There’s a big trend these days to discover our ancestry. You can go to a site on the internet to find out where you came from and some clues to who you are. I think we all like to know what our background is – what is our nationality – what did our great, greats do for a living – were there any skeletons or scandals in our lineage. However, what if you found out you were descended from a serial killer? What if one of your ancestors was an assassin? For most of us, we’d prefer to be connected to a former president – a corporate magnate – or a shining star in the entertainment business or a famous inventor. We hope for the best, but it doesn’t always turn out that way.
I have a curiosity about my paternal grandfather. I know he was Irish – he was a tailor, by trade – he fathered four children with my grandmother – he deserted the family when all four children were very young. There are speculations that he was a gambler and was being pursued by those to whom he owed money. At the time, they lived in Canada and there was no record of his death. This curiosity has always gnawed at the back of my mind, but what if I found out the worse thing possible about this man – or what if I discovered that he went on to do great things in the world?
My grandmother never spoke of him, It was as if he never existed, but still the evidence of his life was carried on through his children.
When we look at the genealogy of Jesus, we find all kinds of characters in the mix. His bloodline goes all the way back to Adam and Eve – listing every begat and begotten from them until that of His own mother and stepdad. We know that His earthly parents were Jewish and followed the traditions of the church, celebrating all the holidays and making pilgrimages throughout the years. We know that his step dad was a carpenter and His mother was a humble, trusting, young woman, who had other children with Joseph. We don’t know about Jesus’ years from age twelve to thirty, but as a writer I always like to find out as much about the character in a story as I can. The Author of the Bible doesn’t go into detail, because those years weren’t the important ones.
In the next few posts I want to look at what was going on during that time when Jesus walked the earth. I also want to take a look at those who were in His genealogy. Sometimes there are missing pieces to a story that we feel compelled to know. The Bible tells us the really important highlights of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, but there was so much more to Him. He was divine yet human. What happened during those years between?
I’d be interested to hear some of your thoughts on this subject as I continue to research this. Since I’m not a theologian, I will be doing this simply as a believer in Jesus, Christ, Son of God and Son of man – individual, yet part of the trinity of God. I’ll be exploring the history at the time of Jesus’ life – looking back at those in his genealogy – the political atmosphere – the various occupations of people – the financial situation and other aspects. The beauty of having God’s Word is that the entire family line is listed for us to view. There were kings and simple men in Jesus line. There were evil men and those who defended Jehovah with their lives.
I think this will be a fun research project, but also maybe it will answer some questions people have regarding JESUS.
atimetoshare.me 
being adopted, I have huge questions…I know this adopted family of mine…but a naggingness troubles me as those roots are not really mine…I have wrestled with whether to explore or not…I’ll keep you posted—but Irish here as well…just not vie Canada- eh!?
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Maybe we come from the same lineage. I wouldn’t be surprised!
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If we’re truly saved, the Word of God is our ancestry book.
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Perfect truth
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Part of my work at the library involves helping people with their genealogical research. Some of our regular patrons are far better at that task than I am. For new researchers or experienced researchers there is the joy of a new discovery, or the disappointment of an ancestor who did not want to be found. It used to be far easier to disappear than it is today. J.
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So….. I had a really naughty Grandpa that ran with Pancho Villa (a vigilante in Mexico) in his youth. I’m pretty sure that I have family that I don’t even know of. Being able to identify with sonship as a son of God helps bridge that gap that I have in my life. Grateful that he chose to adopt me as His son.
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Isn’t that the most reassuring gift we have? I’m also sure I have a few skeletons in my closet!
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My mother spent her retirement digging in courthouses trying to find family records. Some family lines were good, like dating back to Thomas Jefferson’s first cousin and the family name back to the Discovery – original Jamestown Colony, but her father told her to stop thinking about it, “You might find a horse thief.” Her father’s line could not be traced past my mother’s grandparents – no Bibles, countless courthouse fires or floods, etc. When Rudolph Hess died, the adjutant of the prison, a Scot from Glasgow I think, made the announcement. He had the same last name. My aunt boldly wrote him a letter. His response was, “I cannot help you. When I expressed interest in the family line, my father said not to do so, ‘You might find a horse thief.’ My aunt quickly wrote back and said, “We’re related!”
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Oh how funny. There was always so much secrecy regarding negative issues in families early on. So much history was lost because of that.
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But do you want to know that the crazy person who walks the street with a loaded shotgun and has shot a few people is your not distant enough cousin?
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And my mother found that cousin too.
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Oh, I so look forward to reading what you discover in your research!! Huge hugs!!💜
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Just staring my research. There are many speculations out there, but I’m going to try to stick to God’s word. I plan to start with the last known event in his childhood and the first important event of his ministry. It’s so great to have you back. You bring so much joy and love with your comments .💕💕💕
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