FULLY HUMAN, FULLY ALIVE!
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me in all things to be fully submissive to You.
Read Luke 3:21–38
The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,[a] the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,[b]
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
Footnotes:
a Luke 3:32 Some early manuscripts Sala
b Luke 3:33 Some manuscripts Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni; other manuscripts vary widely.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“The glory of God is man fully alive” (Irenaeus of Lyon, 130–202). What does being “fully alive” look like for you?Were you tempted to skip the genealogy? Does this long list of long-ago names really matter? Why is this genealogy placed alongside the baptism story? Why did Jesus have to be baptized?
Baptism went beyond a cleansing ritual; it signified identification with someone or some cause. Since Jesus was sinless, his baptism was not a sign of repentance but a means of identifying with the sinners for whom he lived and died. In order to bridge the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity, Jesus had to be both truly and fully human. Genealogies were supremely important to most ancient peoples. By recording the genealogy, Luke affirms that Jesus was a full-blown member of the human race, and not some demi-god disguised as a man.
In the Incarnation, Jesus gave up his divine rights and embraced human frailty (Phil. 2:6–8). It was always the Spirit—as displayed in his baptism (22a)—who empowered Jesus for fulfilling his Father’s will. Jesus models humanity at its highest and best—this is what a human being fully submissive to the Father and fully indwelt by the Spirit can be. What an encouraging, emboldening, empowering truth!
Apply
Through the blood of Jesus, you are rooted in God’s family tree—a beloved son or daughter, heir to a precious and imperishable inheritance. Rejoice!
Closing prayer
Lord, thank You that we can be called “children of God.”
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