“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)
Back in 1984, when Sting was with the Police, he had a stalker. So Sting wrote an ode to his stalker called “Every Breath You Take.” For those of you who never heard of Sting, or the Police, or the year 1984, it went like this: [either play a stanza of the song or read out these lyrics]
Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you.
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you.
In this surveillance society in which we live today, “I’ll Be Watching You” could be our theme song. Everywhere we go, we are being scanned and screamed at, asked to prove ourselves, prove our identity, prove to be who we say we are. Each time you log in to your bank online, each time you buy something from Wayfair or Overstock or Amazon from an unknown computer, each time you even call your health insurance company, you will need to answer a series of questions that only you could know. This proves that you are you and no-one impersonating you. Identity fraud is a 15-20 billion dollar a year industry.
Giving the right answers allows you to go from no access to full access. Giving the wrong answers shuts down your life.
Ever forget some of the answers you put into some of those blanks? Ever forget who your favorite teacher in grade school was? Ever wonder why you were so stupid as to pick that question as a reference check? Or whatever possessed you to make the authenticating question which board game you liked the best as a child, or which childhood friend you thought was your best friend, or which brother’s middle name you put down as your passcode, or which dog you chose as your favorite of the five you have in your household?
Even when you’re you, and you know you’re you, you may have trouble identifying yourself as you to some computer and its human representative. If that has happened to you in the past, you know that it then takes quite a bit of trouble to get yourself re-established as you, and to move on to your own accounts or access your own data. Not fun.
But yet this time of testing is necessary for the safety of everyone, especially you. You wouldn’t want some fraudster, some culprit, some “wolf in sheep’s clothing” to impersonate you and gain access to your lifetime savings or your next paycheck --or even to your medical records.
Well, this kind of “testing” may not have existed in the form of internet questions in the past. But in a sense, you’ve all had to go through times of testing in some way or another, to prove that YOU are who you say you are.
Think of what you need to do when you go to an airport to catch a flight. You need your identification –preferably a driver’s license—along with your boarding pass. You need in fact to go through a testing area that examines exactly what you are bringing with you. And you need to show that pass before you board the plane to make sure it’s you who is entering.
Think of the process of entering a courthouse. Or a foreign country. Or a club (especially if you are underage). Or even Costco! You can’t pass “go” until you stop and prove that YOU are a subscribing member of the club.
Testing is something we do in every phase of our lives. Even in your work life, you get tested not so much to make sure that you are who you are, but that you are willing to subscribe to the “rules” or “guidelines” of the company. You have job interviews, salary raise meetings, sales meetings, contract meetings.
In your company, if you have a mole or one who defects and goes his or her own way, your company falls apart.
It’s not just that we live in a society that values contracts. Every society from the beginning of time has valued contracts. And these contracts prove identity, loyalty, honesty, and whether or not you are a team-player. Think of the time of the judges in scripture, when Israel’s tribes needed to keep order and to keep foreign threats out. Think of the time of the kings, when loyalty was paramount to survival.
Even God and God’s people have always lived according to a tried and tested “contract.” It’s called a covenant –a two-way agreement of loyalty between God and God’s people that is a lot like a marriage. God agrees to protect, love, and cherish God’s people. God’s people agree to honor, obey, and be loyal only to God and no other, keeping God’s commandments and behaving in ways that live out God’s wishes for us.
When we don’t do that, it’s a breach of contract. No pass. No entry.
God’s people require a LOT of chances to try to get it right. Do overs. And more do overs. But pretty much God has had to endure our ignoring God and God’s covenant most of the time.
Think of it this way.
When you hire someone to build a house, the owner shows the contractor a blueprint. But the owner won’t see the finished house until many months or years later. The owner leaves the contractor to it, trusting that the contractor will follow the plan or, if the plan changes, there is a conversation. Then there is a time of building and constructing until you reach the goal. And in that time, you either follow the blueprint, or you deviate from the plan, and go your own way.
For most of us, if the builder or the architect deviates from the buyer’s wishes, the buyer will not be happy. It is the owner who gets to say how the house should look. It is the owner who calls the shots.
What kind of house are you building? This is the question for all of us. Is your home God’s house? Or your own house? Or someone else’s house!?
A contract for construction is in a sense a “test” of loyalty. Can the builder follow the owner’s wishes, and serve at the owner’s pleasure? The builder who can is highly valued.
