Luke 3:23-38
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Scan the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38 noticing any names you recognize.
Many scholars believe that the discrepancies between Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies of Jesus have to do with the fact that Luke was actually tracing the ancestry of Mary rather than Joseph. But both Matthew and Luke provide us with a record of Jesus’ lineage that places him in an earthly family. Jesus didn’t just appear out of nowhere; he was born of a human mother and therefore was part of the human race.
Though Matthew records Jesus’ lineage beginning with Abraham and then moves forward through time, Luke begins with Jesus and works backward tracing Jesus’ ancestry all the way back to Adam – the first human. Luke wants his reader to realize that Jesus is the Savior, not just of Abraham’s descendants, but for all of humanity.
Meditate on these words from the author of the letter to the Hebrews:
“…it was necessary for [Jesus] to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” – Hebrews 2:17-18
Take a moment to identify anything that is “testing” you currently. It might be an external situation or relationship or some internal need or weakness.
Take this “test” to Jesus and picture yourself offering it to him and receiving his help. Speak openly to him and listen to what he says.
Scan Luke 3:23-38 again.
If we pull just a couple of names out of this list and think about their stories, we get a picture of the way God has been working throughout human history to write a story of mercy and redemption for all the people of the earth.
Boaz was the “kinsman redeemer” who married Ruth, the foreign daughter-in-law of Naomi, thereby continuing the story of Naomi’s family. And Noah, who remained faithful to God in a faithless generation of people, followed God’s instructions when he had no frame of reference for what was about to happen and was saved along with his family to carry out God’s mandate for all future generations.
Get quiet for a while and consider that your life is part of the story of mercy and redemption that God is continuing to write. Think about how God has intervened in your life to bring you to Jesus. Then think about how God is using your life to continue the story.
What might God be inviting you to do or do differently today?
What do you plan to do about that?
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