What Old Testament promises are fulfilled through the genealogy in Luke 3:35? Setting the Scene—Why Luke 3:35 Matters Luke pauses on five pre-Abrahamic names: “the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah” (Luke 3:35). Those names bridge Noah’s son Shem (v. 36) to Abraham (v. 34), showing that Jesus inherits every covenant God made in those early chapters of Genesis. Key Old Testament Promises Tied to These Ancestors • Genesis 3:15 – The unbroken “seed” line – From Adam through Shelah-Eber-Peleg-Reu-Serug, God keeps the lineage intact so the promised Snake-Crusher can arrive. – Luke’s genealogy proves that Jesus is that seed. • Genesis 9:26 – “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem” – Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, and Serug are direct descendants of Shem. – Jesus, coming from this line, embodies the blessing God declared would rest on Shem’s family. • Genesis 10:25 – Peleg and the divided nations – “In his days the earth was divided.” Peleg’s name reminds us of Babel’s scattering (Genesis 11:1-9). – The Messiah born from Peleg’s line reverses Babel by gathering the nations into one family (Isaiah 11:10; Acts 2:5-11). • Genesis 10:21; 11:14-17 – Eber gives rise to the Hebrews – The term “Hebrew” likely comes from Eber. – God’s promise to raise up a prophet from “among your brothers” (Deuteronomy 18:15) requires a distinctly Hebrew lineage—fulfilled in Jesus. • Genesis 12:2-3 – Blessing through Abraham (immediately after Serug’s grandson) – Luke 3:35 rolls straight into Terah and Abraham. – Because the genealogy proves Jesus is Abraham’s seed, He fulfills “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” How Jesus Personally Fulfills Each Promise • Seed of the woman → He crushes Satan (Hebrews 2:14). • Blessing of Shem → God literally “dwells” in Shem’s tents when the Word becomes flesh (John 1:14). • Division at Babel → Pentecost’s multilingual gospel reunites divided nations (Acts 2). • Hebrew identity → Jesus is the ultimate “Hebrew” who mediates the new covenant (Hebrews 8:6). • Abrahamic blessing → Salvation offered to “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Why This Slice of the Genealogy Builds Our Confidence • God keeps promises over millennia, through ordinary families. • No rebellion (Babel), exile, or obscurity (the nearly forgotten names of Reu and Serug) can derail His plan. • If He guarded the line from Shelah to Serug, He will surely guard every promise He has made to us in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). |
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