Lesson 2 | The Context of Cfs
Assignment: Luke 3:23-38
Go through all the questions and answer as many as you know. After doing so, return to the Biblearc app to continue your study, if need be.
The refers-back-type cross-references (with their contexts) for “the son of Jesse” show us that David was the (number) of (number) sons born to Jesse.
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Before either was born, the LORD said that both and , the sons of were to become two divided peoples. The younger , however, was to be the greater nation and it is through his line that we come to Jesus.
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The birth of to was a direct fulfillment of God’s promise, as seen in one of the cross-references.
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Jesus began his ministry at about thirty years of age. Which Old Covenant jobs also began at that age? (Hint: You will need to click on a cross-reference within a cross-reference to fully answer this question.)
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Verse 23 tells us that folks supposed that Jesus was the son of Joseph. Who, from elsewhere in the Bible, do we see definitely made that assumption?
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Notes on the Genealogies in Matthew and Luke
There are some minimal things to know when comparing the genealogies of Matthew and Luke.
- Matthew’s genealogy marches forward from Abraham to Jesus; Luke’s marches back from Jesus to Adam.
- It was an acceptable practice to skip mentioning a generation here and there.
- Sometimes a single person possessed multiple names, or multiple spellings of his name are used.
- It is possible that levarite marriages (where a brother was to marry his close relative’s widow to perpetuate his family line, as in the book of Ruth) come into play in these genealogies.
- Most Christians conclude that Luke’s genealogy is that of Mary, not Joseph, given the “as was supposed” language in verse 23 and the fact that in Greek Luke literally just says, “…of Heli, of Matthat, …” without repeating the explicit “the son of” as provided in English translations.
Starting from Abraham and going forward in time, the two genealogies diverge when Matthew lists while Luke lists .
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However, interestingly enough, the genealogies appear to come back together for two generations: and .
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There are two parallel passages following Luke’s genealogy from Abraham to Adam. In both cases, Luke lists one generation that is missing in the others (though found in the LXX):¹ . (Hint: Click the cross-reference related to “the son of Terah.” You will find it easiest to use the 1 Chronicles cross-references found there.)
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What was the biggest insight you gained from your study of the cross-references?
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How has God met with you in your study of this passage?
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When you are finished, continue to the next step and submit the lesson. After you do so, the instructor's work will be available for you to review while you wait for your coach to give you feedback (typically within 3-5 days).