Monday, December 8th

Oh the coming of Christmas and all that it entails. From joyous traditions to gift giving, spending time with family to tending to the grief journey or being distracted by hurry, noise, and missed expectations. The coming of Christmas, in my opinion, is probably the most emotional and relational diverse holiday we have on the calendar.

I share that because I think, at times, we have this belief that the coming of Christmas is quaint, reflective, calm. We sing Silent Night, we read of the awe and wonder of the shepherds, Magi, and Mary, as the gaze at the babe in the manger.

I wonder at times, do we struggle with this picture, especially at Christmas, because for some, we look at our life, or relationships or even our interior life and it isn’t quaint, calm, reflective. Our lives are filled with hurry, busy, noise … with chaos.

What does it mean for Jesus to come in unexpected ways? What does it mean for Jesus to come despite our chaos? Before you jump to conclusions or assumptions that your life isn’t “that” chaotic” or that your life is too chaotic, to the point where you may think you are a lost cause. Let me share with you the Christmas story…

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even an mouse…. No not that one.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world….4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child…. No, not that coming of Christmas.

Let me share with you the coming of Christmas from Matthew’s perspective. Matthew walked with Jesus, was called by Jesus, heard his teachings, witnessed his miracles, was there when he was arrested and stood in awe when he rose from the dead. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Matthew had to share what he heard, saw, witnessed, observed and experienced. Matthew started at the beginning, not just the beginning of Jesus’ life, but beginning of the good news from Father Abraham.

Matthew 1:1-2- This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…

Many of you are like, what? Why start here? I usually skip these passages. I hear you but there are some awesome nuggets, hidden gems in these passages and I would argue, are so powerful, that it should flip our understanding of the coming of Christmas and the coming of Christ.

Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience, he has his fellow Jews in mind and he wants them to know that Jesus, the Messiah, came from a royal line, a kingly line. Jesus is the fulfillment of the King David, he is the coming King.

Matthew is sharing with us the story within the story. That there is a larger story woven within the story of the coming King.

Quick sidebar. Folks, there is a tendency that we want Scripture to be nice and neat, we want to tame scripture or explain it or reframe it to fit into our categories. I would argue, Matthew’s audience was no different. Matthew was writing, as a Jew, to a Jewish culture, where they were male dominant, prided themselves on purity, the law, and cleanliness, which was their attempt to be accepted by God.

But the fact that Matthew starts the “birth” story, the story of the coming King with the genealogy is scandalous. He doesn’t shy away from mixing it up and calling out the chaos in the midst of the story. I think Matthew is wanting to get our attention to how gritty, raw, powerful, yet glorious this ancient story with a divine thread.

What does it mean for Jesus to come in unexpected ways?

What does it mean for Jesus to come despite our chaos?

Sit with this song as well, allow it to prepare you for how God wants to get your attention with the coming of Christmas. He Shall Reign Forevermore