You Want Me To Read What for Advent?!
If you asked the average Christian which parts of Scripture they tend to skim (or skip altogether), genealogies would likely win by a landslide. And honestly, who could blame them? A long, rhythmic roll call of names most can’t pronounce, parading down the page like the credits of a foreign film you never started.
But what if we’ve missed the wonder?
What if those “boring lists” are actually among the boldest declarations of who God is?
These are not accidental names. They are not divine footnotes. They are sacred receipts, evidence that God makes promises and then keeps them, not in theory, but in history.
Each name is a marker of divine faithfulness. Each generation passed like a torch through the ages. When we read the genealogies, we are not just reading names. We are reading the story of a God who never forgot. A God who weaves redemption through real people with real blood and real failures.
We are tempted to overlook these names because they don’t feel relevant. But God included them because they are essential. The gospel didn’t fall from the sky; it walked through a thousand dusty roads, through wombs and wars and wanderings, until it came to rest in a manger.
So the next time you see a genealogy, don’t roll your eyes, lean in. Because each name is a drumbeat in the great symphony of salvation, leading us to the crescendo: Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.
The Word became flesh, but not without a family tree.
Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is “God-breathed and useful” not just the verses that stir our emotions or fit neatly into devotionals, but every line, every law, every name. Yes, even the long lists we’re tempted to skip. These are not just historical records; they are sacred signposts. They do not exist to inform us of trivia, but to unveil the divine tapestry of redemption.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll trace the family line of Christ not as an exercise in endurance, but as a pilgrimage through promise. Then we will end with a historical and cultural look at Jesus’ birth. Remember, these names, often skimmed over, carry whispers of covenant, of grace carried through generations, of a God who never forgets. This isn’t filler. This is the foundation. Long before the cry from the manger split the night, the story was already being written, one name at a time.
So let’s read slowly. Let’s look for the fingerprints of God in the most overlooked places. Let’s remember that in this list of ordinary people lies the extraordinary blueprint of salvation.
