You pick your friends, but not your family; this IS TRUE. However, in most cases, your family does have quite a bit of influence on you. Even if you try not to be like them, in some ways you ARE like them. You have a very close genetic makeup with them and some of their habits (I sincerely hope THE GOOD ONES) will become yours as well.
I am no stranger to genealogy, for several years I researched our family in order to show my first granddaughter where she came from. Admittedly, genealogy can become confusing because in many cases parents will name their children after one of their parents or grandparents. So, when searching through documents it is difficult to sometimes know who is being referenced.
Genealogy was used by the Jews to show their lineage, so that they could prove that they were in-fact a Jew. Now, if you consult Matthew’s record, a little study will reveal that the genealogy of Matthew chapter one was arranged to show a point about Jewish history as well, but Luke is different; he traces Jesus’ lineage back to Adam, from whom every person is descended. And the point here is this.. Jesus was a Jew, but also a fellow human being. His Jewish genealogy is important to the Jews, but what about everybody else? The book of Luke says…
Luke 3 ( World English Bible )
23 Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, 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 Joseph, the son of Judah,
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 Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Jose, 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 Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, 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, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, * 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 Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Are we related to the Jews- of course we are; through Adam. This is important because if the Christian’s relationship to God is not a matter of genetics, but rather of choice.
You may be thin or fat, young or old, black, white, yellow or brown, but if you choose Jesus, he chooses you. All those who obey his Gospel are related – by choice.
Now, I may get confused by exactly who is who in our family, but this I know: Choose Jesus and you will live. God becomes our father and Jesus our elder brother and we are all brothers or sisters in-Christ. Believe this, because its true.
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