If you could have dinner with one person who is no longer alive, who would it be? My answer to this question is usually my paternal grandfather. He died in a car accident long before my parents were married so I never met him, but what a legacy of faith and love he left. From all the stories I’ve heard from my dad, he was a very smart and very kind man who sang in the church choir and liked to tinker with their car to add on new features for their cross-country road trips to visit family. I am proud to be his granddaughter and hope my life honors the values and love of God he passed on to his four kids. I consider it a blessing and an honor to have shared his name.

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I know many reading this devotional do not have this type of family story. Some people grow up with grandfathers with whom they do not want to share a name or really anything. After sin entered the world, generations of men (and women) have lived lives that make their grandchildren ashamed, hesitant to let anyone know their heritage. Maybe you grew up in a small town, and everyone knew you because the poor choices of a family member preceded you. Your family name bore a curse and not a blessing.

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Our passages today are from what I would say is a less well-known story in the Bible that weaves its way from Kings and the prophets to the genealogy of Christ in Matthew chapter 1. In the lineage of Jesus, we find a significant mention of a grandfather and a grandson, Jehoiachin (see also Jeconiah) and Zerubbabel.  

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Now Jehoiachin was not one of the good kings of Judah. He only reigned 3 months, but the prophet Jeremiah called him out in Jeremiah 22:28-30, “Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot, an object no one wants? ‘Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.’”

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None of his sons became king, and scholars think this might also have been a curse that would extend for generations. He blew it for those coming after him bearing the family name. But then, one of his sons gives birth to a boy named Zerubbabel, and this kid must have been raised right and following the Lord, because he goes on to do great things! He leads one of the first waves of exiles back to Jerusalem, is the governor of Judea, and builds the new temple. The prophet Haggai confirmed his leadership when he said in Haggai 2 that God had chosen Zerubbabel and he would be like a signet ring. A signet ring was a seal of royal authority and an outward sign of the authority of its owner. Where the royal authority of Zerubbabel's grandfather had been cast off because of his rejection of the Lord's ultimate authority in his life, because of Zerubbabel's faithfulness to the Lord, he restores this authority over his life, and by extension, a blessing over the people of Israel.

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The amazing part of this family story is that God allowed the curse to be lifted for the grandson who acted faithfully and served God. The ultimate king, Jesus, did come from the line of this messy family. God chose Zerubbabel to do his work, despite the failings of his grandfather. Both their names are now listed in the genealogy of Christ.

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Have you been running from the name of an earthly family member who has made you feel unworthy or disqualified? Know today that your worthiness and your legacy is not determined by your family of origin. God can break generational sin and bring about new healthy branches of family trees that bring him glory and honor.

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Regardless of who your biological family members may be, if you have accepted Christ, are you seeking to honor the family name of the One who has adopted you into the family of believers? Are you wearing that name “Christian” proudly and proclaiming you belong to Jesus?  

Heavenly Father, we don’t get to pick the earthly families we are born into, but we can choose to be in your family through Jesus. Help us to identify with our spiritual family and wear the name of Jesus boldly and without fear. You are a God of restoration and redemption. If there are hard stories in our past, may we allow you to write new stories through us by your Spirit and power. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.