Luke 3:23-38
23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Family trees are important. Many people use websites and pay fees to dig far back into their family line. Some tell you your ethnic background, some tell you more about your ancestors than you ever through possible, and sometimes you find out something shocking. Perhaps you’re a shirttail relative of Atilla the Hun or even Vlad the Impaler. Maybe you’re related to George Washington or Martin Luther. The things you can learn!
For us Christians, however, there are only two connections to the past that count the most: one is that we are all descendants of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and the other is that we are all children of God by faith.
As descendant of Adam and Eve we have inherited the sinful nature thanks to their disobedience in the Garden. And because of that sinful nature, we are hopelessly impotent regarding our ability to save ourselves or to do anything that would impress God or earn His favor. As Scripture clearly confesses, we are by nature blind, dead, enemies of God; we are walking spiritual corpses. We can no more come to faith or effect our own salvation any more than a dead body can bring itself back to life.
But Christ, the Second Adam, the incarnate Son of God has power over death, both spiritual and physical. His substitutionary suffering, crucifixion, death, and resurrection purchased forgiveness for all and paid for everyone’s sins. By God-given faith and trust in Christ’s work for us, He pours His forgiveness, life, and salvation on us and into us so that we are now His beloved children, grafted into His family of believers. We are now part of Christ’s family tree which includes all saints from Adam until Christ returns.
And when Christ comes again, that divine reunion in heaven will be far better than any earthly reunion as we will be gathered with all the saints from the beginning and for eternity.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, we thank and praise You for taking us into Your eternal family. Keep us, by Your grace, faithful to the end. Amen.
