My lovely mother-in-law is passionate about ancestry. Some would call her a “genealogical enthusiast.” She not only loves to research her own family’s history, but you can hire her to help you dig up the roots of your family tree as well. And she’s not alone. Millions of people are willingly submitting samples of their personal DNA to global databases in an effort to find greater clarity about where they come from. The Genealogy Products and Services industry soared to a $3 billion dollar market in 2019; a growth trend that is expected to continue.
Clearly a lot of people find their ancestral line to be extremely valuable.
As NCBC Kids begin the New Testament this week, we are going to learn about the family tree of Jesus——specifically how the Messiah was prophesied to be a part of the family line of particular saints of old——and He was! Another reminder that we can be sure that when God makes a promise, it always comes true.
Another thing we can consider when looking at the genealogy of Christ: He was not ashamed to have the skeletons in His family closet revealed to the whole world. If you think your heritage is a little sketchy, His is worse. A quick look at those listed in His family line and we see child sacrifice, rape, adultery, prostitution, and murder. Jesus’ relations are just about as bad as you can get.
Isn’t it a comfort to remember that there’s no baggage we can bring to Jesus that He hasn’t seen before—in His own family! He can relate. Literally.
I pray that this week, instead of seeming boring and useless, reading the genealogy of Jesus will actually cause us to worship Him more.
