Have You Been Added to the Family Tree?

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

—1 John 3:1

My cousin and I are co-chairing a long-overdue family reunion for our mothers’ side of the family.

I assumed the responsibility of creating the family tree and am taking advantage of a free trial period with Ancestry.com. I’ve been busy plugging in names, birthdates, and places of birth and am amazed at how the tree is taking shape. I’m especially delighted whenever a green leaf appears on my screen, which means the database has an ancestry hint for me. It could be a documented record of birth or a census record indicating a place of residence. I consider each hint to determine if it’s applicable and decide if I want to add it to the family tree.

I appreciate the capability that Ancestry offers to add individuals, like stepchildren and others we have “adopted,” who are not part of the bloodline, but who are family nonetheless. By including all of our family members, whether by blood or love, our family tree is branching out in many directions.

While the family tree that we will display at the reunion will consist of only the descendants of my maternal grandparents, I have been able to trace the lineage back three additional generations. I’m hoping for some more ancestry hints so I can trace my ancestors all the way back to Europe or Asia or beyond. I want to know exactly where I came from.

In Luke 3, you can read the genealogy of Jesus, the son of Joseph (as was supposed) all the way back to Abraham and from there all the way back to Adam, the son of God.

In the same chapter, you can read the words of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, who proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (vs. 3). He warned against trusting in one’s position in the church, one’s position in the family of Abraham. He said, “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (vs. 8-9).

We are not saved because of our religion or the religion of our family or our biological bloodline. We are saved because of the great love that the Father has lavished upon us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

No matter our heritage or socioeconomic status or family name, we all have the opportunity to receive the free gift of eternal life.

Jesus poured out His blood for the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:28). When we admit and repent of our sin and give our lives to Christ, we become heirs.

“And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29 ESV).

We are added to God’s family tree, much like those loved ones my family has “adopted” and added to our family tree. In the Spirit of adoption, we call out to God, “Daddy!” (Roman 8:15-17).

And He calls us to go forth and bear good fruit, like green leaves bursting anew on the family tree.

I may not know exactly where I came from, and I’ll keep researching my genealogy for that, but I am certain of where I’m going—because my lineage intersects with the bloodline of Jesus.

Do you know where you came from?

Here's an ancestry hint. Your lineage can be traced all the way back to God, the giver of life (Psalm 36:9 NCV). And if you want to know where you’re going, intersect with Jesus and give your life to Him. Inherit an eternal place of residence in our familial home.

Thank you, Father, for giving me life and creating me to be your child. Thank You for showing me that it’s not religion or a name that keeps me in the family tree, but it’s through a relationship with Your Son. Because of Your great love and the bloodline of Jesus, I am a branch on the family tree. May I be ever grateful and faithful in bearing fruit unto You. Amen.