Was Jesus Truly of the Tribe of Judah?

Even though Joseph is Jesus’ foster father, his marriage to Mary illustrates that Jesus is of the tribe of Judah according to his paternal line, and thus indeed a member of the tribe of Judah, as St. Matthew makes clear in recounting Jesus’ paternal genealogy (Matt. 1:1-6; 16-18).

Jesus is also a member of the tribe of Judah according to his maternal bloodline (Luke 3:31-34). So there is no dispute of Jesus’ heritage as member of the tribe of Judah.

In addition, regarding adoption into a tribe, we also see how God grafted non-Gentiles into God’s people, e.g., Rahab who was formerly a harlot (Matt. 1:5).