Generations

Today, this first Sunday of Advent, we want to acknowledge the difficult times we are living in. It seems almost hard to believe that a year ago, we were going about merrily, wondering what amazing and wonderful things would take place in 2020.

Here we are a year later, having to take precautions to prevent our medical system from being overloaded with patients. Our first Sunday of Advent is a live-stream only service. 2020 has been a year of disruption. Nothing is as it was. So, we stop and we remember.

God is the God of history.

In the beginning, God created. God created time. God created history.

God chose to create beings made in his own image. They were to be living examples of his character, love, rule, justice, righteousness, grace, and truth. But these beings, these human beings, sinned. They rebelled against God’s way, and they chose to lean on their own understanding, as encouraged by the serpent who tempted them to do so. Tempting them to believe that God was holding out on them.

They immediately saw the truth. They did indeed know good from evil, and tried to cover up their sin. God, in his mercy, did not immediately put them to death. Rather, God promised that he would provide an eternal solution. From that moment on, God began revealing his grand rescue plan. God has acted throughout history. By working in and through individuals, families, communities, countries, princes, kings, soldiers, commanders, governments, in all creation, God has brought about His rescue plan.

Over 2000 years ago, God the Son entered history, entered creation, entered that which was created through him. He took on his own image, humanity, in order to save us from our rebellion. All this has fulfilled that first promise made to Eve and Adam, Jesus is the descendant who would crush the serpent’s head. That promise was renewed in Noah, in Abraham, in Moses, in Israel, in David. And in Matthew’s gospel, we have part of the a record of the real people, the real history of Jesus’ family tree.

So, we have this record, this genealogy in Matthew, a list, a carefully curated list that runs from Abraham to Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, the Son of God. Matthew, writing to a mostly Jewish audience, begins with Abraham. Abraham was the grandfather of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, whose offspring became the nation, Israel. In the Old Testament, God is often referred to as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” The Israelites held great honour in being known as the children of Abraham. And indeed, this is a high honour—but not for the reasons they thought.

The honour of Abraham doesn’t rest in Abraham. He was not a perfect person. Twice he lied about his wife, Sarah, which put her in very dangerous circumstances.

Jacob was no saint either. He was a deceiver, he stole his brother’s blessing, and even convinced him to sell him his birthright. He was no great example.

Then, there’s Judah, his son. We just spent several weeks looking at Judah’s brother Joseph. Judah conspired with his brothers to kill Joseph out of sheer envy. Then, when the opportunity came to sell him into slavery instead, he didn’t hesitate at all. Later, he demonstrated repentance when he offered his life in place of his brother, Benjamin. This is why Judah is the Lion, the kingmaker, the one whose line would produce the great king David, and the King of kings and Lord of lord, Jesus.

In verse three we read that Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Tamar? Tamar was his daughter-in-law, did he really do such a forbidden thing? Well, here’s the thing. Tamar married Judah’s oldest son, who was wicked in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord put him to death. According to God’s law, Judah’s next oldest son married Tamar, so that he could produce an heir for his dead brother. But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his, so he made sure that Tamar wouldn’t get pregnant by him. This was wicked in God’s sight, so God put him to death also. Judah told Tamar to wait for Judah’s third and now only son, so that she might marry him, but Judah forgot about Tamar, and didn’t give him to her.

So, Tamar took things into her own hands, she pretended to be a prostitute, caught Judah’s eye, and well, she became pregnant by him. Judah, when he was confronted with his sin, confessed, and repented. In God’s choice, Tamar and Judah’s oldest son, Perez, became the ancestor of Boaz, Jesse and King David.

So Judah, wasn’t so great a guy. Rahab, earned her living as an innkeeper and prostitute. But, when given the opportunity to be saved by believing in the one true God, she took it, and became a woman of God, and became a part of Jesus’ family line. Ruth was an incredibly faithful woman, but she was a Moabitess. Now, you’re like, so what, what’s the big deal?

Well, the Moabites are named after Lot’s son, Moab. Moab was born of Lot’s oldest daughter, who, fearing no one would ever marry her and give her a child, worked with her younger sister to get their dad drunk, so they could sleep with him. This showed their, and Lot’s depravity.

But here we see God’s mercy. God chose, out of one of them, a faithful woman named Ruth. She said to Naomi, her mother-in-law, “ Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” It was her faithfulness to God and to Naomi, that changed everything. And as a result she is an ancestor of Jesus.

By looking closely at each of the people listed in Jesus’ family tree, we can see there is one thing that ties them all together. This is their family tie. They are all sinners in need of a saviour. They are all utterly dependant upon their descendant, Jesus.

When God works, he works through anyone he wants. He uses people we would never give a second’s thought. He uses highborn, lowborn, wealthy, poor, good and kind, wicked and evil. Next week, Josh will preach about some of the scoundrels. God works in and through history, using various people to fulfil his rescue plan. In this, God ensures that his will is done, here on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

So, considering the people in Jesus’ past. Are we really any better? Are we really any worse? We all need the same thing, we all need a Saviour. That’s the plain truth. There’s no use pretending otherwise. There’s no use trying to maintain a facade. There’s no point pretending we’re something we’re not.

Oh, it’s amazing, many people are quite easy to fool. It is quite easy to be something on Sunday, but completely different the rest of the week. But God knows our hearts. He knows our sins. He knows our past, our present, our future. He’s not shocked, not ashamed by any of it. He knows it all, and he has provided himself the way of salvation, through his Son Jesus.

So, know this. You’re not so good as to not needing salvation. You are not so evil as you cannot be saved. Jesus died for you. Believe in what he’s done. Receive the forgiveness he offers. Receive the new life that he gives.

But please, please don’t stay there! Live, really live in Christ. Be faithful to God. Be obedient to his commandments. Live according to God’s way, not the world’s way.

Look at the chaos in the world. Why would we ever believe in the wisdom that comes from there, when scientists still, after all these years, cannot settle one of the most important debates: what is better for you, margarine or butter?

I jest, I know. But please, please, put your trust in God. Stop pretending. Stop posturing. Fall on your knees, confess, repent and believe. And then live. Deal with the consequences of your past, your sin. But trust in God, and trust in His plan for you! Look at what he was willing to do to save humanity, to save you. Then live a life of grateful obedience. Live a life set apart, holy. Let the life of Christ, present in the Holy Spirit in you, lead you into all holiness, amen.