The Genealogy of Jesus Christ. I think when most of us, myself included, see a passage that starts with so-and-so, the father of so-and-so, we sometimes say to ourselves, “Great, a bunch of hard names to pronounce,” and move along. However, this is the very first passage in the New Testament, and it has quite a bit we can learn from.

One thing that stood out to me in this passage is God’s everlasting faithfulness. The passage tells us that there were forty-two generations from Abraham to Jesus. These forty-two generations spanned thousands of years. When Adam and Eve fell from the garden, a price had to be paid for sin. But thousands of years before Jesus was even born, God had a plan of salvation. Even when we fled from God, he was faithful to us and pursued us. God has exhibited His faithfulness in my life in countless ways. Whether it was through keeping my dad safe in military deployments to Afghanistan or keeping my mom alive through attacks from a blood-borne virus after my birth, God has never left me or my family’s side. Even when it feels like we are alone, God is with us. He has been for thousands of years.

Another thing that stood out to me in this passage was some of the people in Jesus’ lineage. Several memorable people were David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Each of these men was a king of Israel. Jesus didn’t just come from the line of average Joes; he came from a line of royalty: a line of kings. No one could’ve been more fit to be the ruler of the world and the ruler of our hearts. However, Jesus didn’t just come from a lineage of power. In verse 5, it says Jesus came from line of Boaz who was Rahab’s son. This is the same Rahab from the book of Joshua-Rahab the prostitute! To me, this shows God’s sense of forgiveness and compassion. Even after the horrible things Rahab had done, God forgave her and, more than that, even placed his own Son in her lineage! This truly reveals the heart of love and compassion God has for us.

But what can we apply to our everyday lives with this devotion? How can we use this passage to grow closer to God and show love to men? Let Jesus’ lineage of kings inspire us to be bold in our faith, never yielding to the pressures of this world. Let His lineage of forgiveness and compassion soften our hearts toward each other and non-believers. Just like God was faithful to stubborn, rebellious us for forty-two generations and even longer, let us show kindness and love to those around us. When the world says Happy Holidays, say Merry Christmas! When you see a stranger, just smile! You never know, it might make their day. But let’s never forget, God was faithful to us and sent his Son to be born of this world so that we may be born again and live with Him forever!