(John Sanders)

I have a confession to make.  When I read or study the Bible (notice I made a distinction between reading and studying), I often times skip through the “begats” and “begots”.  I understand they are important or God wouldn’t have put them there, but for me, there’s not much a much better way to put me to sleep than start reading those.  I barely know who my own cousins are, much less a whole genealogy.  Shocking, I know.

Imagine my surprise then, when I figured out something really cool regarding the genealogy lists in the new testament. 

One of the lists is in Matthew 1 verses 1 through 17 and it is a Jewish geneology.  It goes from Abraham down through the legal line to Jesus.  Matthew structures this genealogy into three distinct periods of fourteen generations each: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to Christ. This tripartite arrangement suggests Matthew deliberately organized the genealogy to emphasize theological significance rather than merely recording historical succession. By anchoring Jesus’s lineage to Abraham—the father of the covenant people—and to David—the ideal king of Israel—Matthew frames Jesus within the grand narrative of God’s promises to Israel.  This is the legal line.

There is another in Luke starting at Chapter 3 verses 23-38.  The genealogy list in Luke speaks of the humanity of Christ from Adam.  From David, he doesn’t go through the royal line of Solomon, he instead goes through Nathan down to Mary.  This is the bloodline.

Now here is the cool thing I found.  A third genealogy that I had not recognized before.  The Gospel of John, chapter 1 verses 1-4.  This genealogy of Christ describes His pre-existence as a member of the Godhead:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

And later in the gospel of John, Jesus extends his genealogy to us! Listen to this chapter 17 verses 20-23

20 “I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given these people the glory that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.

Now I can’t promise that I won’t skip over those “begats” and “begots” in the future.  I can’t promise not to fall asleep when I am reading them.  But I’m really happy to know that I am part of that through Jesus Christ!