As I write my dad is in surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on his pancreas. On Facebook I found out that the father of business acquaintance of mine passed away two days ago, and that two other friends each gave birth to beautiful daughters. In the span of four days the miracle of Father’s generational plan for our lives was on full display.

Last Tuesday night I heard a teaching presentation on the birth of Christ. I recall many of the points that have been made about the significance of Jesus being born a babe for the sake of his total identification with the human race, but what has just come to me is the generational aspect of it all. In Luke 2:7 Jesus was referred to as the firstborn son of Mary. Then Paul takes that further in Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Father has a generational view to our lives. A relational view. A view of family. That’s why Jesus was born a baby. God brought his family to be a part of ours and ours to be a part of his. That’s his Father heart bringing us to himself. Not to fulfill some grand spiritual assignment which sadly the IC too often promotes, but to allow us to join in his heart and his family.

bob humphrey