Or, Defining the Relationships
Scripture: Luke 3:21-38
Date: June 7, 2026
Speaker: Sean Higgins
The last half of Luke 3 gives us the briefest account of Jesus’ baptism and the longest list of Jesus’ family tree. We might want the baptism part to be more extensive, we might want the genealogy part to be in an endnote, an appendix, a part of the book you don’t feel guilty about not reading while still being able to say that you’ve read the whole thing. But both sections mean something, and both have significance.
All four Gospels give an account of the baptism. It takes place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Luke emphasizes more what happens after the baptism. Only Luke and Matthew provide genealogies; Matthew starts his Gospel by establishing Jesus as the end of the chosen line through Abraham and the royal line through David. Luke starts with Jesus and works backward all the way to the beginning.
Both sections define Jesus’ relationship to God, as well as His relationship to man. He is the Beloved Son, the better Adam.
John the Baptist is not done working, but Luke is done mentioning him. John was the one baptizing all the people, and we know that John was the one who baptized Jesus from the other Gospels. Luke moves the focus from John to Jesus, and moves the focus from the immersion in the river and to the announcement from heaven.
What was the purpose of Jesus being baptized? Matthew’s account includes that Jesus said, “thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). He didn’t need to repent, He had no sin that needed forgiveness, but He did identify with Israel and with their need.
Jesus had been baptized, and now He was praying. Maybe the least appreciated part of Jesus’ life on earth was how much He prayed. Reading ahead in Luke, we find Jesus praying at key moments, which is only surprising if we forget that He was praying at all kinds of moments.
What was He praying? Luke doesn’t say. But heaven responds to Jesus’ praying on earth. First, the heavens were opened, always a dramatic sign, and then the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. It is the same Holy Spirit mentioned by John in Luke 3:16, but this isn’t the Stronger-One baptizing others with the Spirit, the Spirit is coming on to Him. The language connects to Isaiah 42:1.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
(Isaiah 42:1 ESV)
I’ve yet to read a satisfactory conclusion on why a dove. After the Gospel accounts the dove has been used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Luke emphasizes the adverbial analogy, the manner of descending was graceful. Other writers suggest more the adjectival analogy, the appearance had a bird-form. Why a dove? Apparently, because.
The Spirit descended and at the same time a voice came from heaven. The voice is not the Spirit. And based on the content of what the voice says, we identify the voice as of God the Father.
He says, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” Or we could read it, “the Son of mine, the beloved” (ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός). Compare to a different Greek construction in Colossians 1:13, “the Son of his love” (τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ).
All three Persons of the Trinity together in one scene. Who was this Trinitarian display and declaration for?
The last time we heard from Jesus was 18 years ago. He was 12 years-old, He knew He was supposed to be caring about His Father’s business in His Father’s house (Luke 2:49). Whatever it looks like for God to talk to God, the Persons with each other, the Son knew His role. The Father and Son had already talked about the mission. But isn’t it reasonable to think that the Son already knew the Father loved Him and delighted in Him? Was Jesus tempted to doubt it?
There is nothing wrong with a paternal exhortation, even a public one. And there is also something powerful about paternal joy. A public display of affection is not useless for Jesus and of great use to us. If the hearts of fathers and children are to be turned to each other (Luke 1:17; Malachi 4), wouldn’t it look something like this?
Fathers, be easy to please, even if hard to satisfy. Your son isn’t Jesus, but you could do worse than imitate your Father in heaven.
On one hand, there are no “fun” inserts in this list. It’s just 77 “son of”s in a row. Luke’s readers might not have also had Matthew’s list (Matthew 1:1-17) to compare to like we do, which for us does provide some edification. But the direction Luke takes and the location of his list do mean something.
Why put the list here? Matthew put it before his account of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The list which goes through David (Luke 3:31) would have fit nicely before or after Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, “the city of David.”
But putting the genealogy here makes us deal with Jesus’ fathers. He is God’s Son (verse 22), He is Joseph’s son (verse 23), which we know is by way of adoption. He was the son (as was supposed), of Joseph. Joseph took care of Jesus as his own. He took Jesus to the temple for His dedication (Luke 2:22), he took Jesus to the temple for Passover (Luke 2:41). Joseph taught Jesus his trade as a carpenter. To those who hadn’t heard about how Mary got pregnant, Joseph appeared to be Jesus’ dad.
But the very next name after Joseph, and actually the 40 names between Joseph and David, are all different than the names Matthew has. What gives?
There are a couple legitimate options. First, it could be that Joseph’s father, identified as “Jacob” in Matthew 1:16, died and his mom remarried a man named “Heli” who was also in a different line of David’s sons, through Nathan (1 Chronicles 3:5) rather than Solomon.
The only reason for Luke to use this list of a “stepfather” would be a prophetic fulfillment about Jeconiah/Coniah (a name found in Matthew 1:11), a descendent of Solomon, who was cursed: “none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” (Jeremiah 22:24-30, especially verse 30). Heli’s ancestry avoided the curse on Jeconiah, but still went back to David. But the curse is also avoided with the second option.
The more reasonable answer is that this list traces back through Mary’s line. The primary objection is that her name isn’t mentioned, which is actually something. But Luke has been emphasizing Mary since the start. Luke includes the angel’s announcement to Mary, Simeon’s prophecy to Mary, Mary is treasuring things in her heart. The as was supposed in verse 23 leaves open not just the virgin birth, but that Heli was Mary’s father. It’s even possible that Heli had no male heir, adopted Joseph as his “son.”
So Jesus had David’s royal legal status through Joseph, and Jesus had David’s royal blood through Mary. Of course Mary isn’t named. That is indisputable. But the as was supposed means more than just household appearances. It allows that Heli is Jesus’ grandfather, Mary’s father. whether or not Heli took Joseph as his legal heir.
Unlike Matthew who starts in the past with Abraham, Luke starts in the present and goes all the way to the beginning. The names from verses 32-34 are basically the same as found in 1 Chronicles 2:1-15 and Ruth 4:18-22. From verse 35, the lists are found in Genesis 11 and 1 Chronicles 1.
Jesus is not just the seed of Abraham, He is not just the son of David, He is the second and better Adam. He is Son of God and Son of Man.
These are details that Luke “followed…closely” and put into his “orderly account” (Luke 1:3) so that we could have “certainty” (Luke 1:4).
By working in this direction, Luke finishes with Adam. The next scene (Luke 4:1-13) is Jesus being tempted by the serpent, the devil. Not to give too big a spoiler, Jesus will do what Adam didn’t. He will pass the test, and so He will restore what Adam broke.
So when He began His ministry He was about thirty years of age (verse 23).
Jesus is the Son of God, He is the Son of Man. The Father affirms His pleasure in the Beloved at the beginning, and will do so again at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:35). His relationships are defined: the Beloved Son to the Father in heaven, the better Adam among men on earth.
The genealogy isn’t irrelevant minutiae, it’s the credentials of Jesus to save us from our sin in Adam, delivering us from the domain of darkness. As Christians, we give thanks to the Father who has “transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). Praise God, He has adopted us to Himself as sons (Ephesians 1:5)! “He has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6)!
Come behold the wondrous mystery
He the perfect Son of Man.
In His living, in His suffering
never trace nor stain of sin.
See the true and better Adam
come to save the hell-bound man.
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
of the law; in Him we stand.
(“Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery”)
Beloved, remember, the first Adam became a living being, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. We have born the image of the man of dust, but by faith we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. The perishable will put on the imperishable because Jesus lives. So live in Him!
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:11, 14 ESV)