Unit 1: The Beginning of a Call
Called through Heritage • MATTHEW 1:1–17; HEBREWS 1 | Printed Text • MATTHEW 1:1–6, 16–17; HEBREWS 1:1–5 | Devotional Reading • PSALM 102:12–22
AIM FOR CHANGE
By the end of this lesson, we will GRASP the significance of Jesus’ earthly heritage and His heavenly origins, WONDER at the depth and scope of God’s eternal plan to bring salvation through Jesus, and WORSHIP Jesus as God’s definitive word to humanity.
IN FOCUS
Lydia loved to study her family genealogy. She found it so interesting to learn about the different people in her past. Connecting with her history gave her a stronger sense of who she was on many levels. As a result of her genealogy research, Lydia discovered why she couldn’t settle down. Like many of her ancestors, she shared an inherent need to be free. Lydia didn’t think “commitment” would ever be part of her vocabulary.
Something Lydia didn’t have in common with the people in her past was faith in God. She couldn’t even commit to the people in her life. How could she commit to a God she couldn’t even see? Joe was probably the closest to a best friend that Lydia had ever had. He was a Christian and had witnessed to Lydia on several occasions, but she was a hard case. Joe was aware of her interest in genealogies, so he challenged Lydia.
Joe told her, “If you research the genealogy of Jesus and still come to the conclusion that He’s not really the Messiah, then I’ll never bother you about your unbelief again.” Lydia accepted the challenge. Two weeks into her research, she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. Ironically, Lydia discovered that real freedom requires commitment. By committing her life to Jesus, she was freed from the chains of sin. Now, Lydia tells people how her love of genealogy led her to Christ.
In today’s study, researching the ancestry of Jesus will bless you, too, with a closer walk with Him. What meaning does your family history hold for you today?