Each Advent-Christmas season I try to focus on one aspect of the “greatest story ever told”. In past years I’ve meditated on the lives of Mary & Joseph, Jesus’ humanity & deity, the couple’s journey to Bethlehem, the angels & the shepherd, and prophecies of Jesus’ birth. After listening to a sermon by Bryan Chapell (former president of Covenant Seminary), this year I studied and reflected on what I had previous thought were some of the most boring portions of Scripture: Jesus’ genealogy. I know that Biblical genealogies confirm the historical reliability of God’s Word and that God accomplished His purposes through imperfect and sinful people; just like us. But this year I saw how often Jesus’ ancestors narrowly escaped the devil’s schemes to prevent fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a Messiah who was a descendant of Adam, Abraham, David, et al.
So often in history the promise of Savior came within one life of being broken. Noah and Shem survived a global flood in a homemade boat. Famine nearly killed Abraham, Judah, Boaz, and others. Abraham and Ruth were childless until very late in their lives. Isaac was nearly killed by Abraham. Many kings of Israel could have died in battles before having any children, including David, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Uzziah, and Josiah. After the exile in Babylon, several generations of Jesus’ ancestors were at the mercy of their ruthless enemies. King Joash was the only heir to David’s throne to escape his grandmother’s scheme to kill all the heirs so she could be queen and assume power over the nation. As a child, he was hidden for six years in the temple with a nurse to save his life. (2 Kings 11)
Even Jesus escaped several attempts on His life that would have thwarted His death on the cross. He was nearly killed by Herod after His birth, but the family escaped to Egypt. One time a crowd wanted to throw Him off a cliff. Another time a crowd wanted to stone Him. Jewish leaders repeatedly plotted to kill Jesus. History teaches us that God can and has overcome the forces of darkness with His light and grace to protect His people and to fulfill all His eternal promises. History gives us great hope and confidence that God will fulfill all the eternal promises that we are waiting to be fulfilled, especially the return of Jesus Christ when we will all be united with Him.