HCC Weekly - January 5th, 2025

The Genealogy of Christ

Pastor Ken

Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Forgetting what is behind and straining forward toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The Gospel of Matthew opens with the genealogy of Christ and if you look closely you will discover that His family tree is full of peculiar, irresponsible, and contemptable people; everything from liars and philanderers to murderers and prostitutes.

But the lesson to us is this: Christ’s family tree did not define Him! His genealogy did not characterize His identity or His purpose or His mission. Those things were all characterized by His relationship with His Heavenly Father.

It is probably safe to say that you have some bad apples in your own family tree; we all do. But the good news of the Gospel is that through Christ, you’ve not only been given a new beginning, but a new identity.

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!

Through Christ, you are not sentenced to repeat the shame of your family tree. Instead you get a new start with a new purpose and a new mission; a chance to establish a new legacy for others to follow.

Tragically, too many Christians spend more time focusing on their past than they do their future. They exhaust precious resources trying to untangle the mess of their family tree instead of grabbing hold of the truth that they are a brand-new creation and the past no longer defines them. Don’t get me wrong. There is a time and a place to deal with the past, but there is also a time to say, “Be that as it may, I have no control over the family I was born into. But through Jesus Christ, I have a new family, a new identity, and a new direction!”

I’m praying that you will begin this new year by embracing your new family identity! Have a great Monday!