Matthew 1:1-17 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ²Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶and Jesse the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah), ⁷Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, ⁸Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, ¹¹and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. ¹²After the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

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Luke 2:1-7 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. ²This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³Everyone went to his own town to be registered. ⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

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So lots of churches celebrate the Season of Advent.  It’s kind of a traditional thing.  And there are lots of traditions that go with it.  Sometimes they hang Christmas decorations and greenery.  They usually have different colored candles that are lit on different Sundays during the season.  And it’s all very churchy and Christmassy.  And then outside of church we have all sorts of traditions that go along with the Christmas season.  People hang lights on their houses and put up Christmas trees and stockings and eat lots of food.  And I often see a few decorations or cards that say “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  But you don’t see much Jesus amongst the decorations.  Where is Jesus in all those traditions—at church and at home?  Would anybody be willing to throw out all the traditions, the candles, the lights, the presents, the food, the music, and simply spend the season in prayerful thankfulness for the birth of our Savior?  What would really have to happen to take our focus off of the stuff we buy and decorate and eat for Christmas and instead put that attention on the miracle of God sacrificing the glory and honor and joy of Heaven’s throne to be born a human being and offer himself up as a sacrifice to save the world?  Because there will be a second advent of Jesus Christ.  And depending on how much you pay attention to Jesus now will affect how he feels about you when he comes again.

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