There is a huge trend in finding out who we are and where we came from. Tracing the family tree has opened up a whole new industry. Family searches are made much easier than they used to be, when you had to rely on hand me down information from one generation to the next. Now the records are readily available, making it easier to reveal any rich ancestors, nare do wells or skeletons in the proverbial closet.

To find out about Jesus lineage, all we have to do is go to the Bible. There are lists and lists of begettings in both the Old and New Testament. When I was a kid and required to read through these lists, I found it difficult for a number of reasons. First, the pronunciation of all those ancient fellows was almost impossible. The lists would go on and on and I wondered what the purpose was for reading all those foreign names.

As with most family histories, there are many races and ethnicities, religions, lifestyles, professions, etc. In the case of Jesus, the Son of God and the virgin, Mary, we have a list that goes back to the beginning of time. I doubt there is any record any where that would make that possible for any other person, but it was necessary for us to see Jesus’ origins that trace right back to the very first man – Adam.

Jesus lineage is peppered with all kinds of people, from kings to shepherds – from rapists to murderers – results of incest, prostitution, and every kind of evil behavior known to man. It’s important for us to know that God took on human flesh when He came to save the world. It was part of the mission, to show that even though He had a human side, He was also without sin. He would be the perfect ransom because He was the unblemished lamb required to pay the debt that we couldn’t pay.

We can’t choose our relatives. Sometimes we might like to hide some of their misdeeds, or not make mention of them, but to be honest with ourselves, every one has some secret in their heritage.

I thank God that He chose to live among men as a man Himself. He became the second Adam – created without sin, but never giving in to it. His plan makes perfect sense, because His ways are always good. I know that he will reveal Himself again – maybe not in my lifetime – but He will come back, because He promised to do so.