The King’s Lineage and his birth. St. Matthew the evangelist was writing to the Jews about our Lord Jesus Christ being the Messiah King, the long awaited for by all the forefathers and the prophets, He is the one to offer the true salvation. Therefore, St. Matthew has declared his lineage and his birth. 1. The lineage of the Jesus Christ 2. The tree of lineage 3. The number of generations 4. The betrothed St. Mary 5. Joseph’s dream 6. The birth of Christ the firstborn 1. The lineage of Jesus Christ Some may ask the question: Why does the Holy Book lay so much stress on the lineage of the Lord Jesus? Why does St. Matthew mention it in the opening chapters and St. Luke the evangelist after the Lord's baptism? (Luke 3) First, we know the agnostics even though its great men appeared in the second century, yet its roots began at a very early stage. The agnostics denied the incarnation, claiming that the Lord Jesus appeared as a mirage or shadow. They hated the physical body and considered it an enemy, and a dark factor. So mentioning the lineage is an assurance of the truthfulness of God’s incarnation. The holy inspiration confirms that he, who is above all lineage, his become according to the body and has lineage. St Sawires the Antiochian says, “ To know him whose lineage can not be counted, for it is written about him in Isaiah 53:8 “ who could have imagined his Future?” More so, he was before all ages equal in eternity to the Father Himself. It was He who was counted in the lineage according to the physical body, for he is God in reality. He himself has become in the end of ages a man without any change. https://coptic-treasures.com/ ST. Matthew showed him as sharing our nature, so that no one would say he appeared as a shadow or a mirage. Secondly, St. Matthew wished to confirm that Jesus is the Messiah, the expected King. He therefore opens the lineage chain by saying ‘ the book of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David.’ St. Gerome says “St. Matthew disregarded all the names and mentioned David and Abraham, because God has promised only them openly of the Christ. He told Abraham (Gen22:18) “ and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” To David (Psalm 132:11) “one of the sons of you body I will set on you throne.” He has concentrated on King David and the father of all fathers Abraham, so as to declare He is the promised King, the son of David. He is the King hidden behind our human nature, the one to leave his perfect glory and splendor so as to give Satan a chance to have a fight with him like all other humans and consequently the Lord will overcome for our account. This is on one hand, on the other hand his being hidden gives us the opportunity to accept him and not be scared of his glory and escape the overwhelming greatness. We would rather accept encountering him and be united to him and firm in him. St John Chrysostom says the king does not constantly appear in a particular way for he sometimes puts the fine clothes and the throne aside and he gets disguised in an ordinary soldier’s clothes, so that the enemy would not concentrate on attacking him. But what occurred was the very contrary; the Lord has done so the enemy would not know him and escape fighting him. Also so that his people would not be astounded at his overwhelming glory, for he has come to save and not to scare. 3The real king has come incarnate, as a son to king David though the latter was actually a slave. He accepted the salve to be a father to him so we the slaves accept God a Father to us. As St. John Chrysostom says, “He accepted being called the son of David so as to make you the Son of God! He allowed a slave to become his father, so as to make you who is a slave having the Lord as your father! He was born in the flesh so as to give you birth according to https://coptic-treasures.com/ the spirit! He was born of a woman so you would no longer be a son to a woman! Thirdly: With this lineage he wished to confirm he was of Abraham’s offspring, a father to all believers who has obtained the promises that of his descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. It is as if he has come as a mystery of blessing to all the nations, offering excessive fatherhood that does not cease with the physical flesh and blood relation as believed by the Jews in their relation with Abraham. He has offered the heavenly fatherhood to every believer of every nation! 