Graduation ceremonies tend to be long and rather boring. There are the many speeches followed by the long reciting of names. Most of those in attendance daydream as much of that list of names is recited until they come to their own name or the name of their loved one at which time their ears and hearts pick up. When we come to a large segment of Scripture like today's which simply lists an enormous list of names, we all tend to gloss it over and pick out a name here or there. But interestingly they are all recorded and were kept safe until the temple was burned down by the Romans in 70 A.D. These genealogies proved everything until that time from who owned certain parcels of land, who was permitted to serve in the temple, and most importantly who had the qualifications to be the Messiah as listed in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. After 70 A.D. without this list, it would be impossible to prove the genealogy of any contender to be the Messiah. This serves as another proof that Jesus was who He was, the Messiah.

When I go through lists like these, I'm also amazed that God knows everyone's name. In John 10:2-4, we read, "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." We may all feel like no one knows us and that we blend into the sea of humanity, but when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He indeed knows our name and will never forget it. We read yesterday in a beautiful section of Malachi, 3:16-18, "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him." God has a book of remembrance of all those who hold Him with the awesome respect that He deserves.

However, the most important book with a list of names which we all want to be included in is the Lamb's Book of Life. When we read of the future Antichrist in Revelation 13, we read in 13:8, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Before the Great White Throne Judgment when all those who made a decision to not follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior are judged and enter the lake of fire, we read in Revelation 20:15, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." We also read of those after this judgment who live in the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:27, "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." If anyone considers this unfair that God would send so many into the lake of fire, simply repent of your sins, accept what the Lamb of God, Jesus, did for you on the cross, make Him the Lord of your life and your name will be entered into the only Book that saves and is written in permanently. There are no grandchildren or other relatives listed in that book, only God's children. We are not born His children, but become His children once we accept the gospel truth for our lives. So, rather than another boring graduation roll call, imagine the excitement when we hear our names called from the only Book that really counts.