Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38

We have spent the last 11 months studying the Old Testament, reading the faith journey of generation after generation of God’s people. We saw them at their best as they trusted in God through the most difficult of situations, and we saw them at their worst when they took their eyes off of God’s perfect plan for their lives. Some chose to abandon their faith when things got hard, and others gave God their “yes” even when they needed the reminder to be strong and courageous.

THE OLD TESTAMENT PROVIDES A GREAT CONTEXT TO OUR STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gives birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.” – Matthew 1:16-17

The New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus, which can be used to remind us of the threads of redemption and restoration that are woven throughout God’s story. Two of the writers of the gospels, Matthew and Luke, saw the importance of their readers knowing where Jesus came from. Both genealogies showed that Jesus was a descendant of David, one more indicator that he truly was the Messiah.

Matthew shows us the genealogy of Jesus from his paternal lineage. He starts with Abraham and lists all of the descendants until he lands at Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16). Luke takes it from the perspective of the maternal lineage of Jesus. Mary, too, was a descendant of David and therefore a descendant of Abraham. Mary descended from David’s son Nathan while Joseph could trace his ancestors back to Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.

Matthew traces Jesus’ family back to Abraham, showing that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Jewish people. Luke traces Jesus’ family even farther back to Adam, showing that Jesus came to be the Savior for ALL people everywhere (Luke 3:23-38). “And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Who will He save? HIS people. Who are His people? We ALL are His people because we have all descended from Adam. Salvation is for each and every one of us.

When you look at the genealogy of Jesus, you will see a list of people who made mistakes. Almost each one has a story of how God in grace reached out to them and used them even after they had messed things up. Consider your family on both sides. Take a moment to think of the influence the family on your mother’s side has had on your life. Now consider the impact of your father’s family on who you are and where you are at today. You can probably look up at your family tree and see a lot of imperfections in those who have come before you. Yet the God of grace still chose them to give the world YOU!

EACH STORY THAT PRECEDES US SETS THE BACKDROP FOR OUR STORY.

I have always found genealogies fascinating. I find it interesting to look beyond this generation to consider the life experiences of those who came before us and how their decisions continue to impact our lives today. My great grandparents made the decision to follow Christ, which led to getting on a fishing boat in the middle of the night in order to start their journey to Ellis Island, New York. My parents gave their lives to the Lord when I was a little girl, giving God their “yes” to full-time ministry, a decision that greatly influenced the decisions I continue to make today.

Let us not take lightly the role God has played in our lives since before we were born. God has known us, loved us and developed a plan for our lives in spite of our family tree — whether that tree is one of a strong spiritual heritage or a weak faith of our fathers. God had a purpose for the life of Jesus — to save the world. In the same way, the genealogy of your fathers and mothers leads to a moment in history when you carry out God’s plan for your life.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! – Psalm 139:15-18

He knows the plans for your future — plans for you and for those who will follow you in your family tree. What story will be told of you? Will you submit to God’s plan – the plan for which He created you? Those coming after you will be influenced by the choices you make.

Lord, we thank you this morning for the heritage passed down to us from our parents and grandparents. Your workmanship in our lives is marvelous — how well we know it! We thank you for the love and investment of time that has made us who we are today. We pray that you will take our own imperfect attempts to love and allow us to positively influence the next generations. Help us to shine your light onto the path you have set before them — a path marked with hope for their future. Amen.