Your question was:
>>IN LUKE 3 WE SEE THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS. HOWEVER IT OCCURS TO ME THAT AS WE
KNOW JESUS WAS CONCEIVED DIVINELY. THEREFORE HE HAS NO BLOOD EARTHLY FATHER
AND AS SUCH HIS TRUE ANCESTRY SHOULD I SURMISE BE THAT OF MARY!! SO...
CERTAINLY HIS HERITAGE THROUGH JOSEPH LEADS BACK TO DAVID....ADAM...GOD ...
BUT NOT TRUE ANCESTRY......PLEASE WORK IT OUT FOR ME!<<

Clearly, Matthew 1 and Luke 3 offer different genealogies for Jesus.  Only
when they arrive at King David do these two genealogies merge (Matt. 1:6;
Lk. 3:31).

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 established his LEGAL lineage and
right to the throne of David.  It is Joseph's ancestry which constituted
this Jewish requirement.  Although Jesus was not literally from the body of
Joseph, he was regarded as the carpenter's son (Matt. 13:55).  Anyone
claiming the right to inherit the throne of David would have his lineage
scrutinized to see if such a claim would be legitimate.  So, as Matthew
introduces Jesus Christ as "the Son of David" (a Messianic expression), he
provides the lineage which establishes his case (Matt. 1:1).

The genealogy of Jesus which is found in Luke 3:23-38 is the PHYSICAL linage
of Jesus - the ancestry of Mary.  (Read Luke 3:23 carefully:  Jesus was
assumed to be the son of Joseph, but he was really the "son of Heli,..."
Therefore, Heli was Mary's father.

Matthew 1:1-17 is the lineage of Joseph, through whom the kingly descent as
the "Son of David" was validated (Matt. 1:1).  Luke 3:23-38 is a different
lineage - the flehsly lineage of Jesus through his mother, Mary.  It records
the physical descent of Jesus from Mary, through David's son Nathan, and
finally through Adam (Lk. 23, 31, 38).

Luke 3:23 does not say that Heli is the father of Joseph.  It says that
Jesus..."being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,......"
While it was assumed (from every outward appearance) that Jesus was the
fleshly son of Joseph, he was in fact the descendant of Heli (due to being
born of a virgin, Lk. 1:30-35).  Thus, Heli is actually the father of Mary,
Jesus's mother.  (Jacob was the father of Joseph, Matt. 1:16).

Please note that these two lineages (Joseph, Matt. 1; Mary, Lk. 3) meet in
King David:  the legal descent
of Jesus Christ coming through King Solomon, David's son (Matt. 1:6-7),
while the
physical lineage of Jesus came through Nathan, another son of David (Lk.
3:31).

I hope this is of help to you.  If you have any follow up questions, please
feel free to reply.

Thank you for your Bible question, and God bless you as your study His word.

Sincerely,
Joe Price

************************************
Joe R Price
joe@bibleanswer.com

Bible Answers
http://www.bibleanswer.com

Mt. Baker church of Christ
http://www.bibleanswer.com/mtbaker
************************************