Advent . Jesse Tree .
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The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
1 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,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,Perez the father of Hezron,Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,Amminadab the father of Nahshon,Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, -
I’m sure you will be putting up a Christmas Tree soon, but have you heard of a Jesse Tree? The Advent calendar came from it.
The Jesse Tree was a popular advent tree from Medieval Times, and it is a Tree that depicts the genealogy of Jesus.
The Jesse Tree was named after an Old Testament sheep farmer from Bethlehem called Jesse, he was the father of King David, and he was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. The Prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 11:1) said:
“ 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
How strange that a birth announcement should be made 700 years before the birth! A couple of chapters before this in Isaiah 9, we read (note the present tense): 'unto us a child is born', words pinched by Handel for his Messiah.
We are now into the 18th series of the BBC genealogy documentary 'Who do you think you are?' Which has been very popular in the UK. Bill Oddie, Ian Hislop, Fiona Bruce were my faves. Ed Balls is in the current series, and Admiral Nelson is in his genealogy! I can trace my Genealogy back to 1792 and infamy when Burke (of Burke & Hare) was born (he was hanged in 1829). Burke & Hare sold corpses to Professor Knox for dissection at his anatomy lectures. A bit of sleaze in my past, I am afraid.
The strange thing about our usual Nativity readings is that we miss the first verses of the First Book in the New Testament – the genealogy of Jesus. We find in Matthew 1:18 that the virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit, and that fact was also revealed to Joseph in a dream 1:20. Then Matthew 2 is all about the Wise Men, but we miss out on the first seventeen verses, and we do so every year. We miss the boring bit!
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The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah1 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,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Recap :
1:3 Zerah, the son of Tamar (conceived by incest),
1:5 Salmon was the father of Boaz whose mother was Rahab (a prostitute),
1:5 Obed was the son of Boaz and Ruth (a gentile),
1:6 Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse, the father of King David, father of King Solomon.
1:6 "David, the king, begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uria" KJV (adultery).
But David's father, Jesse, was the one Prophet Isaiah 700 years BC said would be in the genealogy of Jesus (Isaiah 11:1), hence the Jesse Tree!
So what's my point… that there's a bit of sleaze in the genealogy of Jesus? Yes, there is, but that's not my point. My first point is this:
God chooses people who have made mistakes; murderers, adulterers, incest, gentiles.
If you think, well: 'I've made mistakes, but I haven't been as bad as that, then be encouraged because God invites people like you and me into his family, longing to have a personal relationship with us. John 1:4:
“ 4 to those who received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, those who believe in His name.
That could be you wherever you are right now.
But there's another point:
Matthew starts his Book with the Jesse Tree of Jesus
because he wants to root his story in history.
This isn't a 'Once Upon a Time' story. This is truth, this is Good News (as the angel said to the shepherds) Luke 2:10.
News is important because it comes from the Greek word Euangelion which means an announcement of a Historical Event. News is something that has happened, not a philosophy, not a mindfulness technique; it is an announcement of something significant that has happened: Christ is born in Bethlehem. God has come down into history, time and place and become human - the incarnation, a baby Jesus born into poverty in a manger, God is with us.
Other religions may teach you a way to do spirituality, but Jesus is the way - he is the spiritual reality. That's why you can be rooted in Jesus - you can know him and relate to him (Colossians 2:6 ).
Your present roots maybe your stability - family, your job, your house, your self. This Advent season, you can be rooted in Jesus. Advent may mean chocolate Advent calendars, candles, fancy lights and nice carols, that may even warm your heart. It comes round every year, and we filter out the OTT God bits. So we are warmed but unchanged.
But listen up! The manger wasn't cosy (no topper mattress in a wicker basket). The stable was smelly, don't filter it out. Stay with it; Jesus left the security of heaven and was born of Mary. The baby Jesus is God, he grew up to live and die for you, and he invites you to receive him, and he will give you the right to be in God's family (John 1:4).
It doesn't matter if you are a prostitute or a king or somewhere in-between; you don't have to prove yourself to God; he knows who you are and what you're like. God is a forgiver, peace giver and a load lifter. When you become a Christian, you enter the Jesus story: Christ in you, and you rooted in him; it's an adventure you won't regret. Will you do it?
If so, finish this time with two lines from 'Away in a Manger' to say in your heart. To be 'rooted' in Jesus.
"Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay,
close by me forever And love me I pray."
If you are praying this prayer for the first time, this prayer may help you:
"Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the wrong things I have done in my life (take a few moments to ask his forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience). Please forgive me. I now turn from those wrong things.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I can be forgiven and set free. Thank you for forgiving me.
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen".
