Luke 3:21-38
You may know that I’m adopted and that about a year and a half ago, I made use of one of the popular DNA services. I did this simply because I wanted to know my health risks and any concerns in that regard for my children. When I received my results, I was relieved to learn that I have no health risks, but I also discovered so much more. What I discovered was the identity of my birth parents and a rich family tree consisting of four half-brothers and two half-sisters. And now, for the last couple of years, I’ve been unpacking my family tree and tracing my family line back to the Ottoman Empire (on my biological dad’s side) and Europe (on my biological mother’s side). It’s been an interesting journey to say the least as I trace my family linage.
In our passage Luke is tracing the linage of Jesus for us and what a list of names! It’s a long genealogy of Jesus and it would be so easy to just skip over those names but you don’t do it! In fact, I want you to look at one of those names on the list in particular by doing a quick read of Ruth in the Old Testament (it’s short and it’s a captivating story). Ruth is a great narrative and it’s through the roots of Boaz and Ruth that the genealogy of Jesus is traced. It’s fascinating because while Boaz is Jewish, Ruth is not, Ruth is a Moabite, not Jewish. And her inclusion in the line of Jesus is a reminder that Jesus is for all peoples, not just for one specific people. That’s just one of the surprising, and awesome, notes about the line of Jesus.
There are also several other interesting things to note from the passage. There is the presence of the Trinity as God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Spirit all are present together in this passage. There is also the amazing affirmation from God regarding Jesus’ identity and work. It’s important to note that God calls Jesus His beloved Son. This affirmation from the Lord calls to mind Genesis 22 when God called Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The narrative account Abraham and Isaac was a foreshadow of what was to be ultimately fulfilled in Jesus through His death on the cross.
So the affirmation of the Lord here, as N.T. Wright notes, “is at the same time a wonderful affirmation of Jesus’ vocation and a clear reminder of where it is to lead.”
It’s all incredible stuff, but there is something else that I want us to consider today. If you want, look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, it’s different that Luke’s. For one thing Matthew traces Jesus’ family tree back to Abraham. But Luke does something different. Luke starts with Jesus and works his way back PAST Abraham to Adam and to God. Why?
Luke is making a point that Jesus is for all as we can all trace our linage back to Adam.
And there is another point to consider regarding the line of Jesus. What we discover is that anyone who entrusts their life to Jesus with becomes a child of Abraham and shares in the promises given to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4). A point which Paul is keen to make in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. By faith, all who entrust their lives to Christ are grafted into God’s family.
If you have given your life to Jesus, you heirs of the promises given to Abraham. You are God’s son, His daughter. You are never alone and your position as a child of God can never be taken from you.
God bless you and know that I’m praying for you constantly.
Scott