In our Advent Christmas series, "Unexpected," we invite you to journey with us as we unfold the genealogy of Jesus. We'll delve into the lives of key figures such as Abraham, David, Joseph, Mary, and four other unexpected relatives highlighted in Jesus’ family tree from Matthew 1:1-17. These relatives reveal to us Jesus Christ is the Messiah who came to save the world, but also each of their own stories show us unexpected truths of how God brought about the birth of His own Son. And, forces us to ask the question, why did these people make it into the Jesus’ genealogy and the Christmas story?
Beginning in Matthew 1:1-2, we are reminded of the first of these truths: through Abraham's offspring, all nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). This assures us today that God remains faithful to His promises, even when their fulfillment takes generations. Consider that there were about 2,100 years from Abraham to the birth of Jesus. Not 2,100 seconds, minutes, or months, but years. And here we are, over 2,000 years beyond the birth of Jesus, being reminded this weekend to wait in hopeful anticipation, trusting that God will bring to fruition everything He has spoken about Jesus Christ, our Messiah!
Simeon and Anna, two elderly figures in the Christmas story, demonstrate how to maintain hope through decades of waiting and disappointment. Despite life not meeting their expectations, they sustained their hope by focusing on God's promises rather than circumstances. When Jesus finally arrived as a baby carried by poor teenagers, they immediately recognized Him because they had learned to embrace God on His terms, not their own. Their story teaches us that only Jesus can provide the consolation for our past hurts and redemption for our future struggles. We often place our hope in relationships, money, or circumstances that cannot bear the weight of our deepest longings, leading to repeated disappointment and cynicism.