2. The Lineage Tree: Our teacher St. Matthew mentioned the King’s lineage before writing the birth events. Whereas St. Luke wrote it after speaking of the holy baptism (Luke 3). Many fathers were careful to explain this lineage rather extensively, but I find it find it important to explain it simply and briefly in the following points: Firstly: The lineage here was mentioned one following the other, starting with Abraham and ending with Joseph, Mary’s man, from whom Jesus Christ was born. In the gospel of tour teacher St. Luke, the genealogy came in the upward arrangement, from Jesus who was thought to be Joseph’s son (Luke 3:23) up to Adam the son of God. The forum speaks before the birth events, so as to declare the incarnate word of God, who, though he alone is sinless, yet he came of sinful descent, so as to carry for us the sin we have inherited from our forefathers. This is why the arrangement was descending. It is as if the iniquity is descending from one generation to the next, so the Lord carries it on his shoulders. But as for the other gospel, it follows the upward arrangement, for it follows the baptism, declaring through it the gift of God. He uplifts us so as to put us once more in our first position “ Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:37). The evangelist St. Matthew declares the Messiah, the one to carry our sins, and the evangelist St. Luke declares the pleasure of being God’s children in him. Secondly: The difference of the lineage in both tables is because St. Matthew when declaring the Lord Jesus as the one to carry our https://coptic-treasures.com/ sins, he mentions the natural lineage, according to flesh and blood. But as for St. Luke, he mentions our being children to God in Christ Jesus, in the lawful lineage sense, where a man can be attributed to the father of whom he is not physically born. As an example of this, ST. Joseph was biologically speaking, a son to Jacob. But he was Hale’s son according to the law, because Hale died having no son of his own, and therefore Jacob married his wife to produce an offspring to him, so his name would not be wiped out of Israel (Deut 25:5, Matt 42:4). It is as if St. Joseph who was engaged to St. Mary was son to king David according to both lists; whether it be the natural or lawful lineage, although there exists the difference. Thirdly: Since St. Matthew the herald in addressing the Jews to confirm the fact that Jesus is the Messaiah, the long awaited for he began the lineage with Abraham the chosen one, But St. Luke since he was writing to the Gentiles, the lineage ended with Adam the son of God, so as to include all humanity as children of God. Fourthly: The lineage came concerning St. Joseph, and not t. Mary, although the Lord Jesus was not of his offspring. This is because the Law of Moses attributes a person’s lineage to the father and not to the mother as the rest of the parental societies. If St. Joseph is not the biological father, yet he was blessed with the fatherhood of adoption. This is why we find St. Mary herself, the one to realize the mystery of his birth, telling the Lord, (Luke 2:48) “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” If the law makes a son for the dead one (Deut 25:5) when his wife delivers a child from the guardian, that’s all the more reason the Lord Jesus would be attributed a son to Joseph, even if not his offspring. The angel gave Joseph at the right of fatherhood as he was named for the says, “she will deliver a Son and call his name Jesus.” Fifthly: The lineage did not mention the names of great women the Jews could be proud of such as Sarah, Rebecca or Rachel. It just mentioned Tamar, who wore the clothes of a harlot (Gen 38) and also the Canaanite Rahab the prostitute (Josh 2:1) as well as https://coptic-treasures.com/ Bathsheba named ‘Eltiloria’ showing her sin with king David. ST. Sawires the Antiochian says, “this is to reveal our nature that has sinned and fell, and has fooled about and stumbled in indecent passions. These are the things Jesus came for to heal. When it tried to escape it was caught, when it dashed away in rage he caught it an stopped it and brought it back on the right track; Jesus therefore set it on himself the lineage of this nature that has been defiled, s he would cleanse it. It was sick and he healed it, it has fallen and he raised it. This was done in love and condescension to humanity. St. Jerome says ‘In the lineage of Jesus’ birth; no saint was mentioned, but rather the scorned ones. This means to say he has come for the sake of sinners, and was born of sinners so as to wipe out the sins of all. The evangelist heralded the King’s lineage freely without hiding what seems shameful. He broke down the haughtiness of the Jews who repeatedly say they are Abraham’s children. He came as a physician curing our weaknesses and not as a judge! Sixthly: St. Matthew our teacher mentioned in the descent some gentile women such as Ruth the Moabite and Rahab the Canaanite so as to declare he has come for the entire humanity, with regards to the gentiles as much as the Jews. St. John Chrysostom thinks Ruth is a symbol of the gentile church. She had left her father’s house and clung to the church of God and accepted to be a member in it, for he says, ‘As an example, look what happened to us. She was a stranger who was degraded to object poverty; and inspite of this, when Boaz saw her he didn’t scorn her poverty and neither did he get disgusted at her defiled birth. Likewise Christ accepts the church, for it is estranged and is in bad poverty. Christ takes the church as partner for great blessings, but