If a builder is consistently good at getting it right, according to what the owner wants, that builder becomes “vetted.” He or she has “passed the test” of loyalty. He or she has been examined for authenticity and loyalty and trustworthiness and has “passed muster.” And in the future, that history of good faith will follow that builder into every new project. He or she is now identified by that “pass.” No further “test” is needed. The next time a project comes up, the owner knows that the builder is trustworthy.
In a sense, Jesus’ time in the wilderness is the ultimate background test. It’s a test of His identity and of His loyalty, and it’s a decision-making time, whether the Son of God will prevail or will fail in his faithfulness to God’s mission.
Satan says before each temptation, “if you are the Son of God,…..” Satan is a trickster, as well as a tempter. Satan is also a stumbling block. He wants to trip Jesus up, cause Him to stumble. And in doing so, he wants to put a wedge between Father and Son.
But Jesus prevails. He IS who He says He is. He IS the Son of God, who will not waver in the face of any test or trial. He knows who He is. And He will not forget any of God’s “right” answers. He knows God’s mission and He knows His place within that mission. He knows God’s commandments, and He trusts in God’s will for His life. He doesn’t take the easy way out. But He follows the “blueprint” God has set forth for His life and His mission on earth.
He IS the Son of God. In that wilderness experience, Jesus has been vetted.
Our friend Luke wants to be sure that we know this. He in fact follows Jesus’ baptism, in which God identifies Jesus as His Son, with an extensive genealogy that proves that Jesus is who He says He is. It is Jesus’ pedigree. But this genealogy is not just a biological one. It’s a spiritual lineage that proves that Jesus IS the “Son” who exists before the time of creation, just as the apostle John assured us He was.
And listen to what Jesus’ genealogy tells us. It begins: “Jesus was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,…….” And it ends, the Son of Adam, the Son of God. In other words, Jesus was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph. But in reality, Jesus is the Son of God.
When Jesus spends his time in the wilderness in the midst of fasting and prayer, He passes every test with flying colors, so that WE can KNOW, Jesus IS the real deal. He IS who He says He is. We have the story of his vetting. We don’t just have to take Luke’s word for it, or John the Baptist’s word for it. But we see the proof for ourselves in His wilderness victory and in His unique heritage. He is not just the son of Mary, or the son of Noah, or the son of Seth, or the son of Adam. He IS the Son of God, the awaited Messiah, who will carry out God’s plan of redemption and follow it all the way to the end.
And because He’s been vetted, we’ve been vetted too!
John tells us, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5). “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
OUR identity rests upon the identity of the One True Son of the One True God. In Jesus, we too are “vetted” into God’s heavenly kingdom.
No longer do we have to go 40 years through the deserts of Arabia, or follow rigorous sets of rules, or pass a series of portals and tests, as some have done before us. Jesus has been vetted for all of us. All we need to do is follow Jesus. All we need to do is trust Him enough to believe in who He says He is. Because HE is our heavenly advocate. HE has the power to get us through the doors of the heavenly gates.
Our passcode to the kingdom is the name of Jesus. Our proof is Jesus engraved upon our hearts. Jesus is the doorkeeper to the kingdom of heaven. And we all have been given access through Him.
We all have times of wilderness –or perhaps better called—be-wilder-ment in our lives. There are times when we are hungry for love, or depressed about our finances, or maybe we are not looking forward to something we have to do or a decision we need to make. There are always going to be times in our lives when things don’t go as well as we’d like. Or it appears that someone else has gotten ahead, or arrived somewhere, when we have not. There will be times, we’ve lost love. Lost a person we love. Lost a job. Lost a spouse. Lost hope. We all are tempted by the ways of the world –money, power, fame, quick fixes that require us to displace our loyalties and move our worship from God to something or someone else.
It all comes down to trust. Even in your times of “be-wilder-ment,” can you call upon the name of Jesus? Can you trust the name of Jesus?
Jesus is our pass to the heavenly kingdom, our passcode to love, our passport to hope.
Jesus is the Son of the Promise, the promise that God gives to every one of God’s children.
The good news? You don’t have to take a quiz. You don’t need to pass a test. You don’t need to know all the answers. You don’t even have to get everything perfectly right. You just need to know one name –Jesus. We are all vetted with God through the Name of Jesus.
Confess Him. Trust Him. Follow Him. Proclaim Him.
Call upon the name of Jesus.
What’s in a Name?
If it’s been vetted .. .. . Everything!
[Here are two suggested endings for this sermon. The first is a story about a dog named “Reggie” but whose name was really “Tank.” The second suggestion is to go straight to a song.]
Ending 1:
Let me tell you a story. It made the Internet rounds about a decade ago, and it goes like this:
They told me the big black Lab’s name was Reggie. I looked at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly. I’d only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone would always wave when you passed them on the street.
