The Jews were fascinated with genealogies, which were lists of ancestors or descendants. They compiled the lists to show biological descent, the right of inheritance, and succession to an office. The most important use of the genealogies, preserved in the temple, would be for proving who would be rightful heir to David’s throne.

Anyone who reads the gospel accounts carefully soon discovers that Matthew and Luke record two different genealogies for Christ. Matthew traces the descent of Jesus from Abraham and David, and divides it into three sets of fourteen generations. Matthew omits three generations after Joram, which was an accepted practice by the Jews, but he also lists five women, which was contrary to usual practice.

Luke traces the descent of Jesus from Adam, agreeing with three Old Testament genealogies (Genesis 5:1-32; 11:10-22; 1 Chronicles 1:1-7; 24-28) and with Matthew down to David, but deviating from Matthew significantly from David to Jesus. Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, while Luke gives the genealogy of Mary. Matthew 1:16 records “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Luke 3:23 records “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.” Matthew says “Jacob begat Joseph,” indicating that Joseph was the natural son of Jacob. On the other hand, Luke does not say that Heli begat Joseph, but that Joseph was the son of Heli, meaning “son-in-law.” Saul addressed his son-in-law David as “son” (1 Samuel 24:16). 

Thus Jesus is the legal heir of David through Joseph as well as Mary. In God’s marvelous providence, He preserved the genealogies until the birth of Christ and the subsequent recording of the information in the gospel accounts. With the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, the no longer needed genealogical records were lost.