Jesus is the Seed of the House of David

At Christmas time, we hear the words of the Gospels regarding Christ's lineage.

Catholics who are not familiar with the Scriptures overlook the importance of Jesus Christ as a member of the House of David.

That Christ is a Jew by birth and of the royal house was prophesied many times in the Old Testament. Then, in the New Testament, the writers of the Gospels pick this up. In Luke, Christ is given the throne of David. Hey, this is not poetry, but a physical reality. Christ is a King, as well as Priest, Prophet, Messiah. The reason this is important is that Christ, as Incarnated as a Man, and as God, created the Jewish People as His own people, making a covenant with them and establishing an earthly kingdom. We are not an invisible Church. We are the institution created by Christ as a continuation of the Old Testament-that is, the fulfillment of the new.

For all peoples, Christ is the King.

Luke 1:28-35

Douay-Rheims 

²⁸ And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

²⁹ Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰ And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

³¹ Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.

³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.

³³ And of his kingdom there shall be no end.

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?

³⁵ And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1

Douay-Rheims 

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

² Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren.

³ And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram.

⁴ And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon.

⁵ And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse.

⁶ And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias.

⁷ And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa.

⁸ And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias.

⁹ And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias.

¹⁰ And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manesses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias.

¹¹ And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon.

¹² And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel.

¹³ And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor.

¹⁴ And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud.

¹⁵ And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob.

¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

¹⁷ So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

¹⁸ Now the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹ Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately.

²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹ And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins.

²² Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying:

²³ Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

²⁴ And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.

²⁵ And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Luke 3:23-31

Douay-Rheims 

²³ And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years; being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Mathat,

²⁴ Who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph,

²⁵ Who was of Mathathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge,

²⁶ Who was of Mahath, who was of Mathathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda,

²⁷ Who was of Joanna, who was of Reza, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri,

²⁸ Who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosan, who was of Helmadan, who was of Her,

²⁹ Who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Mathat, who was of Levi,

³⁰ Who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliakim,

³¹ Who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mathatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,

³² Who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson,

³³ Who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas,

³⁴ Who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor,

³⁵ Who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale,

³⁶ Who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech,

³⁷ Who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan,

³⁸ Who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.

Both Mary and Joseph were of the House of David. Christ's human heritage is from both sides; His Mother and his foster-father. That will be another post.