But something was still missing. I was attempting to settle into my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt, would give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie’s advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right afterward, but it said, the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like “Lab people,” whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.
At first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike.
For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls – he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I’d get him new things once he settled in, but it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to settle in at all.
I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like “sit” and “stay” and “come” and “heel,” and he'd follow them – when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name. Sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever he felt like. When I’d ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.
This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him, and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the “damn dog probably hid it on me.”
Finally, I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter’s number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter. I tossed the pad in Reggie’s direction, and he sniffed it and wagged his tail, the most enthusiasm I’d seen since bringing him home. But then I called, “Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat.” Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction – maybe “glared” is more accurate – and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down. With his back to me.
Well, that’s not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number. But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too. “Okay, Reggie,” I said out loud, “let’s see if your previous owner has any advice.”
To Whoever Gets My Dog: Well, I can't say that I'm happy you’re reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie’s new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you’re reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different. I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time, it’s like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong, which is why I have to try to make it right.
So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.
First, he loves tennis balls, the more the merrier. Sometimes I think he’s part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful – really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.
Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones – “sit,” “stay,” “come,” “heel.” He knows hand signals: “back” to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and “over” if you put your hand out right or left. “Shake” for shaking water off, and “paw” for a high-five. He does “down” when he feels like lying down – I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows “ball” and “food” and “bone” and “treat” like nobody’s business. I trained Reggie with small food treats. Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.
Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.
He’s up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he’s due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car – I don't know how he knows when it’s time to go to the vet, but he knows.
Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it’s only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He’s gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the back seat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.
Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new. And that’s why I need to share one more bit of info with you.
His name’s not Reggie.
I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He’s a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt, but I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I’d never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything’s fine.
But if someone else is reading it, well… well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he’s been giving you problems.
His real name is Tank. Because that is what I drive.
Again, if you’re reading this and you’re from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make “Reggie” available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with, and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter, in the “event” something happened to me, to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you’re reading this, then he made good on his word.
Well, this letter is getting too downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family. But still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.
And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me. That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things, and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.
All right, that’s enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.
Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight – every night – from me. Thank you, Paul Mallory
I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.
I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog. “Hey, Tank,” I said quietly. The dog’s head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.
“C’ mere boy.”
He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.
“Tank,” I whispered. His tail swished. I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.
“It’s me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me.”
Tank reached up and licked my cheek. “So what'd say we play some ball? His ears perked again. “Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?” Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room. And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.
When you get the name right. Everything changes. What’s in a Name? Everything.
Ending 2:
Let’s end today with a hymn of joy that celebrates the beautiful promise of God given to all of us in the person of Jesus. Jesus is victorious, and in Him, so are we! Let’s sing together --“Standing on the Promises of God” by Russell Kelso Carter, written in 1886:
1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
*The photo for this sermon is of the wilderness of Judea found at www.swordofthespirit.com Photo by Don Schwager.
Based on the Story Lectionary
Major Text
Jesus, Son of God, is Baptized, Vetted, Tested, and Sent (Luke 3:21--4:15)
Minor Text
The Story of Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness (Genesis 16)
The Tribes of Those Who Reached the Promised Land (Numbers 26)
God’s Promise from the Wilderness (Deuteronomy 8)
Those Who Settled in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11)
A Genealogy from Adam to Abram (1 Chronicles 1:1)
The Story of Esther, Adopted of Mordecai, Queen of Persia
The Story of Daniel and His Test of Faith in God (Daniel 6)
God’s Lament Over His Son Israel in the Words of the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 11)
God’s Restoration of His Son Israel (Jeremiah 31)
Psalm 2: The Son of the Lord
Psalm 8: Children of God
Psalm 12 and 14: God’s Mission for the Faithful and Restoration for the Righteous
Psalm 90: We are God’s Dwelling Place
Psalm 115: The Lord Will Bless His People
Jesus High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 4-8)
Paul’s Sermon on Adoption to Sonship Through Living in the Spirit (Romans 8)
Jesus, Son of God, is Baptized, Vetted, Tested, and Sent
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
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.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
Image Exegesis: Vetted
“Out of Egypt I called my Son.” (Hosea 11:1)
“Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!” (Proverbs 30:4 -The Words of Agur)
Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel…. (Ezekiel 2:1-3)
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16)
Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” (Exodus 4:22)
“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)
In the gospel of Luke, the temptations of Jesus are surrounded by the baptism of Jesus and an unusual genealogy. After this, Jesus goes out to teach and heal in synagogues all over the region, and is highly respected and esteemed. This level of esteem won’t last long. His ministry will quickly spark conflict.
