The Lineage Of Jesus

The question I have is this; family lineage was traced through the father, not the mother, if I am not mistaken. Since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, why is Jesus considered to be descended from the house of David?

Q. First, I’d like to say what a blessing this site has been in answering many of my questions. The question I have is this; family lineage was traced through the father, not the mother, if I am not mistaken. Since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, why is Jesus considered to be descended from the house of David? A friend of mine recently asked me this question, and I found that I did not have an answer. I think that I must be missing something, I just don’t know what it is. Thank you very much.

A. From the genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 we know that both Joseph and Mary were from the Tribe of Judah and the House of David. Joseph was a descendant of Solomon’s and therefore a member of the cursed royal line. Mary was from the line of Nathan, Solomon’s brother. When they married, Joseph became the Lord’s legal father, in effect adopting Him. As the adopted son, the Lord gained legal standing as a descendant of the house and lineage of David through both parents.

And as a practical matter, since He was adopted and not Joseph’s biological son he escaped the curse and became the only man in the last 2600 years qualified to take the throne of His ancestor David.