Why Genealogy Matters Series

Why Genealogy Matters

February 1, 2026

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Luke 3:23-38

The Scripture We Tend to Skip

Over the last several years, DNA testing has become almost a form of entertainment. You’ve seen the commercials. You spit in a tube, mail it off, and six weeks later your phone lights up with an alert telling you that you’re 12% this, 8% that, and somehow related to someone you’ve never met.

Most people do it just for fun. They’re not looking for anything serious. They’re just curious. That was the case for

a man who took one of these tests a few years ago. He wasn’t suspicious, he wasn’t searching for answers—he was just bored one afternoon and thought it would be interesting to see what came back.

When the results arrived, the ethnicity breakdown looked odd, but that happens. What caught his attention was a notification labeled “Close Family Match.” Closer than a cousin or an uncle, but a sibling. Which was strange—because he was an only child.

At first, he assumed it was a mistake. But as he clicked through the details, the evidence was undeniable. After some very difficult conversations with his parents, he discovered the truth: he had been conceived through a donor, and no one had ever told him.

Later, he reflected on that moment and said something unforgettable: “Nothing about my life changed that day—but everything about how I understood myself did.”

He didn’t move. He didn’t change jobs. His relationships didn’t disappear overnight. But his origin story changed. His understanding of inheritance changed. His sense of identity shifted. That’s what genealogy does. Genealogy answers questions we don’t always want to ask—but can’t avoid forever:

• Where did I come from?

• What’s been passed down to me?

• Why do certain patterns keep repeating?

Genealogy is boring…Until it explains you. In Luke 3, God has just spoken from heaven at Jesus’ baptism: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” And then Luke does something unexpected. He opens the family record. And in doing so he lists names to answer the deepest human question: Why is the world the way it is—and how is God going to fix it?

Most of us have a rhythm when we read the Bible. We lean forward for miracles, parables, and stories where something dramatic happens. But when we come to genealogies—long lists of unfamiliar names—we are tempted to skim, skip, and assume they don’t apply to us. That’s not us at CrossWay. Yet the reality is simple and profound: if genealogies didn’t matter, God would not have included them. Luke 3:23–38 is not filler, not background noise, and not a historical appendix. It is God’s Spirit-inspired verification that Jesus Christ is exactly who He claimed to be. Christianity is not built on vague spirituality or emotional impressions; it is grounded in real people, real history, and real bloodlines.

DNA tests reveal things we didn’t choose but still have to live with. Luke shows us something even more profound. You were born into Adam’s family line…But Jesus entered that line so you wouldn’t have to stay there. And that’s why genealogy matters.

Why Luke Places the Genealogy Here

Luke intentionally places this genealogy immediately after Jesus’ baptism. At the baptism, heaven opens, the Spirit descends, and the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Luke then moves from divine declaration to historical documentation. In essence, he is saying: Yes, Jesus is the Son of God—and now let me show you that He is also fully human, legally qualified, and historically anchored. Biblical faith is never blind; it is rooted and verified.

Luke and Matthew: Two Genealogies, One Messiah

At first glance, Luke’s genealogy appears to conflict with Matthew’s. The names differ, the order differs, and even the direction differs. But this is not contradiction—it is intentional, Holy Spirit breathed theology. Matthew writes primarily to a Jewish audience. His genealogy begins with Abraham, moves forward in time, and emphasizes Jesus’ royal right as King by tracing His line through David’s son Solomon (Matthew 1:1–17). Luke, however, writes primarily to Gentiles. He begins with Jesus, moves backward in time, traces the line through David’s son Nathan, and ends not with Abraham but with Adam (Luke 3:38). Matthew answers the question, “Is Jesus Israel’s promised King?” Luke answers, “Is Jesus the Savior of all humanity?” Together, the genealogies proclaim one unified truth: Jesus is both Messiah and Redeemer.

Genealogy Proves the Real Humanity of Jesus

Luke opens by stating, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph” (Luke 3:23). Luke carefully acknowledges the virgin birth while affirming Jesus’ genuine humanity. Jesus did not merely appear human; He was born into a family, grew physically, experienced fatigue, sorrow, and temptation, yet without sin. Scripture affirms this clearly: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things” (Hebrews 2:14). Because Jesus truly entered the human family, He understands our weakness, pain, and struggle. He did not redeem humanity from a distance—He redeemed us from within.