Reading Plan:
Luke 3
Our Thoughts:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the hearer.” Hebrews 4:12.
The writer of Hebrews gives us, what I believe to be, the most compelling description of God’s Word. His Word is “living and active.” When we pause long enough to spend time with our Heavenly Father through prayer and His Word, we aren’t reading the words of a time long passed. The Bible isn’t an ancient teaching that we peer at from afar, unaffected and distant. The pages of scripture are full of historical accounts, certainly; but it is much more than irrelevant facts and figures.
God’s Word is alive and moving. It is just as true today as it was two thousand years ago. To this day it pierces the hearts of its readers to bring us to a place of life-changing renewal and growth. God’s Word teaches us about our history, our eternity, and even our present. It’s full of truth that leads us to better marriages, stronger finances, healthy parenting, and fulfilling lives.
As great and beautiful as God’s Word is, there are parts you intentionally skip over. Don’t you? It’s okay to admit it. This is a safe place. For example, who has the time or attention span to read verse after verse of “such and such is the son of such and such who is son of that guy.” Line after line of names that you can’t even pronounce to begin with. Even if you did manage to skim over an exhaustive family tree, what are you supposed to get from all those names anyway?
There’s a lot you can get from those places in scripture actually. Luke 3:23-38 is one of the most detailed genealogies of Jesus Christ. By combining these verses with Matthew 1:1-17 we can trace the full lineage of Jesus all the way back to the first man, Adam. That’s means much more than an interesting fact that might win you Bible Jeopardy.
Hear me out here. I’m not implying that you should be able to read a list of 57 names and recall from memory who they are and why they matter. I don’t know a person alive that can do that. Honestly, a lot of these names only appear in lists like this, so there isn’t a lot of information to go off of. I could do a Google search and pull out some unique stories of these people that highlight the goodness and power of God. There is a lot of that information out there from people much smarter than me, so I’ll let you learn from them.
Before you blow past this list, I want to highlight three things that I am reminded of when I see these places in scripture.
Our faith is rooted in history. We aren’t reading stories built in someone’s imagination. God has always worked in and through real people to bring about His Kingdom in this world.
God is always in control. The people that make up the family tree of Jesus come from all sorts of walks of life. From priests to prostitutes to kings. Some righteous, many full of controversy, but all used by God in the perfect place in the perfect time for His perfect plan.
God knows your name. You aren't just a number or a blip on the radar in God’s economy. He knows you. He cares about you. He knows exactly where you are in the purpose, He wants to fulfill both in and through you.
More Questions:
• How has God worked through other people in your life?
• God wants to use you in other people’s stories. Who are you praying for and reaching out to?
Author: Kyle Warren