Jesus, when he began
his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of
Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of
Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of
Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the
son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son
of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of
Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of
Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of
Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of
David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the
son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the
son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of
Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of
Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the
son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son
of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son
of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God (Luke 3:23-38).
There
is temptation to skim over portions of scripture like this. How much spiritual
truth can be gleaned from such a long list of Bible names? But today we recall the Holy Spirit’s admonition
that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Diligent disciples are compelled to pause and ask the Spirit of Truth to help
us dig deeper, so we don’t miss any soul-shaping and equipping truth here.
While every name in this genealogy represents a life that is unique and
precious enough in God’s sight to be included forever in His Word, there are
three important truths about the Son of God and Man revealed in the
genealogy of the Christ.
Jesus
was the son of Joseph, “as was supposed”. True disciples believe
Jesus is the only Son of God… “For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life” (John 3:16). This genealogy confirms that Jesus also became fully
human… “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”
(John 1:14). He was born of a virgin woman, Mary, and adopted by a loving
man, Joseph. This is a precious illustration of our own adoption as children of
God… “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of
woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we
might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Jesus
was descended from Adam. He is the Son of Man, a term the Spirit uses in
scripture to identify the Messiah as one who has become like mankind in order
to serve mankind… “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality
with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). In
tracing His descent all the way to Adam, the Spirit inspired Luke to reveal
that as the Son of Man, Jesus is the Servant-Savior of all men, Jew and Gentile
alike… “The Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from
the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles” (Acts
26:23).
Jesus
was descended from God. He is the Son of God. While He is like Adam, able to
experience death, He is like God, able to conquer death and give us the gift of
life… “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a
life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). As the Son of God, Jesus
died that we might live… “For as by a man came death, by a man has come
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ
shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
As we grow
up into Christ we live and grow as adopted children of God through the Son of
Man and Son of God revealed in…
The Genealogy of the Christ.
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