23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (Luke 3:23-38 KJV)
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), the same age Joseph stood before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46), David began to reign (2 Samuel 5:4), and priests began full service (Numbers 4:3). Some believe he had completed twenty-nine years and was entering his thirtieth year. His public ministry lasted about three and a half years—a period emphasized in Scripture (Luke 4:25; James 5:17; Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11:2-3; 12:14)—symbolizing the time of prophetic witness and Christ’s earthly work in humility.
Luke provides a longer genealogy than Matthew, tracing Jesus’ lineage not only to Abraham but all the way to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). Matthew’s purpose was to show that Jesus was the son of Abraham and heir to David’s throne, so he starts with Abraham and traces the line down through David and Solomon to Joseph. Luke, emphasizing Jesus as the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), traces the line upward through David’s son Nathan to Adam, highlighting Jesus’ connection to all humanity.
Some suggest that Luke gives Mary’s genealogy, beginning with Heli, her father, rather than Joseph’s. The phrase “as was supposed, the son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23) may actually mean “Jesus, as recorded, was the son of Joseph, of Heli, of Matthat,” etc. In this view, Luke follows Jewish records and traces Mary’s ancestry, while Matthew presents Joseph’s legal line. Though skeptics have challenged the differences between the two accounts, careful study has shown that both reflect accurate records preserved by the Jews. The evangelists likely copied from official genealogical archives, and these differences reflect their distinct purposes rather than errors.
A discrepancy between Luke 3:36 and Genesis 10:24 and 11:12 concerns a figure named Cainan. Luke includes Cainan as the son of Arphaxad and father of Shelah, though this name is absent from the Hebrew Old Testament. However, the Septuagint, a Greek translation used by Hellenistic Jews, includes this Cainan, and since Luke was writing for a Greek-speaking audience, he followed that version.
The genealogy ends with “Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38). This may refer to Adam’s unique creation by God. Others interpret it as referring to Christ himself, who is both the Son of Adam and the Son of God—uniquely qualified to be the Mediator who reconciles humanity to God and enables us to become God’s children through him (cf. Romans 5:12-19; Galatians 4:4-5).