Bible Question: HOW COULD JESUS BE A DESCENDANT OF DAVID IF HE WAS CONCIEVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT? HE DID NOT HAVE AN EARTHLY FATHER. |
Bible Answer: Speedy, The answer can be seen right from the wording of your question: "How could Jesus be a descendant of David if He was concieved by the Holy Spirit? He did not have an earthly father." I am assuming that this is an honest question and that you are truly trying to understand this, so let's examine your question, because you seem to be under a couple of mistaken assumptions. Jesus was not concieved by the Holy Spirit, He was concieved by Mary: Matt 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. So Mary concieved and carried the child, who the Holy Spirit had formed in her womb. Consider the wording in Jeremiah: Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." If we can agree that God formed Jeremiah and purposed him through natural laws (convential human birth), then we can also see that God indeed formed Jesus through supernatural means and purposed His life. Moreover, not only did God form the flesh body of Jesus, He occupied it. Consider the gospel of John: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. To conclude this portion of the question, not only did God form Jesus, but He dwelt in the physical body of Jesus through His Spirit. As far as the lineage of David, Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David. In fact, in the gospel of Luke (3rd chapter), the lineage of Jesus can be traced all the way back to Adam. So not only is Jesus a descendant of David, but also of Adam. Jesus is a descendant of Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Joseph. However, you said that Jesus had no earthly father. That's not quite correct, Joseph was His father--though Joseph had no part in His making, only His parentage. Joseph was the father of Jesus on earth, but God is His father by making(i.e. God made Him, and God dwelt in Him). In short, try to think of Joseph as the "step-father" of Jesus, with God being His "biological" father (please, no one get upset over this, you know what I'm implying). Also, think of it this way, if a child is adopted by a man and his wife, does the child go fatherless? Certainly not. The man who adopts the child becomes the child's father, howbeit not biologically, but legeally. The child then takes on the last name of the father. Hope this enlightens you. Take care, Rob Aronson |