Luke 3:23-38

1 John 5:5-13

Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Mark 1:7-11 or Luke 3:23-38 or Luke 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38

When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age.

He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,

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 Josech, 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 Melchi,

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 Sala, the son of Nahshon,

the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni,

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 Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Opening Prayer: Lord, you ask me to contemplate all human history leading to the Incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ. This is a mystery that far surpasses me. I trust in you as the Lord of history. Guide me today in my life and help me to know my role in the history of salvation.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Focus of Luke’s Genealogy: Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus is probably more familiar to us. It traces Jesus’ descent from Abraham and King David through David’s son, Solomon. It is intentionally organized into three sets of fourteen and the number fourteen emphasizes Jesus’ royal ancestry from David. Luke’s genealogy, by contrast, emphasizes Jesus’ descent from Adam and is implicitly organized into eleven sets of seven. Key figures, such as David, Abraham, Enoch, and Adam all appear in the genealogy at multiples of seven. In the Bible, the number seven refers to the covenant, especially the first covenant of creation. What Luke is telling us through Jesus’ genealogy and descent from Adam is that Jesus is not just the king and redeemer of Israel, he is, in fact, the Savior of the entire world and all humanity! Every human being, created by God, is called to divine sonship through Jesus Christ.

2. The Threefold Testimony of the Spirit, Water, and Blood. The First Letter of John speaks of three witnesses to Jesus. It summarizes the entire life of Jesus by referring to the water shed at his birth and the blood shed at his death. When Jesus’ blood is poured out on the Cross, he unleashes and pours out the gift of the Holy Spirit upon all humanity. All three – water, blood, and Spirit – testify to who Jesus is.

3. Created for Eternal Life: God the Father testifies to his Son at key moments during Jesus’ life and reveals that what he wants to give us is eternal life in his Son. That is the very reason why he created us. We are called to respond in faith to this divine revelation about who Jesus is and who we are. Both the Gospel of John and the First Letter of John are written so that we may believe and that in believing we may have eternal life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I desire to glorify and praise you today. You have strengthened me and blessed me. You have brought peace to my life. You fill me with the gift of the finest wheat in the Eucharist. I have heard your words and will do my best to respond.

Resolution: Our life of faith is not static. Faith is not a one-time event. Our faith is dynamic and subject to an ebb and flow. At times our faith can be shaken and be weak. We could even lose our faith or act in a way that is not in accord with our Christian faith. Our faith can also grow and flourish and deepen over time. Because the virtue of faith is a divine gift and not a human achievement, let us remember always to ask God to increase our faith and help it flourish into acts of Christian love.