she has to be like Ruth. If she doesn’t leave first her father, and rejects her house, her race, her city, and her relatives, then she will not obtain this marriage. In this way, the church leaves its traditions taken after its fathers; and at this point and not before, it will then become beloved by the groom. Concerning this, the prophet speaks to the church saying (Psalm 45:11,12) “Forget your people and your https://coptic-treasures.com/ father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty.” This is what Ruth did and she became a mother to kings, as happened with the church. Seventhly: Among the descent of Christ there are those who have brothers. We also notice the Lord came generally speaking descending not from the eldest sons, but from those who are not the firstborn biologically, such as Abraham, Jacob, Judah, David and Jonathan. The Lord came to declare that primehood is not based on the physical birth but rather on the worthiness of the spirit. The Lord has come (the second Adam) as the first born of the entire humanity. In him the believers become first born and his church is regarded as the church of first born. Eighthly: Our teacher St. Matthew mentioned in the lineage of the Lord fares different than Zareh. Fares represents the gentile church that has become the first born by being united with the first born Lord Jesus, whereas Zareh represents the Jews who have lost the primehood because of rejecting the unity with the firstborn. Zareh pulled out his hand first for he was the firstborn son but he was not born first. It was Fares who came first, yet Zareh replaced him and obtained the primehood. In this way the Jews appeared first as the eldest of humanity, yet they were deprived of primehood, and the gentiles obtained it instead of them. Ninethly: the bondsman of Babylon was mentioned to confirm that although the people were disciplined by becoming in bondage for a long time, yet they preserved their descent for the divined promise to be fulfilled of Christ’s coming. St. John Chrysostom comments on the mention of bondage, and not referring to the estrangement in Egypt. He says, they no longer feared the Egyptians, but they rather still feared the Babylonians. The first was an old issue that of going down to Egypt. But the second was still a new issue that has recently occurred. The first did not happen because of the sins they had committed, but the second was because of the disobedience. 3 The Generation number: https://coptic-treasures.com/ The evangelist divides the generations from Abraham to the coming of Christ into three phases; each of these includes 14 generations: a. from Abraham to David; the phase ends with the royal glory declared in David. b. From David to the Babylonian bondage, ending with the shame in bondage. c. From the bondage to the Lord Jesus which ends with the fulfillment of salvation, and wiping out the shame for the Messiah has come to possess. In our study of the book of Exodus (Ch 33) Origen the scholar noticed the number of stations at which the people of old stopped from Ramsis to the east bank of the river Jordan these were 42 stations. These symbolize the generations mentioned by St. Matthew the herald (3 phases x fourteen generations = 42). The journey symbolizes the crossing of the entire humanity in the wilderness of this world, so as to be liberated from the land of bondage, and the Pharaoh’s real bondage i.e. Satan and entering the promised land where we shall enjoy the glory of God’s children. The coming of the Lord Jesus offers to every believer the possibility of this crossing to enter with him by the Holy Spirit to the heavenly Father’s embrace. St. Augustine noticed in this descent that Yeknia has been mentioned twice; at the end of the second phase and at the beginning of the third one (Josh 11,12). For Yeknia was a contemporary of the Babylonian bondage, after being apponted king instead of his father. The holy book has not mentioned anything about his iniquities, but rather about the people and the leaders iniquities. The kingship has been taken away from him and he was driven to bondage because of the people’s sins. It is as if Yenia symbolizes the Lord Jesus who was counted twice; He came to the Jews so as to save them, but when they rejected him he went to the gentiles (Babylon) to save them. He is the corner stone that was rejected (PS 118:22). He bonded the gentile wall with that of the Jews so as to establish one church for all. https://coptic-treasures.com/ G.G. Boy thinks the evangelist St. Matthew divided the generations into three divisions. Each one is established on the astronomical number for David’s name, that in the Hebrew number of alphabets used in his name add up to 14. It is as if the saint wished to confirm the descent of the Lord Jesus is of David for three times, or as if the Lord is King for all the five stages. 