But before Jesus’ ministry begins, these passages by Luke are all important, as they establish the identity of Jesus as “Son of God.” This identity is tested and prevails in Jesus’ wilderness experience.
While the “wilderness” itself is an awesome metaphor, as are “satan” and the various temptations –bread, synagogue, Jerusalem, and the pinnacle of the mountaintop—Luke’s genealogy offers more than meets the eye and reveals many “hidden” metaphors.
The genealogy begins just after God, in the form of a dove, declares “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased” at the moment of Jesus’ baptism. This startling declaration must be “tested,” and Jesus goes through a number of tests of His loyalty to God, understanding of the scriptures, and sheer will and faith, which “vets” His claim to the title, “Son of God.”
Interestingly, the genealogy begins, “Jesus, supposed son of Joseph,….then continues through a lineage from Heli through Son of Adam, and ends Son of God. It’s clear that the author is making a statement about Jesus’ “supposed” identity through his “adopted” father, Joseph, as opposed to his “true” heritage, as Son of God….then son of adam. In a sense, this is the ultimate doctrine of incarnation. From God to adam….and then tracing Adam’s lineage in some very interesting ways.
Lineage in Jesus’ day and before was very important. Your lineage was your insurance to the right of your position in Jewish society. In fact, in order to retain your priesthood, you needed to have the proper lineage, needed to stem from the proper family. In Luke’s genealogy of Jesus, which is radically different from Matthew’s, it’s clear that this is not just a biological genealogy, but a spiritual genealogy –which opens eyes as to God’s mission itself. Putting the emphasis on “Son of God,” and then on Adam, we see that Jesus (the second Adam) is there at the dawn of time, and is the “son” of the first human being, made perfect in God.
The next name in the lineage (going backward) then is not Cain nor Abel, but Seth, the little mentioned third son of Adam and Eve, who “took the place” of the murdered Abel, and is said to be the “perfect” man of God.
Seth, whose son Enosh takes the next place in the lineage, means “in place of.” His lineage is said to be the “godly line.” Because Cain slew Abel, this third son (note the number 3), is the thwarting of evil, as through Seth, the offspring of the woman, Eve, would come to crush the serpent’s head through the later Messiah (note Genesis 3:15). God has raised up a “new seed” in Seth, the son of Adam’s own likeness (Genesis 5:3). (Seth is mentioned additionally in Sirah and in the Book of Jubilees).
During the lifetime of Seth’s son Enosh, “men began to call upon the name of the Lord again.” (Note Genesis 4:26).
Moving on within the genealogy, we come to Noah, who marks the end of the former age, in which Methuselah is a key figure, and into a new covenantal time. According to Jewish lore, Noah gave to his son Shem (the next in the lineage of Jesus) the priestly garments that he had inherited from Adam (given to him and Eve by God directly). In fact, many rabbis identify Shem with Melchizedek, King of Salem (the early Jerusalem). In fact it is said to be Shem who met with Abram bringing wine and bread. The words “salem” named by Shem and “Jireh” the name for the Temple of God named by Abram combine to create the city’s name: Jerusalem.* Shem’s priestly office however is later passed to Abraham, due to a mistake on his part in putting Abram before God.
The progression from Isaac to Jacob to Judah is also interesting in that both Jacob and later Perez (son of Judah) both fought for their place in the covenantal line. This courage and confidence, and the willingness (like Ruth and Tamar and Rahab too in Matthew’s genealogy) to be unconventional yet loyal to God’s commandments and the tribal way, show that God admires “gumption” –that spirited initiative and resourcefulness that will allow God’s people to endure through many a difficult time while still maintaining hope from tribe to Egypt to promised land.
The House of Perez is significant in that we know that many of this house became established in Jerusalem in leadership roles. The son of Tamar and Judah, Perez would be the last of Israel’s free generation. His son Hezron would be the first generation to be enslaved in Egypt.
It’s important to remember that Joseph, in a position next to the Pharaoh, had already died by this time. Because he had brought his family to Egypt, and all those with them, they had by the time of Hezron’s generation, multiplied hardily, and were occupying positions of importance in Egyptian society. At this point, a change in Pharaoh, and a change in attitude toward the wealthy foreigners began to take its toll, and resentment grew among native Egyptians, so much so, that gradually, Pharaoh began to implement moves toward enslaving the foreign people.
