Your past does not secure your future.
Luke 3:23-38
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, 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 Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, 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 Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
I love going to the cinema, immersing myself in a movie for a short while, as rest and relaxation. I particularly like historical stories that have some connection to real people, giving the movie a sense of reality, truth and a future (even if tenuous). I really liked ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ about a religious, conscientious objector, Desmond Doss, who served as a medic during World War 1. He rescued 75 injured soldiers against enormous odds to get these sons home to their families; each time praying to God that he could get “just one more”. It felt a bit like reading Jesus’ genealogy – just one more ‘…the son of…’.
Our heritage, knowing where we come from (our genealogy), gives us a place in history and a future. So, it is with Jesus and reading his genealogy. But, while this records us as real people with a home, it does not ensure the type of future we will have. On our journey through life, sometimes we have to know where we are from if we want to go home, but assuming that looking at the past will always secure us a way home, will leave us far short of our eternal home in Eternity with our father God. Therefore, that is the wrong way home.
Rather, we need to look to Jesus and God’s promise that Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the price for our rebellion against God and will restore us to fellowship with God, and will provide us a way home to a much more secure future than we will find on this earth. Believing and accepting this will make us just one more to join the family of God.
Head: Think about where you come from and where you want to go. Is it Eternity with God? How will you get there?
Heart: How does knowing Jesus has a real heritage impact the way you think about him as God, and your future relationship with him?
Hands: Tell one of your lost friends or family the amazing story of Jesus (who has a real lineage) who provides us the right way home to Eternity and a family relationship with God, so that just one more person will hear about Jesus.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus that we don’t have to rely on our past to determine our future, but that you, by your death and resurrection have secured our way home to God our father.
A song to listen to: This Life I Live
Sandra Hinrichsen
