I planned on writing about archaeology today but stumbled upon this cartoon and couldn’t resist changing my thinking a little. A fake nose and glasses have always been a trigger for me to laugh. I’ve used them in various productions I’ve directed over the years. I even wore one as I arrived at the drive-up window of McDonalds, just to get a reaction.

Laughter aside, (even though it’s good for us to laugh) digging up the past can reveal a lot of ugliness along the way. Many folks are having their DNA tested to find out more about their heritage. Ancestry.com has become quite popular. Why do you suppose we have an interest in this? Perhaps we think we might locate a long-departed relative who was a nobleman or prince. We may go in search of an entrepreneur or successful person who made a fortune out of nothing. We don’t hope to find anyone of ill repute – someone who made headlines by robbing banks – or serial killers. The chances of that are slim, but possible.

When we look at Jesus history, there are a number of outstanding people. The Bible gives concise genealogical information in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Some of them we know about – King David, simple shepherd who killed a giant and eventually became the leader of the people of Israel. He lusted after someone else’s wife, committed adultery with her and plotted to have her husband killed in battle to cover up his actions. Eventually his guilt overtook him with the help of prophet Nathan he was led to repentance and forgiveness.

King Solomon followed in his father’s footsteps, by giving in to temptation. There are two women named “Tamar” worth mentioning. Both were daughters of fathers who lacked good parenting skills. Their stories are in the Old Testament. Rahab, the prostitute who helped in the defeat of Jericho by hiding the Israelite spies was rescued by them and is listed as the mother of Boaz. The list goes back to Abraham, Noah, Methuselah and others who were flawed in one way or another. Eventually we arrive at Seth, son of Adam and Adam, son of God.

We may be surprised when we look back at our own history, but we can be sure that the facts may have been peppered with things we didn’t expect or want to find. Jesus’ humanity is shown in these historical events. He was human, but He was also God, so he bore no sin. Because of that He was the perfect and final sacrifice. God always keeps His promises no matter how impossible they may seem.