Who Is Jesus’S Father? Uncovering His Divine Lineage
The question of Jesus Christ’s paternal lineage has fascinated people for over two millennennia. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: according to the Bible, God the Father is identified as Jesus’s father.
In this comprehensive article, we will analyze the scriptural and theological evidence supporting Jesus’s divine paternal lineage. We will also explore questions around his earthly father Joseph and alternative viewpoints from other belief systems.
God the Father as Jesus’s Father in Scripture
Old Testament Prophecies of a Coming Messiah
The Old Testament contains several prophecies that a divine Messiah would come to save God’s people. For example, Isaiah 9:6 refers to a son who will be called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”, indicating his divine nature.
Micah 5:2 prophesies that a ruler would come from Bethlehem who would be from eternity, again pointing to his divine lineage. These and other prophecies set the stage for the coming of Jesus as the divine Son of God.
New Testament Affirmations of Jesus’s Divine Sonship
The New Testament strongly affirms Jesus’s identity as the divine Son of God. At his baptism, God’s voice from heaven declared “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16 that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” was confirmed as divinely revealed truth.
Passages like John 1 and Colossians 1 eloquently express Christ’s eternal divine nature as the Son who reveals the Father.
Events like the Transfiguration, Jesus’ miracles, and his victory over death display his divine authority. His oneness with the Father and their mutual indwelling as described in the Farewell Discourse powerfully show Christ’s unique divine Sonship and his intimacy with the Father.
Theological Support for God Fathering Jesus
While Jesus’ divine Sonship may seem paradoxical on the surface, Christian theology provides vital explanations. Key concepts like Jesus’ eternal preexistence with the Father before creation (John 1:1-3) and the incarnation where he EMPTIES-0> Christ not being created but rather being “begotten” indicate that the Father-Son language is not metaphorical but literal, describing the eternal relationship within the Godhead.
Orthodox Christology affirms Jesus as fully God and fully human. Texts like Philippians 2:5-8 describe the truly radical nature of the incarnation, where Christ did not cling to his divine privileges but rather took on humanity for our salvation, all while remaining fully God.
The eternal Father-Son relationship within the Trinity is crucial to God’s own nature, and texts like John 14:9 (“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”) express the truth that Jesus supremely reveals the Father to us.
Through Christ’s saving work, we can be reconciled to God and adopted as his beloved children as well (Galatians 4:4-7).
Questions Around Joseph’s Paternity
The Genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke
The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke provide genealogies of Jesus tracing his lineage back to King David and Abraham, but there are some notable differences between the two (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).
Matthew begins with Abraham and traces the line through King David and Solomon, while Luke begins with Jesus and traces his lineage backward through David’s son Nathan. Both affirm Jesus as the Messiah from David’s line, but they take different approaches.
Some key questions have been raised about Joseph’s paternity in relation to these genealogies.
Matthew’s genealogy follows the legal lineage, emphasizing Joseph as Jesus’s legal father. But if Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, why is Joseph’s genealogy significant? Some argue it establishes Jesus’s legal right to the throne of David as Joseph’s adopted son.
Others claim Luke’s genealogy traces Mary’s lineage, but this is debated. The discrepancies between the two genealogies remain challenging for scholars.
Roman Catholic Perspectives on Joseph’s Fatherhood
Roman Catholicism affirms the perpetual virginity of Mary, who conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit without sexual relations. Joseph is considered Jesus’s foster father and the protector of Mary and Jesus.
He is greatly revered for fulfilling this obedient role, but he is not considered Jesus’s biological father (Catechism of the Catholic Church 500-501).
Catholic theologians note that just as God formed Adam out of the earth, Jesus was formed in the womb of Mary by the power of the Spirit. This emphasizes Jesus’s divinity while preserving the truth of the Incarnation. Joseph’s fatherhood is as the husband of Mary, not as the begetter of Jesus.
His genealogy establishes Jesus’s royal lineage.
Protestant Views: Adoptive or Legal Guardianship
Unlike Catholics, Protestants hold that Mary and Joseph had normal marital relations after Jesus’s conception. Joseph is considered Jesus’s legal and adoptive, but not biological, father. His Davidic lineage establishes Jesus’s royal descent and rightful claim as the Messiah, promised descendant of David.
Some evangelicals argue Joseph’s fatherhood was an adoptive guardianship, as adoption was common under Roman law. Through adoption into Joseph’s household, Jesus gained legal rights of inheritance and lineage.
This satisfies the messianic prophecies without requiring Mary and Joseph to violate their marriage.
| Catholic View | Joseph as husband of Mary, not biological father |
| Protestant View | Joseph as adoptive or legal guardian, not biological father |
While views differ on the exact nature of Joseph’s fatherhood, Christians agree he courageously assumed legal responsibility as Jesus’s earthly father, fulfilling God’s greater plan for the Messiah to be born fully human and fully divine.
Alternative Perspectives in Other Faiths
Islamic View of Jesus as Human Prophet
In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is considered one of the most important prophets sent by God, but he is not regarded as divine nor the son of God (Allah). According to Islamic belief, Jesus was born miraculously of the Virgin Mary (Maryam) and preached the oneness of God and service to others.
However, Muslims believe that Jesus was fully human and not part of the Holy Trinity as believed in Christianity.
The Quran, Islam’s holy book, describes Jesus as extraordinarily kind, wise and pious. It says that Jesus performed miracles with God’s permission. However, the Quran clearly denies Jesus was crucified or resurrected, stating that God raised Jesus bodily to heaven.
Therefore, Muslims believe that Jesus will return to Earth before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and defeat evil, but that any claims of Jesus’ divinity as God or son of God violate the Islamic understanding of strict monotheism (source).
Jewish Rejection of Jesus’s Divine Lineage
Most Jewish people do not believe Jesus was divine or the messiah foretold in the Hebrew scriptures. Traditional Judaism sees Jesus as a historical Jewish figure but not as the son of God. According to Jewish tradition, the messiah will be a human leader who will usher in an era of global peace, not a divine figure (source).
While Jesus was likely viewed as a teacher or rabbi during his lifetime, he had very few Jewish followers compared to the non-Jewish converts who came after his death. From the Jewish perspective, Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies such as bringing about world peace or restoring the Davidic Kingdom.
For instance, during Jesus’ lifetime, tyrant rulers like Tiberius governed Israel while political unrest and Roman occupation continued.
Conclusion
In the end, identifying who Jesus’s father is requires faith more than empirical proof. Scripture clearly identifies God the Father as Jesus’s father in a theological sense. The exact nature of earthly father Joseph’s paternal contribution, remains debated.
This ancient question around Jesus’s lineage continues to have resonance and relevance for how people understand his identity and mission. We hope this exploration of the biblical, historical and theological evidence provides a comprehensive overview of this central issue.
