[AI translation] Such genealogical tables were common at the time. There was no other nation in the world that placed such an emphasis on genealogy as the Old Testament people. One can imagine, then, that Joseph's family took special care to preserve their genealogies... But what can we today have to do with such an old genealogical table, with a boring list of unknown names? Is it worth dealing with it in a sermon? Oh, but how! For the whole message of the First Advent is condensed in this list of names. Let me highlight just a few of the many:1) As I look at this long list of names, my confidence in the Lord who keeps his word is warmed! Because look, what is this all about? It's about God fulfilling what He has promised, fulfilling exactly what He has foretold. For it was at the very dawn of creation that the first promise of a divine deliverer was made to a man in trouble, in sin, that God would raise up a man from the seed of the woman. Coming, therefore, from a woman born, who shall tread upon the head of the ancient serpent. This promise is repeated with Abraham, to whom God says: in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. This promise is continued in David, passed down through the prophets. Throughout the Old Testament, God is working out the promise of the coming of the Saviour over generations. It was a long road to fulfillment, often seeming as if nothing had happened, as if everything had been lost, but finally it did happen: the promised Savior came, Jesus was born.
But it is good to know that God is a Lord who takes his word seriously! Even if everything around us is uncertain - because our situation is uncertain, our health, the material basis under our feet, our mood, our existence, everything - one thing always remains unchanged: the word of God. Indeed, though heaven and earth may pass away, God's word will never pass away! This world is ever changing and what is good today may be a pity tomorrow, what is a shame today may be a glory tomorrow. There is no sure foundation, only one: what God has said! It can be built on, it can be counted on. That's right! It will be so! That will be fulfilled! I once heard of a Jewish rabbi who, a few years ago, while travelling on the express train between Haifa and Jerusalem, received a New Testament in Hebrew from someone, and on his return home to Jerusalem that very night he began to read it. And by morning, he had given his life on his knees to the Lord of the New Testament, Jesus Christ, because, as he later said, he was convinced that night, after reading the whole New Testament twice, that he had found in it more than 200 events that were the exact fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies.
So this genealogy, beginning with Abraham and culminating in Jesus, proclaims that every word of God, every promise of God, is just as surely being fulfilled today because God is a God of God's word! If He once promised, for example, to answer prayers - and He has promised this in many ways - then one thing is certain: that we do not pray in vain! If He once said that anyone who comes to Him through Jesus will always find an open door, then anyone can enter that door today. If He once said that whoever believes in Jesus, even if he dies, lives, then the believer in Jesus can look forward to death today! - But if He also said that He will come back to this earth to judge the living and the dead, then you can expect that today and you must prepare for it! In an age when people are beginning to not even really know what they believe, let this genealogy fill you with confidence in the Lord who keeps His word, take His revelation very seriously!
2) Then let this genealogy also fill you with astonished reverence for the Lord of history! For behold, this list of names is a condensed summary of the whole Old Testament revelation. God's redemptive plan is advancing with great strides towards fulfilment. God is shaping every event to bring us ever closer to the great common goal: the coming of Jesus. In the same way, all of history today is rushing - in great stages - towards the return of Jesus. Throughout the history of mankind there is a golden thread running through the course of all history, a golden thread, a golden thread that shows the direction in which events are moving forward: paradise - Calvary - the open tomb - the Last Judgement! In this genealogical table is the whole view of God's history, that is, that all things are of Him, by Him, and for Him. He is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. He, whose cross and open tomb are at the centre of all things!
But it is good to know that such is the Lord of history! Today, especially, there are so many frightened people who, in the wild whirl of events, have lost their bearings, have become dizzy or dizzy, unable to see any direction. Well, this list of names, as it is here strung together for Jesus, proclaims that history is not an arbitrary play of free forces, nor is it merely the strict consistency of the law of cause and effect, but the domain of God's reign - the whole history of the world is at God's service, and for the fulfilment of His redemptive will. Whatever the course of historical events, it is true what was once said in an old hymn, "The Lord works wondrously, but his way is hidden,... and with a sure hand He brings up what is hidden here!" (Hallelujah)
From this it follows, of course, that the destiny of my individual life, and of yours, is not in myself, not in my doing well, not in my succeeding in what I do, but the destiny of my life is in Christ: that is, that my individual life should also be a place for the glory of God - that is, we live truly as destined when we live not for ourselves, but for the Lord! Just as each of the people on this roll, for example Roboam, or Abijah, or Jozefath, lived to be a link in the chain of preparation for the coming of Jesus, so it is our vocation, for me, for you, in this world, in this history, to be consciously, by our Christian life, by our love, by our service, also preparers for the coming of the kingdom of God, for the final, great, glorious appearance of Jesus. In this way, life will never become meaningless for you, even if it is otherwise full of many troubles and struggles!
3) And finally, this genealogy fills you with great, grateful joy for the God who gives Himself! As I look at these names, I wonder how different people are here together. Some of them are not exactly impeccable saints, and even famous great sinners. For example, the four women who are mentioned, Tamar, Bathsheba, Rahab and Ruth, are all people about whom the Bible tells us of serious moral defects. Then there are great kings like David and Hezekiah, and then again nameless nobodies like Elihu and Mattan. Represented on this roster are people of all ranks. This is the colourful roster, this is the family tree of Jesus! Behold, so much did he belong to human life, so much did he become ingrained, grafted into the tribe of humanity, so deeply did the Son of God come among us, so truly did he assume our destiny, our kinship with us, so completely did God become our God! So one with us!
And yet he is quite different from us. "Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Jacob still begets Joseph, husband of Mary, but Joseph no longer begets Jesus. How subtly he expresses the great divine mystery: born of a woman, but conceived of the Holy Spirit. He came from among us, but was given to us from above. Descended from David, but born of heaven. - Son of Man, but truly the Son of God! He is exactly like us! So, CONFESSOR, the God who came down among sinners, who came for sinners, for you, and for me. You are not inferior to Judah or Bathsheba, the famous great harlots, you are not duller than Sadoc or Achim, you are not more noble, richer than Solomon or Josiah, you are not poorer than Joseph and Mary, you too are free to see your brother, your father, your friend, your fellow-sufferer, your Saviour in Jesus, the Son of God.
He is the one you need too! - Oh, I know there is much wrong in your life too,... but if you would just give yourself to Jesus, this divine brother from above, He would put your life in order and you would be a very happy man. Yes, that's the important thing: you must surrender your life to Jesus! Anyone who has ever done that has never regretted it! This family tree with all these names also proclaims that yes, indeed, the Son of Man came, the Son of God came among us to seek and keep what was lost! You and you and me!
Amen!
Date: 27 November 1960