorded in chapter one reflects the royal human lineage of Jesus Christ. The book of Luke relates the life of Jesus Christ as a human, and the genealogy recorded in chapter three is written as that of a common man. The Gospels of Mark and John contain no human genealogy. As a servant in Mark, Jesus Christ’s lineage would not be considered important. In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is the son of God, which is the only genealogy that is necessary. The final work of Jesus Christ, of course, was to provide us with the opportunity to become children of God and part of God’s family tree.