Question: The scriptures clearly state the claim of Jesus to the throne of David. This claim was through Solomon and eventually through Jehoiakim and Jeconiah. Both Jehoiakim and Jeconiah were cursed by God and told that they would have no physical descendants who would prosper on the throne of David. How can this seeming contradiction be reconciled?
Answer: The gospel of Matthew, it is commonly accepted, was written to the Jews, who were very interested in family heritage and legal entitlement. As such, Matthew presents the lineage of Jesus beginning with Abraham, through David the King to Joseph, the husband of Mary and legal, but not genetic, father of Jesus. The focus of Matthew’s account is to provide us clear proof that Jesus was the legal heir to the throne of David and the promised Messiah through his lineage from David and Abraham. This we see emphasized in the opening verse, Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
The scriptures clearly state the claim of Jesus to the throne of David. One example is the instance when the angel spoke to Mary and told her, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
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Author: The Advocate
Keywords: Cursed by God, Jesus' claim, Jesus's claim, Sons of Jeconiah, Sons of Jehoakim, David's throne, Right to David's throne, The claim of Jesus, Genealogy of Jesus, Ancestry of Jesus, Jesus' ancestry, Jesus's ancestry
Bible reference(s): 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Jeremiah 22:30, Jeremiah 36:30, Matthew 1:11-12, Matthew 1:16, Luke 1:31-33, Luke 3:31, Acts 2:29-30
Source: “Question Box,” The Christadelphian Advocate.
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