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Jun 30, 2023 18:30pm

Who Are You?

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Who are you?

Some might use their career to define them and say, “Well, I’m a teacher”, “I’m a therapist”, “I’m a brick layer.”

Or perhaps it would be your role in your family – a sister, a mother, a grandfather, an uncle, or a wife.

Some might reply with “I’m a recovering addict”, “I used to be a pilot”, “I’m retired after serving in the army for 42 years.”

But the question I usually get after they ask who I am is, “Who are your people?” Meaning, “Who was your daddy and your momma?” here in the South.

The interesting thing about “tracing your roots” is discovering people and interesting facts about their lives along the way. What if your great grandfather was a civil war general? What if your great great great grandmother migrated here and left her entire family for a better life? Some things we would be proud of. But, what if you found out that your ancestor was a thief, a train robber, a murderer, or a prostitute? Does it make you any less of a person than you are today?

Let’s look at a lineage that dates back thousands of years. I won’t list the whole lineage, but I’ll pull out the names you might recognize.

Joseph – – David – Jesse – Obed – Boaz – Salmon – – Judah – Jacob – Isaac – Abraham – – Noah – – Enoch – – Seth – – Adam — GOD

Whose lineage is this?

Let’s look at the second name – David. He was a king. The mightiest king of Israel. He is often referred to as a man after God’s heart. He defeated Goliath, he wrote much of the book of Psalms, he was a talented musician and he was a remarkable leader. But many remember him for his sin instead of his victory. David committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Look at Boaz. Remember him? He was the kinsman redeemer for Naomi’s family. He married Ruth, a Moabitess. She was not a Jew, but she had given her life to serving God. Who was Boaz’s dad?

It says it was Salmon. He was one of the two spies sent into Jericho by Joshua who hid on the rooftop of a harlot’s house. Guess who Boaz’s mom is… the harlot, Rahab. She believed in God and chose to risk her life to hide those two men from the guards and it meant salvation for her family.

Then we trace through from Judah all the way back to the very first man, Adam. And at the end, or rather the beginning, of our lineage, we see one name – GOD.

Whose lineage is this?

Jesus’s.

How cool is it that not only is Jesus the true Son of God because of the virgin birth with Mary, but also through His father Joseph’s line to the King of Israel all the way back to God Himself yet again!

What I love most about studying this lineage is that even Jesus came from people with a broken or messed up past. But throughout the whole thing, every life, every story, there is a beautiful theme of redemption.

That’s what Jesus does. He brings redemption. No matter what’s in your past, no matter where you come from, He heals what’s broken. He redeems us as His own.

When we put our trust in Him, we have the privilege of being a child of God; we have a Heavenly Father.

Do you know Him? I’d love to tell you how to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. Message me.