More Like Him

Luke’s genealogy of Jesus is different than Matthew’s because Luke was writing to a different audience.  Matthew was primarily writing or a Jewish audience.  His genealogy of Jesus connected Jesus to Abraham, the father of the Jews.  Luke’s genealogy, on the other hand, connects Jesus to all of humanity because Luke traces Jesus’ ancestry back to Adam, the father of us all.  He shows us how Jesus goes all the way back to Adam and then to God the Father.  Jesus is more than our Savior and Lord.  He is our Brother as well.  He was fully human and lived the entire scope of human experience.  He was not some other-worldly being who could not feel or be tempted.  In fact, Scripture says that He was tempted in every way, but He did not sin.  He wept at the death of His good friend, Lazarus.  I imagine that Jesus laughed, too.  I believe that Jesus was full of joy!  He loved and was beloved by many.  He knew hunger and thirst.  He slept and rested.  He prayed and He worshiped.  In many ways, He was a lot like us.  It reminds me of a song by Rich Mullins.  It is called “Boy Like Me, Man Like You.”  The song asks the question of Jesus if He was a boy like me.  Did He do the things that little boys do?  Wrestle with a dog?  Play in the water of a hose?  Make snow angels?  Get scared playing hide and seek?  Then Rich goes on to say that he wants to be a man like Jesus.  My favorite line in the song is: “And if I ever really do grow up, Lord I wanna grow up and be just like You.”  That’s me!  I want to grow up (someday) and be like Jesus!  My prayer is that you want that very same thing!  While I know that I won’t make it, it doesn’t mean I won’t try.  My hope is that I’m growing each day and becoming more like my Savior each day.  Take heart, my friends.  Some days it is 3 steps forward and 2 steps back.  Some days it is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back.  But in all things, we keep pressing on in the same direction – becoming more like the One Who became like one of us.

Luke 3:23-38 (NIV)

23 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, 24 the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi, the son of Melki,

the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,

the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,

the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,

the son of Josek, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,

the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,

the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,

the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,

the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,

the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,

the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,

the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,

the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,

the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,

the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,

the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,

the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,

the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob,

the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,

the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,

the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,

the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,

the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,

the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,

the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,

the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.