Some Questions About the Birth of Christ You May Not Have Thought to Ask

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 12-26-17 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Ezekiel]

Thus the royal line is passed through Jesus’ legal father, and his physical descent from David is established by Mary’s lineage.

The scholars have to really work at this stuff to keep the dogma about Joseph being a stepfather afloat. Meanwhile, the Messiah is the son of David. Son to son to son. Y chromosome. Tribe father, religion mother. Nobody's going to recognize because traditions void out the Word of God.

This is what happened when man couldn't see any other dynamic for a virgin birth, other than to decide that the Messiah has to be god then.

In this day and age especially, there is absolutely no excuse for that. For almost *40 years* now, man has caused conception by means of physicians and lab technicians. That does not mean those people are the babies' fathers, except for those creepy stories of malevolent fertility docs 'getting around'.

[Mrs. Don-o]

It does not say that it is the genealogy of Mary. It simply notes that Jesus was "the son, as was thought, of Joseph..." and on from there.

However, the two genealogies (Matthew 1 and Luke 3) are clearly of two different people, since they have so few names in common, so little overlap, especially after David; and logically, every person has genealogies from two sides of the family, the father's side and the mother's side.

Since Jesus is legally son of David and heir to David's throne from his legal father's side (via Solomon), it is a reasonable inference that Luke's genealogy shows Jesus is also the natural son of David on his natural mother's side (via Nathan.)

It's no more than a strong, reasonable inference. It is strengthened by the fact that of all the four Gospels, Luke's was most clearly written, especially in the first chapters, from Mary's point of view.

A strong case can be made that Luke was a historian who used Mary as one of his prime sources.

[BikerTrash]

Curve ball for y'all...

Mary's cousin Elisabeth, "was of the daughters of Aaron," (Luke 1:5). In other words, a Levite. Being the wife of Zacharias, a Levitical priest, she had to be a Levite by law.

I acknowledge the lineage of Mary...Nathan, David...Judah.

Gotta go, but I'll be back.

[dsc]

“logically, every person has genealogies from two sides of the family, the father’s side and the mother’s side.”

That’s a strong argument. If I were a scholar, I’d know what Aquinas said about that.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Here's someone who references Aquinas on the question of Jesus' genealogies.

[dsc]

That was really nice of you. Thanks.

[Vermont Lt]

That one dawned on me as well. I guess Mary was some third cousin or something like that.

[dsc]

So for Aquinas both genealogies belong to Joseph, but because Mary was related to Joseph, Jesus was of the line of David.

[Vermont Lt]

I thought the only contemporary of Jesus was John. I thought the others were many years later.

[Vermont Lt]

Virgin birth was a pretty common god (lower g) myth from back in the day. Several of the pagan gods were birthed of virgins. Which always struck me as odd, because most pagan worship is about really liking sex.

[Ezekiel]

That’s is pretty funny, now that you mention it.

I suppose it gave off the impression that the fathers were gods, or something other-wordly, that they could work that sort of magic. Meanwhile, the reality was rather mundane and perhaps brutal.

[Ezekiel]

Recently saw a bit about the shepherds. They were no ordinary shepherds. They were Levites that kept the sacrificial lambs for use in the Temple.

In order to assure they were preserved "without blemish" the shepherds would wrap them in "swaddling clothes."

Thus the shepherds were able to readily recognize "The Lamb of God." wrapped in swaddling clothes.

I often wonder what is the source of type of information. I don't know if it is false or true, just that is seems like the kind of unsubstantiated 'ancient tradition' that comes from documentary presenters or tour guides in order to tug at heart-strings in order to make the story more exciting. IOW, fake.

Then viewers buy more books and videos, or tourists buy more merchandize at the 'special discount' gift shops, or hand over bigger tips.

The explanation I heard in childhood was that the swaddling clothes represented the way kings were specially wrapped up at birth. This shepherd and lamb story takes it to a new level of precious.

I should reread Innocents Abroad again soon. I cracked up about how there is nothing new under the sun, at least from Portugal to Paris to Palestine..