Why do Matthew and Luke contain genealogies of Jesus, while Mark and John do not?
score:6
I don't think we can ever know for sure as we can't ask them. However I think the answer is probably to do with who they are writing to and what is the purpose of their writing.
Matthew is probably writing to a Jewish audience. For them the Christ has to have come from Abraham & David and so Matthew spends the time to show that Jesus has the credentials to be the Christ.
Luke has probably been employed to write the book by Theophilus (debated if that is the persons name or title). He has been tasked to report on what has happened and what it means - thus it goes into a lot of detail.
Mark seems to be focused on just reporting the facts as they happened. He doesn't need to present the background information on what it means, just runs through the events.
John is in a completely different format than the other gospels. In terms of who Jesus is he is very much focused on Jesus' divinity - not his human family.
Upvote:1
This point has been touched on, but I wanted to flesh it out a bit. The lack of genealogies in Mark and John is intentional. Mark portrayed Christ as a Servant, which was stated already, and as such the author intentionally left out the genealogy. John HAS a genealogy, if God can be said to have one... "In the beginning was the Word." He always was, and always will be. All four Gospels are making a point about some aspect of Christ's "origin."
Upvote:5
Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew appears to be written to Jews in order to present Jesus to them as the King of the Jews. As such, it was necessary to trace Jesus' lineage through Joseph, His adopted father, through the lineage of the kings back to David, whom God promised would have an heir who would reign forever. It was also important to trace His lineage back to Abraham, the Patriarch. As the son of Joseph, Jesus had legal right to the throne.
Mark
The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the Servant who fulfills the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52-53. For a servant, a genealogy is unnecessary and even irrelevant. Thus, Mark does not include one.
Luke
The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man. As such, it is thought that he actually traces Jesus' biological lineage through Mary. Her lineage leads to David as well. However, Luke's emphasis is not the Jewishness of Jesus, but His human nature. As such, he traces the lineage all the way back to the first Adam.
John
The Gospel of John is said to present Jesus as the Son of God. As such, God has no genealogy. His authority does not come from the legal line of David or in His Jewishness, but in His divinity. Jesus' Divine nature has no genealogy. He is, forever has been, and forever will be the Son of God and God the Son.
More post
- 📝 Does any of the LDS extra-biblical holy books ever clearly contradict the Bible?
- 📝 Based on Proverbs 30:8 and 1 Timothy 6 is it wrong to desire to be rich (or poor for that matter)?
- 📝 By what did Jesus call Joseph?
- 📝 Were the Gospels considered Scripture when the rest of the New Testament was written?
- 📝 What is Common Grace?
- 📝 Old testament accuracy of God's Word
- 📝 Does the RCC view 'prevention of ovulation' in the same light as 'abortion'?
- 📝 What is Carlo Maria Viganò's religious order?
- 📝 Why do Catholics ask for things from an omniscient and omnibenevolent God?
- 📝 How do you know when you are truly saved, and how do you live as a Christian afterwards?
- 📝 In Catholic teaching, what specific actual sinful act did Adam and Eve commit, and what level of authority can be applied to this teaching?
- 📝 Is life imprisonment in accord with Catholic social doctrine?
- 📝 Reconciling Peter in Acts with Deuteronomy/Psalms on the burden of the Law?
- 📝 Is the Catholic Church altering the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus?
- 📝 Is there any extra-biblical evidence that shows the apostles were martyred?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Magisterium advise the married laity to defend the institution of marriage?
- 📝 Do (or did) any Protestant denominations believe in apostolic succession like Catholics do?
- 📝 When God sent Aaron to Moses had they not seen each other for decades?
- 📝 What is the basis for the Catholic teaching that artificial birth control is wrong?
- 📝 From a Calvinist perspective, does Limited Atonement make the Gospel offer empty?
- 📝 Where did Jesus stay during his 3.5 year ministry?
- 📝 If you do not believe the Holy Spirit is a person, then what is it? What do Bible verses that reference the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God mean?
- 📝 How do Latter-day Saints respond to the claim that the Book of Mormon is based on "Manuscript Found" by Solomon Spaulding? (aka the Spaulding Theory)
- 📝 What is the most accurate calculation of Jesus' birth date?
- 📝 How did Moses write the events which happened ~2000 years before him?
- 📝 Why did the Apostles say to obey God rather than men?
- 📝 Do I Belong to Christianity?
- 📝 Where does this Augustine quote come from?
- 📝 Does this scripture shed light on the humanity of the unborn child?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis the for Immutable Nature of God?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why do Matthew and Luke contain genealogies of Jesus, while Mark and John do not?
- 📝 Why does Jesus not want people to repent and be forgiven in Mark 4?
- 📝 Is it correct to say Bible has 2 eyewitness accounts (Matthew, Mark and Luke as comprehensive one & John being the other) of Jesus Christ's lifetime?
- 📝 Why do the Evangelists Matthew, Mark and John not give narrative account of the Ascension?
- 📝 According to those holding that Lazarus was literally raised from the dead, why did Matthew, Mark, and Luke not mention it?
- 📝 Why does the (N)KJV put Jesus' name in all caps in Matthew 1:21 and Luke 1:31?
- 📝 Why were both criminals that were crucified with Jesus abusing him in Mark, and not in Luke?
- 📝 Why did the soldiers go backward and fall down when Jesus said "I am he" in John 18:6?
- 📝 Is Levi from Luke 5:27 and Mark 2:14 referring to the apostle Matthew
- 📝 Why was Jesus called Jesus, and not Immanuel?
- 📝 Why does Jesus have to be fully God and fully man? Is it not sufficient to be the son of God and fully man?
- 📝 Why do those who take Matthew 23:9 literally not emphasize 23:8 and 23:10 similarly?
- 📝 What evidence is there to show that John Wesley and John Calvin did not believe that Jesus is Michael?
- 📝 Why did Jesus favor Peter, James and John more than the other disciples?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, why did Jesus not name the rich man in the story of Lazarus and the rich man?
- 📝 The order of Communion in Luke 22:17-20 versus Mark 14:22-25 and Matthew 26:26-29
- 📝 Why pray to Jesus and not to the Father? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 Why does John 1 say "the Word was with God" and not "scripture was with God"?
- 📝 Why Does Matthew not give Jesus Christ's genealogy from Adam?
- 📝 Why did Jesus groan and use spit while healing the deaf man? (Mark 7)
- 📝 Why was Jesus not welcomed and carefully tested by the Jews if they were (and are) actually waiting for Messiah?
- 📝 Why was John the Baptist not excited at seeing Jesus at Jordan?
- 📝 Why is it declared that Jesus was fully God while on earth when he did not have all attributes of God?
- 📝 Do Matthew and John have a discrepancy with regards to Jesus before Pilate?
- 📝 Why did not Jesus praise John the Baptist before the latter's disciples?
- 📝 Who shall not taste of death? Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27
- 📝 Why is the Gospel of Luke the only Gospel to claim Jesus was John the Baptist's cousin?
- 📝 Is Matthew 26:32 and John 20:9 a mistake stating that Jesus told the disciples He would rise again then stating they didn't know after it happened?
- 📝 Why Jesus died on the cross and not by any other mean?
- 📝 Why are the books of Matthew and Mark almost identically written?