Jun 23
4
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 5
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son and called his name Noah, saying, ‘Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.’ Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” (Genesis 5, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 3:23-38
“Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) 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.” (Luke 3:23–38, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
The genealogy of Jesus found here in Luke 3:23-38 is immensely important. It is far more than a collection of hard-to-pronounce names. And it does not only tell us the facts concerning who Jesus’ ancestors were. No, this genealogy of Jesus is filled with meaning. It communicates truth to us concerning who Jesus is, and what he came to do.
Now, to fully appreciate the meaning of this genealogy, we must pay careful attention to the names that are listed here, the order in which they are listed, and the placement of this genealogy in Luke’s gospel.
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Consider The Placement Of This Genealogy
First of all, let us consider the placement of this genealogy. You probably noticed that Luke positions the genealogy of Jesus in an odd place. Where would you expect a genealogy of Jesus to be placed? Probably at the very beginning of the gospel and somewhere near the account of the birth of Jesus. In fact, Matthew presents us with a genealogy of Jesus in his gospel, and that is exactly where he places it – in the very beginning, and right before the account of the birth of Christ. Matthew’s gospel begins with these words: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” And immediately after the genealogy, we read, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way… (Matthew 1:18, ESV). But Luke positions the genealogy of Jesus later in his gospel – after the account of Jesus’ conception and birth, after the story about him in the temple at age 12, after the account of his baptism at about the age of 30, and immediately before the account of his temptation in the wilderness, which marked the beginning of his public ministry. The question we must ask is, why? Why did Luke save the genealogy of Jesus so that he might position it here in his gospel?
The answer is this: Luke saved the genealogy of Jesus for this place so that he might use it to emphasize who Jesus is and what he came to do immediately before telling us about his public ministry. Luke wants us to know for certain that although Jesus is the eternal Son of God, he is also the Son of Adam. He is truly God and truly man. And as the God-man, he came to do what the first man failed to do, namely, to live in perpetual obedience to God and enter into eternal life. In fact, he came to do more than this. Not only would he live in perpetual obedience to God he would also suffer to the point of death on the cross in order to redeem those that the Father gave to him in eternity. This was the work that only the God-man could do, and I am saying that the genealogy found in Luke’s gospel stresses this truth: Jesus is the God-man, the second and greater Adam, and it is placed here, immediately before the account of Jesus public ministry, so that we might have this truth fresh in our minds as we begin to consider the things that Jesus said and did.
How does the genealogy of Jesus in Luke’s gospel communicate that Jesus is the God-man, the second and greater Adam?
Notice three things:
First of all, look at what immediately precedes the genealogy. It is the account of Jesus’ baptism, found in Luke 3:21-22. There we learn that when Jesus was baptized, the “heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21–22, ESV). Who is Jesus? He is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the Son who eternally proceeds from the Father and breaths forth the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the person of the eternal Son who is begotten not made. This was clearly communicated at his baptism.
Secondly, notice how the genealogy of Jesus concludes. In Luke 3:38 we are told that Jesus is “the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” So then, while Matthew traces Jesus’ line of descent as far back as Abraham, Luke traces it all the way back to Adam. And by the way, I am not claiming that Matthew’s genealogy is better than Luke’s, or that Luke’s is better than Matthew’s – I’m simply noting the differences. And they are different for a reason. Matthew wanted to emphasize that Jesus is the promised son of Abraham (and David), whereas Luke wants to emphasize that Jesus is the true son of Adam. In other words, Luke wants us to know that, although Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is also truly human.