While Amminadab is pre-Red Sea, it is said that Nahshon, whose sister Elisheba married the priest Aaron, was the first to step head-deep into the Red Sea until it parted and all walked through. Nahshon is seen as a praiseworthy and honorable man, and he was therefore appointed by Moses as prince of the Tribe of Judah.
The joining of Nahshon’s family with Aaron’s combine the kingly and priestly functions within Jesus’ genealogy. Nahshon, a venerable man of God, was known as the “banner of Israel” continuing the “spiritual” nature of Jesus’ genealogy. This genealogy is one of those who “walked with God” in special ways. Their histories tell much about the characteristics of the Messiah.
Nahshon’s son, Sala (or Salmon) would marry Rahab and bear Boaz, who would take as his wife, the Moabite widow Ruth.
Nahshon’s generation then along with Salmon’s are the first generations to see the Promised Land. They settle in the regions of Bethlehem, where later David would tend sheep.
David, also the youngest rather than eldest, would be the most famous artist King of all of Israel.
Interestingly, his son Nathan, not Solomon, continues this particular lineage.**
The relationship of King and High Priest continues.
The lineage continues until Joseph, son of Heli. While Matthew indicates that Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, Luke’s genealogy indicates Heli.
Many scholars believe, this indicates that Heli was Mary’s father. Others believe, Heli is perhaps a grandfather, as “son of” can mean “ancestor of” not literally “son.”*** Still other earlier scholars claim that the name was due to a leverite marriage. Whichever is true is not so relevant as that this is a lineage of those who prevailed in faith and walked with God through great times in Jewish history.
While some genealogies may serve as a record of birth, this genealogy seems more to be a genealogy of “Sonship,” that is what it means to be a “Son” of God, in the sense of those who keep a close relationship and loyal relationship to the One True God.
This line, perhaps the lineage of the true high priests of God, may be the key to understanding the order of Melchizedek –perhaps going back all the way to Adam, the first high priest of God.
The righteous branch (Zechariah) would be said to unite the priesthood and kingship for Israel’s redemption. Because this “priesthood” predates the Levitical one, this may be the reason that John must baptize Jesus.^
And from here, in the wilderness, Jesus would undergo the “proof” test of his identity.
Stories of those who endured wilderness’ experiences are not in the genealogy but still perhaps need mention within this particular group of passages –those such as Joshua, Moses, Daniel, Esther, Hagar, and Samson all have endured experiences out of which their loyal faith in God inspired others to turn to God. Some, like Ezekiel and Daniel, bear the name “Son of Man” as well.
“Son” is also the term for God’s people, Israel. Those of Judah (God’s current people) and those of Ephraim (God’s lost people mostly indicating the northern kingdom) both are indicated to be God’s children.
Jesus as the representative of Israel becomes the “true” Israel of the wilderness. While the former Israel complained and turned against God, Jesus would not.^^ Jesus is the loyal Son God has awaited. And just as he represents Israel in the wilderness, he will also represent Israel in his sacrificial role.
In Jesus’ vetting in the wilderness, “Father-Son” conflict is healed, and Jesus will spend his ministry seeking to restore the lost sheep of Israel.
The metaphors therefore of the names in the genealogy itself give us significant clues about the role of the Messiah, the lost Son, who now will be the “voice” of God crying out to His people.
*The Jewish Encyclopedia. Note: Shem is said to have founded a School of Torah Study. Rabbis believe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all knew Shem and attended his school. In Joshua 10:1, Adonai-Tzedek is mentioned as King of Jerusalem.
**Richard Bauchham, “Jude –the Relatives of Jesus.” See also Chapter 7 of “The Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant” by Abraham Park, “Coming Out of Egypt” by K.C. Strider, and “The Family Tree of Jesus” by Curt D. Baker.
***The Jerusalem Talmud, The Sanhedrin, and the Babylonian Talmud, among others, affirms that Heli may be the father of Mary. But these passages are vague. We can vouch that whatever the reason, the genealogy is no doubt correct in some way, as those who could not produce their genealogy were degraded from the priesthood (Ezra 2:62). Genealogical records were carefully kept by family and by synagogue and Temple. Both Matthew’s and Luke’s are undoubtedly correct, but proclaim different things about the Messiah Jesus.
^See the Book of the Hebrews, Midrash Rabbah on Numbers 4:8, Dead Sea Scrolls 11Q13. Melchizedek is indicated here as the future Messianic figure and is called “Elohim.” See story sermon from 22 May 2016: “Elohim.”
^^See B. Gerhard on the Testing of God’s Son.
