This article is part 2 of a short series titled “The Kingdom and the King.” The series traces the story of Jesus from promise to reign, showing how the Kingdom of God unfolds across the Gospels. Part 1 of the series can be found at The Kingdom and the King - Part 1: Timeline of the King
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Eden → Abraham → David → Prophets → Jesus
In the previous article we looked at the timeline of Jesus’ life and ministry, tracing the major events recorded in the four Gospels.
But a timeline alone cannot explain the meaning of those events. To understand the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed, we must look much further back—before Bethlehem, before Abraham, even before creation itself.
To understand the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed, we must look further back—before Bethlehem, before Abraham, even before creation itself.
The King Before Creation
John opens his Gospel with words that reach beyond history:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Through Him all things were made… In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:1–5)
This passage speaks to His eternal existence. Before we can understand the Kingdom, we must understand the King.
The First Promise: The Seed of the Woman
When mankind disobeyed his Creator—an event often called the Fall—death entered the human story. Humanity forfeited the dominion it had been given. The kingdom entrusted to man was surrendered through disobedience, and death became humanity’s destiny.
But God was not caught off guard. From the very beginning, He revealed a plan. In Genesis 3:14–15, often called the first gospel promise, God speaks to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Here, in the midst of judgment, a promise appears. A coming “Seed” would one day crush the serpent’s head, though He Himself would be wounded in the process. The kingdom lost in Eden would not remain lost forever.
The Covenant With Abraham
Generations later, after the flood and continued human rebellion, the world once again turned from God. At Babel, humanity united in defiance, and God divided the nations. From that point forward, the biblical story narrows in focus.
God chose Abraham with a purpose in mind, and made a covenant with him. He declared that Abraham’s descendants would become His special possession, and that through Abraham’s “seed” all nations of the earth would be blessed. This promise connects directly back to Genesis 3. The same Seed who would defeat the serpent would also bring blessing to the nations.
From this point on, the story of Scripture moves forward with purpose. The Kingdom had been fractured—but the plan to restore it was already in motion.
The Promise to David
From Abraham onward, the promise becomes more specific. The “Seed” would not come from just any nation. He would come from Abraham’s line. Later, the promise narrows again. God tells David that one of his descendants will sit on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Now the picture becomes clearer: the coming Seed is also a coming King.
Israel’s history, however, is marked by repeated failure. Kings rise and fall. The nation divides. Prophets warn of judgment. Eventually, both Israel and Judah are carried into exile. The earthly kingdom collapses.
The Voice of the Prophets
Yet even in judgment, the promise remains. The prophets speak of restoration. Isaiah describes a child who will be born, a son who will be given, and whose government will never end (Isaiah 9:6–7). Micah names Bethlehem as the birthplace of a ruler whose origins are “from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). Daniel speaks of a kingdom established by God that will never be destroyed, but will itself endure forever (Daniel 2:44).
The expectation grows: a King is coming. The Kingdom will be restored.
From Expectation to Fulfillment
By the time we reach the opening pages of the New Testament, Israel has been waiting for centuries. Foreign empires have ruled the land one after another (as foretold by the prophet Daniel). Now Rome governs Jerusalem. Many long for deliverance—by the promised Son of David—who will overthrow oppression and restore Israel’s glory.
Into this atmosphere of expectation, the Gospel writers announce something astonishing: Jesus is born; the promised King has arrived.
Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy, carefully tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham and David. This is not an incidental detail. It is a declaration. The promised Seed—the one foretold in Genesis to come through Eve—promised to Abraham, and secured through David—has come.
Luke records the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary:
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32–33)
The language clearly echoes God’s covenant promises. The long-awaited King has been born.
The Genealogies of the King
Before describing Jesus’ public ministry, both Matthew and Luke pause to answer a crucial question: Who is this King? If Jesus is truly the promised Seed of Genesis 3, the offspring of Abraham, and the Son of David, then His lineage matters. The Gospel writers place this front and center.
Matthew presents Jesus’ genealogy at the very beginning of his account (Matthew 1:1–17). Writing with a Jewish audience in mind, Matthew traces the line forward from Abraham to David, then through Solomon and the royal line of Judah’s kings, down to Joseph, the husband of Mary. By following the line through Solomon, Matthew connects Jesus directly to the royal dynasty. Even though Jesus was born of a virgin, Joseph’s legal fatherhood establishes His rightful claim to David’s throne. In the ancient world, legal descent carried full authority. Matthew’s message is clear: Jesus is the legal heir—the rightful King of Israel.
Luke also records a genealogy (Luke 3:23–38), but he places it after reporting Jesus’ baptism and traces the line backward. He moves from Jesus through David and Abraham all the way back to Adam, and finally to God. Unlike Matthew, Luke follows the line through David’s son Nathan rather than Solomon. By extending the genealogy to Adam, Luke emphasizes that Jesus is not only Israel’s Messiah but also fully part of the human story. He is “the son of Adam, the son of God.”
The two genealogies follow different branches from David onward, but this is not a contradiction. It reflects a branching family tree. Both lines trace back to David, fulfilling the prophetic requirement that the Messiah come from his house. Many scholars suggest that Matthew records Joseph’s legal line while Luke preserves a biological line, possibly through Mary. Whether that explanation is correct or not, the theological message remains strong and consistent.
- - Matthew shows Jesus’ legal right to rule.
- - Luke shows His true humanity and connection to all mankind.
Together, they present a complete picture of the King.
These genealogies are far more than lists of names. They are legal and theological declarations. The promise to Abraham still stands. The covenant with David remains intact. The Seed first announced in Genesis has arrived to crush the serpent’s head and reclaim the kingdom that humanity had lost. And the King belongs to the very human family He came to redeem—along with all creation, which had been affected by humanity’s fall.
The King Has Arrived
Only after establishing this identity do the Gospel writers move forward into the announcement of the Kingdom. When Jesus proclaims, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” He is not introducing a new religious idea. He stands at the end of a long, carefully preserved line of promise.
The King promised in Eden, narrowed through Abraham, secured through David, and anticipated by the prophets has now stepped into history.
With His arrival, the Kingdom He proclaimed can finally be seen unfolding in full view.
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Stay tuned for Part 3 "The Kingdom and the King: Part 3 – The Revelation of the King," which is to follow.
Part 1 of the series can be found at "The Kingdom and the King - Part 1: Timeline of the King"
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