4. The betrothed St. Mary: (Matt 1:18) “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child form the Holy Spirit. The Holy book confirmed that St. Mary was with Child in her womb from the Holy Spirit, who has prepared and sanctified her so that the Word of God would dwell in her. He was the only begotten Son of God. He was not of man’s offspring for being with child was fulfilled when she was still engaged to Joseph. Being engaged to the righteous Joseph was an essential matter for many reasons, some of which are mentioned by St. Jerome. Firstly: So that he would be of the line of St. Joseph, the relative of St. Mary; hence he is the promised messiah of David’s lineage of Judah’s tribe. Secondly: so that the virgin Mary would not be stoned according to the old law of Moses for being an adulteress. The Lord therefore gave her to the righteous saint who well knew the virtue of his betrothed one. Also, the angel assured him of the mystery of her being with child by the messiah, the savior Thirdly: so that the virgin saint might find someone to comfort her particularly in her flight to the land of Egypt. But, as to the question: Was the Lord born of a woman or of a virgin? St. Augustine answers: + “If not born of her, we might have suspected being born of her would defile him, as long as his essence is not defiled then there’s no fear of being born of a woman. + If he came as a man without being born of a woman, would make women desperate of themselves when recalling the first sin. https://coptic-treasures.com/ It is as if He’s addressing humanity saying: You have to know in God’s creation there is no evil, but it is rather the defiled passion that ruined the creation. Look, I have been born of a man, and born of a woman; therefore I do not scorn the creation. I only scorn the sin I have not brought. For the very same reason, we find that women were the first to herald the resurrection to the apostles. In paradise, woman spoke of death to her man, and in the church women declared salvation to men.” Helphidious, at the end of the fourth century, comments on the Gospel’s words before they lived together she was found with child. This is good proof of their becoming together after the Lord’s birth; he denied the virginity of St. Mary. I have previously dealt with this issue rather extensively; therefore I think it enough by using some statements said by St. Jerome in answer: If someone says ‘before dinner’ at the port , I sailed to Africa” are his words untrue, unless he is forced to have dinner after his sailing? And if I say St. Paul the apostle was imprisoned in Rome before he went to Spain” or if I say “death almost came to Helphidiores before he repents” Is it essential that St. Paul is set free from prison and leaves straight to Spain? Or is it necessary that Helphidious repents after his death? When the evangelist says “before they were together” he is pointing to the time before marriage; making clear that matters have been fulfilled quickly, because she was engaged and was soon to become a wife. Before this, she was found with child from the Holy Spirit. What follows does not mean he came to Mary after delivery” 5- Joseph’s Dream: (Matt 1:9) “ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous mand and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” The pregnancy signs were beginning to be apparent on the Virgin St. Mary. This was enough to arouse anger, and to give him the lawful right to take her to the priests so as to punish her by being stoned. But because he was righteous, and he well knew the saint’s decency and purity, he was greatly disturbed. In tenderness and kindness, he did not open the subject with anyone, not event https://coptic-treasures.com/ the saint herself. He did not thing either of expelling her, but rather to dismiss her quietly” i.e. to divorce her. We know that according to the Jewish custom, the engagement period gives the same rights and commitments concerning marriage, except for the physical matrimonial relationship. This why the angel called her “Your woman,” (Matt 1:20) an issue that we studied previously. St. Jacobe El Serongy comments on this noble behavior on St. Joseph’s part by saying, The elderly one looked at her tummy, the one he engaged and the righteous one was amazed! He saw the sensible and shy girl, and was astounded in his mind! She appeared so modest, and her tummy was full, he was bewildered as what to do! She looked so pure, and had a peaceful appearance, and what was in her tummy began to move! In her body she was so pure, and her pregnancy was apparent! He was overwhelmed with her decency and the glory she had, and yet because of her pregnancy he was angry. The righteous one was so sad at heart for this pure virgin’s pregnancy. He was too embarrassed to ask her and thought of dismissing her secretly. Some ask, was it necessary to dismiss her secretly? St. Jerome answers: The signs were so obvious, if he did not dismiss her he would be considered guilty according to the law. It is not only he who committed the sin is to pay the penalty, but also he who witnesses and does not act against her. (Matt 1:20) “But just when he resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife , for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” God has seen the disturbance of this righteous man, and his wise and prudent behavior, and therefore he wished to calm him down. He sent Joseph and anel in a dream to reveal to him the mystery of conception. God did not offer him a vision when he was awake “for he was increasingly strong in faith and was in no need of a vision” as St. John Chrisostom said. St. Jerome comments on the angel’s address to St. Mary, that she is Joseph’s woman, saying “ We know it is the usual custom for the Holy Book to give this name to those engaged. This is what confirmed in the following Proverb in the book of Deuteronomy; https://coptic-treasures.com/ (Deut 22:23-24) “ If there is a young woman, a virgin already engaged to be married, and a man meets her in the town and lies with her , you shall bring both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death, the young woman because she did not cry for help in the town, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil form you midst.” (Revise Deut. 20:7) St. John Chrysostom also says, Here he calls the engaged one a wife,” and the Book is used to calling those engaged “married” even before the marriage takes place. What does the word “takes” mean? It means to protect her in your house, because he took her intentionally. Keep this you have taken, since she is in your custody form the Lord, and not form her parents. The angel says, “ Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” (Matt 1:21,23) The angel gave the righteous Joseph this honor to be a parent though the Lord Jesus was not of his issue. He gave Joseph the right to name him, though the name was not of his own, but it was a divine declaration. It is “Jesus” which means in Hebrew “Jehovah saves!” As the angel says “ He will save his people of their sins.” St. John Chrysostom says, “ His people are not only the Jews, but it includes all those who are drawn close to him, and accept the knowledge springing up from him. As for the word “virgin” in Hebrew it is “Olmah” this concerns a young virgin possibly engaged but still unmarried. This applied perfectly to St. Mary. 7. The Birth of Jesus the Firstborn: 8. (Matt 1:25) “but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son, and he named him Jesus.” Helphidioris insisted on denying the constant virginity of St. Mary. He said the word ‘until’ means he knew her after the birth. The expression ‘her firstborn’ points to the presence of other children who are not firstborns. St Jerome answers: The words ‘knew her’ does not necessarily mean marital relationship, though it could mean that too. It is as if St. Joseph did not know what St. Mary obtained as great blessings are concerned until she gave birth to Jesus Christ. As for the word ‘ until’, it does not mean his knowing https://coptic-treasures.com/ her physically has been fulfilled after her delivery. St. Jerome gave many examples for this. When the apostle says (1Cor 15:25) “For he must reign until he has put all the enemies under his feet” Will the Lord reign until his enemies are under his feet and at this point his reign will stop? The hymn singer also says (Psalm 123:2) “our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy upon us.: Is the prophet looking up to God until he Obtains mercy and at this point he turns his eyes from him to the ground? St. John Chrysostom says Here he used the word ‘until’ not that you doubt and think he knew her afterwards. It is to let you know that the Virgin was like this before the birth, untouched by any man. It may be asked, “why had the word until been used?” The answer is because it was usual for the Book to us this expression without specifying a certain time. With regards to the ark, it was said the raven has not returned till the land dried up (Gen 8:7) even though it never returned. As for the expression the ‘firstborn’ this does not mean the Lord Jesus had younger brothers from St. Mary, and that he is eldest. The firstborn is counted so for every one who opens the womb even if there were no other brothers to follow. St. Jerome answers Helphidoous ‘every single son is firstborn, but not every firstborn is the only son. The expression ‘firstborn’ does not signify a person with younger brothers. It points to whoever has an older brother than himself. The Lord tells Aaron (Numbers 18:15) “ The first issue of the womb of all creatures, human and animal, which is offered to the Lord, shall be yours; but the firstborn of human beings you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.” The Lord’s words here makes known the ‘firstborn’ as he who opens the womb. If he has younger brothers it would have been essential not to offer the firstborn of pure animals to priests unless there were younger ones to be born. Also no ransom would have been paid for man, and defiled animal, except after being sure of delivering younger brothers.
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