By the way, it is worth noting that Adam is also called “the son of God” in verse 38. Adam was the son of God, but in a different sense than Jesus is the Son of God. Adam was the son of God in that he had God as his direct Creator and source. According to Genesis 2, God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life. Adam was God’s son in the sense that God was his Creator. But Jesus is the Son of God in a much greater way. As it pertains to his personhood, he is the eternally begotten Son of the Father (as has already been said). And it pertains to his human nature, he, like Adam, has God as his direct Creator and source. Remember, the man Jesus was not brought into this world through the natural process of procreation but was born of a virgin. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed her; therefore the child born to her was called holy—the Son of God (see Luke 1:35). So then, Jesus is the son of God in two senses. Concerning his personhood, he is the eternally begotten Son of the Father. And concerning the human nature that he assumed, he is the son of Adam, the son of God. You see, Jesus and Adam share this in common – they are the only two men brought into this world, not through the natural process of procreation, but by the direct, creative activity of God the Father working through the Word and by the Holy Spirit. Why did Luke save the genealogy of Jesus for after the story of Jesus’ baptism? Well, by presenting Jesus’ genealogy here, and by tracing his genealogy back to Adam, Luke clarifies that Jesus is not only the heavenly and eternally begotten Son of the Father (as revealed so clearly at his baptism) but that he is also a true son of Adam – a true human son of the Father in the same way that Adam was. Stated differently, as it pertains to the person of Jesus, he is the eternal begotten, uncreated, Son of God. But as it pertains to his humanity, Jesus is the true son of Adam brought into this world, not through procreation, but by the direct creative activity of God. Truly, the Father “formed [his] inward parts; [and] knitted [him] together in [his] mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13, ESV).
How does the genealogy of Jesus in Luke’s gospel communicate that Jesus is the God-man, the second and greater Adam? By what immediately precedes it, by how it concludes, and thirdly, by what follows, namely, the story of the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. Lord willing, we will consider this passage with care in a future sermon. For now, I want you to notice two things. One, the story concerning the temptation of Christ in the wilderness is meant to be compared and contrasted with the story of the temptation of Adam in the garden. What do the stories share in common? In both stories, human sons of God who were created to function as covenantal representatives are tempted by Satan to disobey God and serve themselves instead. How do the stories differ? One, Adam was tempted in paradise, whereas Christ was tempted in the wilderness. Two, Adam was a mere man, whereas the person of Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of God. Even Satan knew this, as Luke 4:3 makes clear. “The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’” And in 4:12 Jesus rebuked Satan, saying, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” You see, to tempt Jesus was to tempt the Lord God, for Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of God come in the flesh. And, most importantly, the temptation stories differ in that Adam failed whereas Christ succeeded.
The point is this: Luke positioned the genealogy of Jesus in between the account of his baptism and immediately before the account of his temptation in the wilderness for a reason. He wants us to know for certain (Luke 1:4) that Jesus is the Son of God and the son of Adam. Jesus is the God-man, and Luke uses Jesus’ genealogy to firmly establish this before telling us about his earthly ministry.
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Consider The Order Of This Genealogy
So, we have considered the placement of the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Luke’s gospel. Let us now consider the order in which the names are listed. I will not devote much time to this second point, for it overlaps with the first somewhat. The thing that I want you to notice is that while Matthew begins his genealogy with Abraham and works his way forward historically to Jesus, Luke movies in the opposite direction. He begins with Jesus and moves back in history concluding with Adam.
Again I say to you, Luke wants to emphasize that Jesus is the son of Adam. And by concluding his genealogy with Adam, Luke prepares us for the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, which is meant to be compared and contrasted with the temptation of Adam in the garden at the beginning of time.
By concluding his genealogy with Adam, Luke presents Jesus to us as the second and greater Adam. Just as Adam functioned as the head or representative of the Covenant of Works that God entered into with humanity in the beginning, so too Jesus Christ is the head or representative of a new humanity and of a New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. So then, Adam and Jesus share this in common. Both are federal or covenantal heads. By that, I mean they represent all who are members of the covenants over which God has placed them. Adam represented all of humanity in the covenant of works that God established in the beginning. Adam’s success would have meant success for the whole human race. Adam’s failure meant failure for the whole human race, for he was appointed by God as our head or representative. And something similar is true of Jesus Christ. God appointed him as head of a New Covenant and a new humanity.
By concluding his genealogy with Adam, Luke presents Jesus to us as the second Adam. He wants us to view everything that Jesus said and did in his earthly ministry in light of this. Jesus is no ordinary man. He is the God-man. He is the second Adam, the head of a new humanity and of the New Covenant. Though the first and second Adams share some things in common, they differ in one very important way. Jesus Christ is the victorious Adam. He is the man who was victorious over sin (never did he succumb to temptation), he was victorious over Satan (instead of listening to his voice as the first Adam did, he stomped his head), and therefore Christ was victorious over death (death could not hold him – he died and rose again on the third day).
