Family Tree of the Apostles James and John
"I have heard preachers say that Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins. If so, how could Jesus exist from the tribe of Judah, if John was from the tribe of Levi?"
Though the question appears fairly innocuous, the answer is ane that gives us some interesting insights into the Bible and the family unit of Jesus.
Considering of the deification of Jesus, and the understanding that He was God in the flesh, in that location is a temptation to sometimes forget that Jesus was also fully man, and that, like any other person, He grew up in a family unit, surrounded by brothers and sisters (probably at to the lowest degree vii siblings!), cousins, aunts, uncles and the like. Furthermore, each of those individuals had personalities and histories of their own. Jesus did not abound up in a vacuum.
The Bible does not tell us a lot of the details about Jesus' family unit life. Though written in and from a historic context, the purpose of the books of the Bible is theological. It is a book meant for the saving of souls, and for training men how to be servants of God. (cf. ii Timothy 3:xv-17) Therefore many things that might have been written in society to satisfy curiosity were left out as beingness unimportant.
Just there are sometimes glimpses into this part of Jesus' life, reminders that all of these people had lives beyond what was recorded.
One of these glimpses does indeed inform us that Jesus and John the Baptist were related, though they did belong to different tribes.
The legal genealogy of Jesus is given in Matthew 1, and traces the family unit of Joseph, the adopted father of Jesus. Joseph was a descendant of King David through David's son Solomon. Luke 3 gives a slightly different genealogy, i which is understood to be the biological heritage of Jesus through His mother Mary, and her begetter, Heli, who was a descendant of Rex David through David's son Nathan. This double lineage placed Jesus firmly in the tribe of Judah through both his female parent, and through his adopted father.
John the Baptist, on the other hand was the son of a priest, Zechariah and Zechariah'southward wife Elizabeth. The priests of Israel, without exception were of the tribe of Levi, and were descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses. (cf. Exodus 28:1). John's mother, Elizabeth, we are told, was also a descendant of Aaron, beingness called one of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5).
But, in Luke i, when God spoke to Mary about the coming birth of Jesus, He gave Mary a sign, saying, "And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her sometime age has also conceived a son." (Luke 1:36; ESV) Mary, we are being told, was related to Elizabeth, though nosotros are not told the nature of the human relationship. We might notation, that though the King James Version uses the give-and-take "cousin" hither, the usage is primitive. The Greek word being used is ambiguous, and merely means a relative of one degree or another.
Some might question how Mary could exist a descendant of Judah and Elizabeth a descendant of Levi, and they both still be related, simply the answer is actually quite elementary. Family lines were traced by the Jews through the father, not the mother, and, so long equally tribal inheritances were non affected, Jewish women could freely marry outside of their tribe. Thus Mary's female parent, or Elizabeth's mother, or both (or even a grandmother) could have been sisters to 1 or the other families. Mary's female parent, for instance, could take been Elizabeth'southward sister, or Elizabeth's aunt. This would brand Mary either a niece to, or a commencement cousin of Elizabeth. Granted, the relationship might have been more than distant, but Luke 1 does show a certain familiarity between the 2 family lines.
Through this link, Jesus would take been related to John, albeit a step further removed on the genealogical tree. That Jesus and John knew each other adequately well seems demonstrated by their conversation in Matthew 3:xiii-xv, where John recognizes Jesus equally being his moral superior.
Then what lesson tin can we larn from this brief genealogical insight into the family of Jesus?
One elementary lesson is simply this: God did not ship Jesus into the world without providing Him with a full family unit; and a devout, godly family at that. Mary was a expert adult female in the sight of God (cf. Luke 1:28). Joseph, her betrothed husband, was a just and loving homo (cf. Matthew 1:19). Also, in that location was an extended family, many of equally good character, such every bit Zechariah and Elizabeth. If God idea that a proficient family unit was of import for His son, how important is information technology to us to endeavor and provide our own children with the same?
One of the best ways to provide that environment our children demand is by ourselves being faithful to God. If that is a need in your life, the church of Christ invites yous to study and worship with usa at 234 Chapel Drive, Gallipolis, Ohio. Likewise, if you accept any questions, please share them with u.s. through our website chapelhillchurchofchrist.org.
McAnulty
Jonathan McAnulty is minister of Chapel Hill Church of Christ.
Source: https://www.mydailytribune.com/opinion/14643/biblical-family-tree
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