Not Just Another Son
Updated: Feb 1, 2019
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, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josek, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Luke 3:23-38
Now that you made it to the end...go back and actually read all of that. I know it just says "the son of ________" over and over again, but read it. There is a point. I'll wait. No rush. I'll be here all week.
What? Did you think I left? No way! I got something to tell you.
Your life matters!
I know you know that already. Or at least you think you know that. But have you really ever thought about how much your life truly matters?
Can I be real with you for a second? I have never heard of Heli, Melki, Jannai, Esli, Semien, Josak, Joda, Rhesa, Nahshon, Amminadab, Serug, Peleg, Hezron and I could list more names out of those verses that I have never heard. But guess what!! If Peleg and Serug hadn't came along, Jesus wouldn't have been born! If Jannai hadn't of married whoever he married, then the Savior of the world would not have been the Savior!
Do not get me wrong; God was not dependent upon anything to fulfill His plan and purpose. However, Jesus was born of a virgin and his father was God. God could have easily put Jesus on this earth without a mother or a father. Jesus could have just appeared out of nowhere and just started walking around town. God could have enacted His plan in any way that He wanted. God could have used any person from any line He wanted.
But God did not do that. Instead, God had a purpose for everyone of those lives listed above. 75...SEVENTY FIVE...75 "sons of" were listed before it got to Jesus. All of those people do not have their own story in the Bible. Look up Esli? Is there a story about him personally? What about Josek? Did you find a story about him?
See, these people didn't have their own story written down to be remembered by for ages and ages to come, BUT without them, the FULL story of Jesus would not be told. They each mattered. Esli was probably just your regular guy, doing regular life things. He went to work, he came home to his wife, he had a child (maybe more than one, but we know he had Nahum), and look what happened to his son Nahum! Nahum went on to have a son, and sons continued to have sons, and finally Joseph was born! Then Joseph went on and was betrothed to some girl named Mary who gave birth to the SON OF GOD!! Like WHOA!!
Everyone of those men listed above played a huge part, revealing the miraculous plan and purpose God had all along.
So, listen. Friend. Brother or Sister. Mom or Dad. Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, Neighbor, masterpiece God created.
YOUR LIFE MATTERS!
Even when all you do is go to school, or work, or both, or neither, and you come home, and you eat dinner, and you go to bed - just to wake up the next day and do it all over again.
YOUR LIFE MATTERS!
So, please, don't doubt your worth. Don't look into the mirror and be unhappy. Don't sit down to take that test and think that it doesn't matter if you fail or if you get a good grade. Don't take that drink just because no one is watching. Don't swallow that pill just because you had a bad day. Don't post that picture just to get the "like." Don't compare yourself to them just because you don't have what they have.
Your life matters more than all of that.
God handcrafted, designed, arranged, and breathed life into you. He knows every hair on your head and every scar on your tummy. He knows the mountains you've climbed and the ones you've fallen off of. He knows every crooked tooth you tried to fix with braces, and He knows every thought in your head when you get dressed in the morning. He knows how long you're going to sleep, and how difficult getting out of bed is going to be. He knows how hard you're going to laugh at that joke from dad, and He knows how many people are going to laugh at you for laughing. He knows every chill bump that is raised when you hear your favorite singer, and He knows every tear that almost fell from your face when no one wanted to hang out that day.
He knows who you are going to marry, and who you definitely won't. He knows your children's names and their children's names. He knows what your great grandkids are going to call you, and He knows which hair on your head is going to turn gray first. He knows how many people already bought you a present for Christmas, and He knows how many people that won't.
And still, with the lack of presents, the grey hairs, the tears, the thoughts, the friends, the sleepless nights, the bumps, the laughs, the stretch marks, the scars and all...
Your. Life. Matters.
So, the next time you feel like your life is not amounting to anything, think of Esli or Josek. No one went on and on about them, but through those individuals God's promise to the world was fulfilled.
Rest in peace this holiday season knowing that you matter. You may never be written about in a book, but you are written on the palm of God's hand, and that, dear friends, is a far greater honor.
Author: Joy Grace Webb
Learn more about Joy Grace Webb
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