The reason that Luke ordered his genealogy in this way, moving from Jesus and back to Adam (and concluding with him), is so that we would have the theme of Jesus as the second and greater Adam fresh in our minds as we begin to consider the things that he said and did in his earthly ministry.
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Consider The Names Listed In This Genealogy
So, we have considered the placement and order of the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Luke’s gospel. Let us now consider the names that are listed.
First of all, it is well known that the names listed in the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke differ significantly from one another. If you were to set the genealogies side by side to compare them you would notice that the names listed from King David to King Jesus do not match at all.
I thought this graphic might be helpful. Luke’s genealogy is on the right side and Matthew’s is on the left. I will not read all of the names. Simply look at the bottom and notice that Luke lists Heli as Joseph’s father whereas Matthew lists Jacob. And if you look up to the center of the graphic you will notice that Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy from Nathan, the lesser-known son of David, whereas Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy from David’s son, Solomon. The genealogies match from David to Abraham. And, as you know, Luke takes us all the way back to Adam. The question is, how do we explain the differences between the two genealogies from King David to Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus?
Quoting now the notes in the ESV Study Bible (which I know many of you use), “The most commonly accepted suggestion is that Matthew traces the line of royal succession (moving from David to Solomon; Matt. 1:6) while Luke traces Joseph’s actual physical descent (moving from David to Nathan, a little-known son mentioned in 2 Sam. 5:14; Luke 3:31), and both lines converge at Joseph. Then there are various explanations for the two different people named as Joseph’s father (Jacob in Matthew; Heli in Luke). In most proposed solutions, they are thought to be different people and a second marriage is assumed (sometimes a levirate marriage; see note on Matt. 22:24), so that Joseph was the legal son of one but the physical son of the other, and thus there are two lines of ancestry for the two men.”
But there is an older solution to the problem. And although the ESV Study Bible notes dismiss it, I think it is the better solution. Quoting again the ESV Study Bible, “An old suggestion is that Matthew traces Joseph’s ancestry while Luke traces Mary’s ancestry. But very few commentators defend this solution today, because 1:27 refers to Joseph, not Mary, and taking 3:23 as a reference to Mary’s ancestry requires the unlikely step of inserting Mary into the text where she is not mentioned but Joseph is mentioned.” But then a little later in this section, the ESV Study Bible mentions a third option, saying, “Some commentators have suggested that Heli was Mary’s father, but that there were no male heirs in the family, so Heli adopted Joseph as his ‘son’ when Mary and Joseph were married (cf. 1 Chron. 2:34–35; Ezra 2:61; Neh. 7:63; also Num. 27:1–11 for inheritance through daughters when there is no son).” In fact, I think this is precisely what is going on here. I think what we find in Luke is Mary’s genealogy, traced through her husband, Joseph, the adopted son of Mary’s father, Heli, and the adoptive father of Jesus.
In my opinion, the view that this is the genealogy of Mary (traced through Joseph) makes the most sense and offers the simplest explanation of the discrepancies between Matthew and Luke.
Also, I wonder if the little comment that Jesus was the son of Joseph “as was supposed” is meant to nudge us in this direction. Just as Joseph was not the biological, but legal, son of Heli, so too Jesus was not the biological, but legal, son of Joseph, given the virgin birth.
And that Luke would choose to trace Jesus’ genealogy through Mary’s line also makes sense theologically. Think again of where Luke takes us in this genealogy. He takes us (as you know), not to Abraham, but through Abraham all the way to Adam. And what promise did God deliver to Adam after he fell into sin? God promised to provide a Redeemer who would one day be brought into the world. How? Not through Adam’s seed, but through the seed of the woman (see Genesis 3:15). This Redeemer would be wounded by Satan in the process but he would ultimately win the victory over Satan, sin, and death. The Redeemer is Christ Jesus. And he was born, not of the man, but of the woman, for he was conceived, not an ordinary way, but miraculously by the power of God Most High. He was born of the virgin Mary. It is not surprising that Luke would want to highlight Mary’s line, therefore.
