The Differences in the Genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke
Differences between the two Gospels:
Matt. written to Jews to show that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah
Luke written to Gentiles to show that God became a man
Differences between the two genealogies:
Matt. descending order, from Abraham to Jesus
Luke ascending order, from Jesus to Adam
Matt. from David through Solomon
Luke from David through Nathan
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
- this is gramatically a parenthesis
- no article before Joseph’s name, as there is before all others.
- Joseph’s name is not considered to be a part of the genealogy.
- this genealogy is that of Mary, whose father was Heli
- traces Jesus’ physical descent from David thru Mary’s line.
- Matt. traces Jesus’ legal descent from David thru Joseph’s line.
- Jesus has both a legal and physical claim to the throne of David.
Does the Bible say anything about Cremation?
The Bible mentions cremation in several situations:
Joshua 7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
Leviticus 20:14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.
Leviticus 21:9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.
1 Samuel 31:11-12 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.
However, the normal Jewish OT practice was to bury dead bodies.
The Christians followed this precedent.
- they spoke of the body as being “asleep” in death
- they regarded the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit
Conclusion: While the Bible nowhere forbids cremation, the normal practice of the early church, and the church in general through history, has been burial because of our concept of the body. In conditions that would warrant cremation (e.g. no more land for cemeteries), there is no biblical sanction against it. How a body is disposed of in no way affects the ability of Christ to raise it up at the Rapture.
Will there be sadness in heaven?
Yes and no. It depends upon what time it is.
In present age, it seems that there is the possibility of sadness in heaven.
Job 1:6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Revelation 6:9-10 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
However, in the age to come…
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
God will somehow take away the possibility that we will feel regret for our own sins, the sins of others, and the absence of unbelievers in heaven. Our sense of earthly family love will be replaced by our love for the family of God. When we get to heaven, we will understand that we are now with our true family and that they are all there. No one will be missing.
How long was Jesus in the grave?
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
There are many instances in Scripture where it is said that Jesus rose on the third day. (e.g. 1 Cor. 15:4) If he spent a full three days and three nights in the grave (i.e. 72 hours), then it would have been impossible for him to have risen on the third day. He would have had to have risen on the fourth day.
It was, and in some respects, still is a common practice to refer to any part of a day as a full day, or - in the ancient Jewish idiom - a “day and a night”.
Therefore, Jesus was in the tomb…
part of Friday… the first “day and a night”
all of Saturday… the second “day and a night”
part of Sunday… the third “day and a night”
He rose early on Sunday morning, the third day.
Sins of the fathers visited upon the children
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Exodus 34:7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”
Jeremiah 32:18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty,
The consequences of rejecting God are severe. A father who rejects Godis not just making that choice for himself, but for his children and grand-children as well. He is setting up conditions in his home whereby the children will not learn to honor and obey the Lord, but reject Him. When the children in turn become parents, they will most likely reproduce these conditions in their home. This cycle of godlessness is not easily broken.
However, a look at the next verse in Exodus shows that God will honor those who honor him, and establish a pattern of blessing.
Exodus 20:6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Why don’t we have a youth group?
The youth ministry is a very important ministry in the church. Like every ministry, it needs qualified and committed leadership from mature believers who sense that God has called them to it. Since coming to LBC, I have asked God to raise up an individual, or a couple, or perhaps even a team of people who would see the youth ministry as their particular calling. So far, that hasn’t happened. Until God lays this burden upon someone’s heart, and they respond to his call, we are unable to have a youth ministry.
Differences among the Gospels
The four Gospels were written by four different individuals to different audiences with different purposes in mind.
Matthew - to Jews, to emphasize that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.
Mark - to Romans, to emphasize the power of Jesus that he used to serve
Luke - to Greeks, to emphasize that God became a man.
John - to supplement the others, to emphasize that Jesus is God.
The first three Gospels are noticeable similar.
they share much common material
e.g. there are only 31 verses in Mark that are found nowhere else.
The fourth Gospel is quite different. In the accounts of the crucifixion, it differs in several respects:
- the trial before Annas
- the lengthy trial before Pilate
- the time of the crucifixion (sixth hour rather than third)
All four are absolutely trustworthy, however, since all are inspired Scripture. Historical details have been gathered from several eyewitnesses. Mark consulted with Peter. Luke consulted with Mary. Where there are seeming disagreements, they can be shown to harmonize.
See Blomberg: The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. (in our Library)