I praise you today as the God who keeps your promises. Long ago, you promised Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 22:18 NASB). You also promised David, “Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam 7:16). Both these promises find their Yes! in your Son, Jesus (2 Cor 1:20). He is the seed of Abraham, the Savior who brings blessing to the world by turning them from their sins (Acts 3:25–26). He is also the descendant of David, the King of kings who will rule the world from David’s throne, establishing it with justice and righteousness (Ps 2:6–12; Isa 9:6–7). Hallelujah for Jesus, the fulfillment of your plan and promise! He is my Savior and my King! Praise the Lord!

As I thought about what you told me today, it occurred to me that Jesus’ genealogies are also my genealogies. I’m united spiritually with Jesus (John 15:5), and that means I’m connected to all who are also in him: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and so many others (Matt 12:48–50). I’m part of a huge, spiritual, multi-generational family! Not only that, but there is also a sense in which Jesus’ ancestors are my ancestors. Because I’m in him, Jesus’ history is my history, and his past is my past. The stories about Asa and Abijah, Jotham and Jeconiah, Zadok and Zerubbabel—those are my stories. The way you worked in the lives of David and Bathsheba, Boaz and Ruth, Judah and Tamar—that’s part of my heritage. And so, as the record of Jesus’ life begins, his genealogies remind me that I’m very much a part of that story.

Luke’s genealogy, which goes all the way back to “Adam, the son of God,” (Luke 3:38) got me thinking about man as you originally created him to be. Adam and Eve were created in your image. They were designed to be visible, material reflections of your invisible character. Yet that beautiful creation was marred by Adam’s sin, and death came to me because of that sin. But Jesus is the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45–47), the son of God who triumphed over Satan and restored mankind to its rightful place. Through Jesus, I’m now part of the redeemed human race. His life-giving spirit has delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of light (Col 1:13).

There are many people in the genealogies of Jesus who had great potential for good, yet they ruined their lives and the lives of those around them because of sin. Am I leaving a legacy of obedience for those who come after me? Will they be able to point to my name on the family tree with pride and gratitude?

Father, Jesus came to show me how to be what mankind was meant to be—holy and sinless and in right relationship with you. Help me to live by the Spirit each day, yielding to your will and following your way.

Thank you for sending your Son to take on a human nature and be born as one of us. The second Adam is alive today, and through him, I have peace and fellowship with you. Hallelujah!