If you want a stunning demonstration of God’s mercy, grace and providence, just check out Christ’s genealogy. In fact, when you start with Adam and his fall, you’re actually looking at the beginning of the salvation story. Salvation didn’t begin in a Bethlehem manger – it began with Adam bringing sin into the world and God promising a Redeemer.
Check out some of the other ancestors of Jesus. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all were integral parts of Israel becoming God’s chosen nation. And yet these men were all simply sinners whom God chose to save and powerfully use in His plan.
I love to look at the four women mentioned in Jesus’ ancestry (besides His mother Mary): Tamar (an unwed mother), Rahab (a prostitute), Ruth (an alien) and Bathsheba (a fornicator). Wow, now there are examples of God’s great mercy and grace! It’s hard for our human minds to believe that God would choose such "problem women" to become mothers in His royal line!
Hopefully, I have inspired you to take a closer look this Christmastime at Jesus’ genealogy. But let’s take this a step further and bring some application to our own lives. Jesus’ ancestry shows God’s providence in bringing the right people at the right time together to produce one Person, Christ.
How about your genealogy? It also shows God’s providence in bringing about the right people at the right time to produce one person – you! I have no delusions that you or I will have the impact on the universe that Jesus had. But I do know that God has prepared specific plans for our lives here on earth. And it amazes me to consider all the people through history who have contributed to my being brought into the world to carry out those plans.
Did you know that if you go back only 20 generations, you have over one million direct ancestors? Have you ever learned about any of them? Their lives can be a wonderful study, not only in history but in helping you see how God prepared the way for you. An easy example is to talk about where I get my love of music. My parents (the first generation of my genealogy) both love music and encouraged my sister and I to play and sing. My four grandparents (second generation) love music and have encouraged us to play and sing. And my great-grandparents, of whom I personally knew four, (third generation) also loved music and encouraged us in it. That’s three generations of my ancestry that had a direct impact on my life.
I bet your family has stories like that too. And if you don’t, maybe it’s time to interview grandparents or other older relatives and start finding out the stories of your past. There’s nothing like connecting children with their heritage to help them understand God’s providence in their lives.
But as we see in King David’s prayer above, it doesn’t stop there. If the Lord tarries, our families’ generations will continue. What kind of legacy do you want to leave your children? Have you talked with your children about what kind of legacy they will leave their children someday? As we approach the New Year, this is a great topic to consider.
Some of the people in Jesus’ ancestry may have had no idea that their line would ultimately produce a divine Messiah. But though they were imperfect like the rest of us, they managed to pass on such a legacy that their line produced a Joseph and Mary – two godly people who were ready and willing to carry out God’s plan. Is your family ready to do the same?
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Heather Sheen is a homeschool graduate who teaches and performs harp, works for her father’s business and has a photo scanning/editing business. If you would like to read more articles by the Sheen family, check out www.HomeschoolFamilyForum.com.