But the question remains, why mention Joseph at all? I think the answer is this: by calling Jesus the son of Joseph and then by adding the phrase “as was supposed”, Luke does not only emphasize the fact of the virgin birth, he also draws our attention to the way in which Jesus descended from Adam, without being born in Adam, if you know what mean. Jesus descended from Adam in that Mary descended from Adam. Jesus was born through her. He obtained his human nature from her. But Jesus was not born in Adam, covenantally speaking. Adam was the head of the Covenant of Works, not Eve. The Covenant of Works was broken when Adam sinned, not Eve. And all who are born to Adam in this world are born guilty, in sin, under the Covenant of Works, which Adam broke. The blessings of that Covenant are no longer available. The curses of the Covenant fall on all who are born to Adam. Again I say to you, though Jesus descended from Adam (through Eve), he was not born in Adam, because Joseph was not his father. He was his father “as was supposed”, that is to say, by adoption, not by birth. Jesus has one Father – God Almighty. And one mother– the virgin Mary. He was born of her, yet without sin. For the transmission of original sin was removed when Joseph was bypassed. Again I will say, Jesus descended from Adam and yet he was not born in Adam, and this is because of the virgin birth. Joseph was the father of Jesus, “as was supposed”, in appearance only, by way of adoption.
We have been considering the names that are listed in Luke’s genealogy. And so far, we have focused on the differences between Matthew’s list and Luke’s. Now, consider what they share in common. Both Matthew and Luke trace the genealogy of Jesus through King David and Father Abraham. This is very important because God promised to give Father Abraham a son who would bless the nations (Genesis 12). And God promised to give King David a son who would sit on an eternal throne and establish an eternal kingdom. Jesus is that Son. Both Matthew and Luke stress that point, each in their own way.
The third thing that I want you to notice about the names listed in Luke’s genealogy is that Luke takes us all the way back to Adam, and in particular, I want to draw your attention to the line that Luke traces from Adam to Abraham. It is the righteous line that he traces and not the wicked line.
Indeed, all humanity descended from Adam and Eve physically speaking. But as you know, God cursed the serpent after man’s fall into sin, saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV). The meaning of this quickly becomes clear in the Genesis narrative. Eve gave birth to two sons: Cain and Abel. Both descended from her physically, but only Abel shared her faith and belonged to God. Cain belonged to the Evil one, as his actions showed. Being driven by envy, he rose up and killed his own brother. And so the Lord gave Eve another son in is place. His name was Seth. And so the story continues. From Adam and Eve there descended a wicked line (physically, it was through the seed of Cain, and spiritually, it was the seed of the Serpent), and a righteous line (physically, it was the seed of Seth, and spiritually, it was the seed of the woman). The wicked line is recorded for us in Genesis 4. It is epitomized by the wicked man, Lamech. In Genesis 4:19 we learn that he took two wives. And in Genesis 4:23 we are told of his tyrannical ways, his injustice, and his arrogant boasting. “Lamech said to his wives: ‘Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:23–24, ESV).
It is in Genesis 5 that the righteous line of Seth is traced. It begins with Adam and Eve, runs through Seth, and concludes with Noah and his sons – Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, Noah’s son Shem is set apart as blessed, and his line is recorded for us in Genesis 11:10ff. It includes figures such as Eber, Peleg, Nahor, Terah, and finally Abram (who is later given the name Abraham). If you were to read the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Luke and if you were to compare the names that he lists from the time of Adam to Abraham with the genealogies of Genesis 4, 5, 10, and 11, you would certainly get his point: Luke wants us to know for certain that Jesus Christ is the offspring that was promised to Eve. Stated negatively, he is not the son of Cain or Lamech. He is not the son of Ham or Japheth. Stated positively, he is the son of Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Eber, Terah, Abraham, and David. Jesus Christ is no ordinary descendent of Adam, he is the Promised One. He is the singular offspring that was promised to Adam and Eve shortly after they had fallen into sin. He is the singular offspring who was preserved in the days from Adam to Abram through the line of Seth and of Shem. He is the singular offspring who promised to Abraham. He is the singular offspring who was promised to King David. This is what Paul teaches in Galatians 3:16: “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16, ESV). And this same truth is presented to us in the genealogy of Luke 3.
