Yes—Matthew's genealogy establishes Jesus as the rightful heir to David's throne by tracing His legal descent through Joseph, who is called 'son of David.'
Matthew 1:1 identifies Jesus Christ as 'the son of David, the son of Abraham,' and the genealogy that follows traces the royal line from Abraham through David to Joseph, Jesus' legal father. Les Feldick notes that a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family, and the angel's address to Joseph as 'son of David' places Jesus legally in David's royal line.
Matthew 1:1 — This verse directly introduces Jesus as the Son of David, establishing the genealogy's purpose of showing His legal right to David's throne.
2 Samuel 7:12-13 — God's promise to David to establish David's throne forever is the covenantal background for Matthew's royal genealogy.
Matthew 1:1 reads, 'The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' The genealogy that follows in Matthew 1 traces the line from Abraham through David, then through the kings of Judah, and finally to Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ (Matthew 1:16). By placing Jesus at the end of this royal list, Scripture presents Him as the descendant of David through Joseph's legal line. The angel's message to Joseph in Matthew 1:20 confirms this royal connection: 'Joseph, thou son of David.' This is a direct recognition that Joseph belongs to David's family line. Since Jesus was legally Joseph's son, He stands within the Davidic dynasty to which God had promised an everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
Les Feldick explains that Matthew presents Jesus as the King. In order to be a king, a person must have a genealogy, because a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family (Clip 4). Matthew's genealogy deliberately stops at Abraham rather than going back to Adam because Jesus' right to the throne is based on the promise made to Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant—the promise of a nation, a land, and God's government through the Messiah, Israel's King (Clips 0, 1, 2). Les also distinguishes the two genealogies: Matthew records Joseph's genealogy, the legal/royal line, while Luke records Mary's genealogy, the bloodline that goes all the way back to Adam (Clips 2, 3, 5). Joseph was not Jesus' physical father, but he was His legal father. The angel calling Joseph 'son of David' shows that Jesus, as Joseph's legal son, is in the royal family and eligible for David's throne (Clip 6). God had been moving Israel forward since Genesis 12 toward the time when the promised King could appear. Les summarizes that after all the generations from Abraham through David and Solomon, the family lines converge on Jesus, 'the last possible son of David that could be the King,' and He came at His first advent to be the promised King according to the covenants (Clips 0, 7).
Les teaches that Matthew presents Jesus as the King, and a king must have a genealogy because a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family (Clip 4). Matthew 1:1 stops at Abraham rather than going back to Adam because the promise of a king is tied to the Abrahamic covenant. In that covenant, God promised Abraham a nation, a land, and a government through the Messiah, Israel's King. That is why Matthew's record only goes back to Abraham (Clips 0, 1, 2).
Les Feldick teaches that Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph, while Luke gives the genealogy of Mary. Mary's bloodline goes all the way back to Adam, 'who was the son of God.' Joseph's genealogy, on the other hand, establishes the royal and legal line from Abraham through David and Solomon. The line splits after Solomon: one side produces Mary's bloodline, the other produces Joseph's legal line. Joseph was not Jesus' blood father, but he was His legal father, and that legal status connects Jesus to David's throne (Clips 2, 3, 5).
In Matthew 1:20, the angel addresses Joseph as 'thou son of David.' Les says this was deliberately included to show that Jesus is in the royal family. Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, but he was the legal father. Since kingship passes through the royal family and Joseph is in David's line, Jesus, as Joseph's legal son, is legally eligible for David's throne (Clips 5, 6).
Les teaches that ever since Genesis 12 God has been moving the nation of Israel forward to the time when the King could appear. By the first advent, the family lines of Joseph and Mary converge on Christ as 'the last possible son of David that could be the King.' He came to Israel as the promised King according to the covenants (Clips 0, 7).
Matthew stops at Abraham because of the kingly promise
Les explains that Matthew's genealogy stops at Abraham because Matthew presents Jesus as the King, and the Abrahamic covenant contains the promise of a nation, a land, and God's government through the Messiah, Israel's King.
Matthew 1:1 stops at Abraham, not Adam
Les points out that Matthew 1:1 calls Jesus 'the Son of David, the Son of Abraham' and does not go back to Adam because Matthew depicts Christ as the King.
Genealogy stops at Abraham because the kingship promise is tied to Abraham
Les says the genealogy stops at Abraham because Jesus' becoming King is based on the promise made to Abraham, and Matthew records Joseph's genealogy.
Luke's genealogy is Mary's bloodline to Adam
Les contrasts Luke's genealogy of Mary, which goes back to Adam, with Matthew's royal line, and reminds us that the promise of a king is rooted in the Abrahamic covenant.
A king must have a genealogy
Les states that Matthew depicts Christ as King and that a king must have a genealogy because a king assumes a royal throne by virtue of the royal family.
The family line splits after Solomon
Les explains that after Solomon the genealogy splits into Mary's bloodline and Joseph's legal line; Joseph was not the blood father but he was the legal father.
Joseph addressed as son of David
Les points to Matthew 1:20 where the angel calls Joseph 'thou son of David,' showing that Jesus is in the royal family and recalling God's promise to David about the throne.
Christ is the last possible Son of David to be King
Les teaches that after all the generations of the family tree, Joseph and Mary converge on Christ, who is 'the last possible son of David that could be the King,' and He came at His first advent as the promised King.
Matthew 1:1: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
This opening verse frames the entire genealogy as a record of Jesus' royal descent from David and Abraham.
Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
This verse places Jesus in Joseph's legal family line, connecting Him to the royal genealogy.
Matthew 1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
The angel addresses Joseph as 'son of David,' affirming his place in the royal line and Jesus' legal connection to David's throne.
Luke 3:38: Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Les contrasts this with Matthew's genealogy to show that Luke traces Mary's bloodline back to Adam, while Matthew traces Joseph's royal line back to Abraham.
2 Samuel 7:12-13: And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
This is the Davidic covenant that promised an everlasting throne to David's descendant, the foundation for the royal claim in Matthew's genealogy.
Matthew presents Jesus as the King, and the promise of a king is tied to Abraham. Les explains that the Abrahamic covenant included the promise of a nation, a land, and God's government through the Messiah, Israel's King, so the royal genealogy does not need to go back before Abraham.
Joseph is not Jesus' physical father, but he is His legal father. Because the angel calls Joseph 'son of David' and Joseph is in David's royal line, Jesus receives the legal right to David's throne through Joseph.
Matthew gives Joseph's royal line back to Abraham, while Luke gives Mary's bloodline back to Adam. Les explains that Mary's line shows Christ as human, while Joseph's line establishes His legal claim to the throne.
Watch the Teaching: Why Two Genealogies of Jesus? Matthew vs Luke Explained