Reflections on Advent – VI

Have you ever counted the generations in Matthew Chapter One? Verse 18 tells us that there are three sets of fourteen generations – what do you think?

The names of three women appear in Matthew’s genealogy and a fourth woman is alluded to, by the wife of Uriah. Considering the way women were viewed in most places in the First Century, including Galilee and Judea, as well as in the Greco-Roman world, this is unusual. Is Matthew putting the reader on notice that this is not your typical genealogy? Is he giving us a hint that a new creation is on its way? I wonder if he paused writing when he came to the first woman, Tamar? Why not first mention Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel, women essentially beyond reproach? Why include Rahab? – she wasn’t an Israelite. And Ruth…well she wasn’t a biological daughter of Israel either – so why not at least include Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel, why not include these three women who form the foundation of the people of Israel?

As I scan this genealogy I can’t help but think of the forgiveness of God. Even the best of these folks were flawed; not just flawed, even the best of these folks started out in life as sinners alienated from God. That’s why they could sing and write about forgiveness, that’s why they could talk about mercy – they knew where they had come from and by God’s grace they had some idea of where they were going. The writer of the New Testament letter of Hebrews tells us that they were looking for a city, looking for an enduring country – they were on pilgrimage.

Now you would think that if Matthew wanted to put the best possible face on Jesus Christ that he’d tidy up this genealogy. Why point out that David’s son Solomon was by the wife of Uriah? And note that Solomon was conceived and born after David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, after Bathsheba had become David’s wife. Why this designation, the wife of Uriah? What’s wrong with a little spin? Or if not spin, at least there is no reason for full disclosure.

Why raise the specter of Tamar and Judah? Surely that could have been omitted – no need to raise questions.

But I’ll tell you, this gives me hope. God was faithful to all of us in His mercy and grace to these generations, and it gives me hope that in the midst of my frailty and downright sin that He will be merciful and gracious to me too. These are not people wearing their Sunday best, these are not people saying and doing the right things because they are the right things to do and say; these are people living life – and they are not always living it the way God designed it to be lived – but He is still with them in His mercy and grace…and yes…to those who continue to reject Him…well…they get their way – they wanted their own way, they got their own way.

I supposed had I observed all of this over the generations I would have thought, “There is no way God is going to pull this off.” But the fact is that God did pull it off – He was born in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago – and He never had any doubts about it; not then, not now. Yes, I get encouraged when I view this tapestry of Matthew 1:1 – 18.

Reflections on Advent – IV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

Each of the Four Gospels begins differently. Matthew begins with the above statement. Mark begins:

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…

Luke starts with:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also…

Then we have John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Four different beginnings, one focal point – Jesus Christ.

Matthew begins by pointing us to the genealogy of Jesus; He is from the kingly line of David; He is a descendant of Abraham – He represents the fulfillment of prophecies given to both of these men.

Mark points us to Isaiah the prophet heralding the coming of Christ and directing our attention to prophetic words bursting upon the scene in the persons of John the Baptist and Jesus. Mark begins his Gospel in an action tempo and never lets up.

Luke begins like the methodical physician he is; he’s done his research, conducted his observations, and now is writing his treatise.

John…well John will be John…and John doesn’t begin with a genealogy, nor with an echo from the prophets, nor with the assurance that he’s done his homework – John begins before history, John begins before the prophets, John begins before the genealogies – John begins at the beginning – John begins at Genesis – John begins before time and space, in the deep fathoms of eternity past…The Word was God.

What do we do with this fourfold claim at the beginning of the Gospels?

1. God made promises to David and Abraham; Christ fulfilled (and is fulfilling) them.
2. God spoke through prophets of old; Christ fulfilled (and is fulfilling) those prophecies.
3. The life of Jesus Christ is an historical fact, verifiable in time and space; His birth, death, resurrection, and ascension are verifiable – there were eyewitnesses to these events.
4. Christ is God; He is Creator God; one with the Father and the Holy Spirit – and He became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14).

The question is always the same, Who is Jesus Christ? A lunatic? A liar? The Son of God, the Savior of the World? Those are the only three options – as has been said, He didn’t intend to leave us with any others.

Reflections on Advent – III

As I wrote in the first posting on Advent, Advent was not a word I grew up with, which is a little strange since we went to a moderately liturgical Presbyterian church. Perhaps the fact that we attended church sporadically accounts for the absence of the word Advent in my early vocabulary, for surely the minister must have used the word.

Since my early Christian years (this is after I actually came into a relationship with Jesus) were in non-liturgical churches “Advent” continued to be a stranger to my vocabulary. Advent and Lent were not “seasons” of the church year, though Christmas and Easter were certainly focal “points” of the year. But then came my first position as an interim pastor, with Clifftondale Congregational Church, in Saugus, MA. Clifftondale was a liturgical church, and while my first actual pastorate would be with two churches in Becket, MA. that also valued tradition, neither would be as liturgical as Clifftondale.

It so happened that Vickie and I arrived at Clifftondale a few weeks before Advent, thus enabling me to observe the planning and preparation that preceded the season. I dutifully prepared what would be my first Advent series of sermons, and I think that they may still be my best sermon work in that area.  Since then, with I think one exception, I’ve structured my church planning and sermon preparation around the seasons of Christ’s birth and resurrection – they make for firm pillars in not only the life of the local church, but also in the lives of families and individual followers of Jesus Christ.

How are you intentional about this Advent season?