Isn’t it marvelous to consider how God promised to send a Redemer so long ago, and preserved that Redeemer through Seth, Shem, Eber, Abraham, and the Eber-ews until the time had fully come? And, as Paul says in Galatians 4:4, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5, ESV). Think of it. For a time, the eternal Son of God submitted himself to Joseph as an adopted son, so that through his victorious life, death, and resurrection, he might reconcile many sons and daughters of Adam to God the Father as beloved and adopted children of the Most High. It is all marvelous to consider. God’s grace and God’s ways are marvelous to consider indeed.
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Suggestions For Application
I would like to conclude now by offering a few suggestions for application.
One, may I encourage you, brothers and sisters, to resist the temptation to read the Bible in a self-centered way, endlessly searching for an encouraging word for yourself or practical instruction, and to read the Bible in a Christ-centered way instead. The Bible does provide great encouragement, and it is filled with teaching that is practical indeed. But to be truly encouraged, and to really learn the way of wisdom, we must approach this book as being primarily about God and the Christ that he has sent. The Bible is about Jesus. It is about his person and the work that he has done to reconcile fallen sinners to God. Look for Christ when you read the Bible, brothers and sisters. Before you ask the question, how does this text apply to me personally?, ask, “how does this text reveal the glory and grace of God in Christ Jesus? And once you see Jesus in the text, run to him, embrace him, trust in him, and seek to serve him with all that you are. Only then will the scriptures provide true and consistent encouragement to your souls. Yes, when you read the Scriptures in a Christ-centered way, you will even find encouragement in the genealogies of Genesis, and Luke! Why? Because these lists of hard-to-pronounce names find their “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ our Redeemer! And only after finding Christ in the text can a proper application be made. Friends, to read the Scriptures in a Christ-less way will lead only to legalism and moralism. But we are not legalists or moralists – we a Christians. All of our moral obedience to God – all of our law-keeping – must be rooted in and flow out of our faith in Jesus Christ with the strength that the Holy Spirit supplies.
Two, if you do not find encouragement in the genealogy of Luke 3, may I encourage you to reflect more carefully about your sin, what your sins deserve, the marvelous grace that God has shown to sinners like you and me, and the wisdom of God to accomplish our Salvation as he has. The Scriptures say that these are “things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12, ESV). How dull our minds – how heard our hearts – how blind our eyes must be to remain unimpressed and unmoved at the thought of the accomplishment of our redemption through Christ, the second Adam and Son of God. Brothers and sisters, may the Lord soften our hearts and sharpen our minds so that we would see Christ as glorious and be moved to gratitude and worship.
Three, may I encourage you to think carefully about the progress made in the history of redemption and the great change that took place once the Messiah was brought into the world through Eve, Seth, Shem, Eber, Abraham, David, and Mary. In particular, note this: genealogies no longer matter. From Adam to Christ, the righteous line that descended from Eve could be traced genealogically. But now that the Christ has come in fulfillment to the promises previously made, God’s covenant people are not identified by genealogy, but by faith. As Paul says, under the New Covenant, “it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7, ESV). This simple observation concerning the progression in the accomplishment of our redemption will impact many things. It will have an effect on who we baptize – not our children, but all who repent and profess faith in Christ. It will have an effect on how we view those of a different ethnicity – “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11, ESV). But the application I really wish to make is to our children. Many of you have been raised in the church and in homes where the gospel is believed and preached. Please hear me: you are not born into Christ. You must be reborn. By God’s grace, you must choose to turn from your sin and to Christ. From the days of Abraham to the resurrection of Christ, children were born into the Old Covenant community. It is not so with the New Covenant and with the New Covenant community, the church. Children, you (like all of us) were born in Adam, in sin, and under the Coevnat of works that he broke. You were born into this world guilty before God, therefore. As your pastor, I must urge you to turn from your sins and to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the second and greater Adam, our Redeemer and friend. And as you grow in maturity and come to the point where you are able to make a credible profession of faith, you are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May the Lord bless with many such baptisms in the days and years to come.
