Let me know if you are on the same page with me.  No matter how hard I try, I am more of a pessimist than an optimist.  I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared when I think about the future of our country.  Debt upon debt that will somehow some way have to be paid off and it only seems to be getting worse.  I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared, when I look at society in general.  Granted, West Bend is a little more family friendly than Columbus, but what is accepted by society in general, what is put on TV, the way people talk and interact (or don’t) and what you are now forbidden to do that was praised in the past is like a deafening drum beat that only gets louder and louder each day. I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared, when I think about what is going on in the economy.  The more I get to know all of you I understand how a little more of an economic dip could be brutal for your family and people you care about. 

And I’m nervous, even a bit scared when I see the condition of the Christian church in the world.  I just read a letter to the editor written by 4 pastors in which they took a political issue and dragged Jesus in where he doesn’t belong.  “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage” thinking has been replaced with “open doors, open hearts, open minds, believe whatever you want to belong but never say anything is incorrect or unbiblical” thinking. If you have all or any of these concerns, raise your hand.  That’s what I thought. We’re hours into a new year and yet these fears, concerns, issues are right at the front of our brains.

If you did raise your hand, and if you didn’t, God’s Word has something to say to you.  With all those things we just mentioned on your mind, turn your attention to our text.  And as I read it, remember all those things we just mentioned and remember this: these words have everything to do with what we just said.  Here goes.

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ 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, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 

 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

I’m hoping one question is burning in your brain right now. Why in the world read that? With all those wearisome, daunting things on our brain, with concern, deep concern, in a number of areas in our lives, on a day when we want some encouragement and strength from our God to face the challenges of 2012, why listen to a list of men and women who had children over 1000s of years? How in the world can this mean anything to us today, right here, right now? Good question. And I have a good answer.

This list is a list of the ancestors of our Savior.  If you add this list to some in the OT, you can trace Jesus’ relatives all the way back to the Garden of Eden, to Adam and Eve.  So what does that have to do with us?  Well, think about it this way.  In our list, we heard that Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel.  In order to have a son, Jeconiah had to have a wife.  Let’s call her Jane.  For them to get married, they had to meet.  We don’t know how this happened, but let’s imagine that one day young Jane heads down to the market.  She needs some figs.  A handsome young man named Jeconiah is manning the fig booth.  They strike up a conversation and find out they have similar interests.  Jeconiah goes out of his way to give her the best deal on figs and a relationship is started.  In time, the families meet, a dowry is decided, and Jeconiah takes Jane home to be his wife.  And a year later, they hold little Shealtiel in their arms.

Again, so what?  God put Jane in that marketplace.  God blessed Jeconiah’s family with an abundant fig harvest.  God put Jeconiah in that booth on that day at that time.  Jane needed figs at just the right time.  God made sure Jeconiah was not in the back restocking shelves when Jane walked by.  God brought them together, God joined them in marriage and God allowed them to bring baby Shealtiel into the world.  None of it was chance or fate or serendipity.  God planned it all.

Of course we don’t know how Jane and Jeconiah met, but we do know that every couple mentioned in this list, every baby they gave birth to, every batted eye to gain attention, every date, every marriage – it all occurred exactly as God wanted it to.  This list is evidence of God having a plan and then doing everything necessary to make sure that plan came together.

And what was the plan?  To bring the Savior into the world. God’s Son needed to be born of a woman, a human being, in order to take the place of sinful human beings.  God’s Son needed to take our place in every way possible. God’s Son had to embrace his humanity and then allow it to be taken away that the ransom price for you, me and everyone might be paid.  That was the plan.  We celebrated it last week on Christmas and we will celebrate that plan coming to fruition in April. And that plan would have failed had Jeconiah and Jane not met in the marketplace. Start to finish, A to Z, beginning to end, alpha to omega – God had it under control. 

Now, back to our issues.  If God directed all those things for our eternal good, is there any chance he cannot and will do the same as we itemize those things on our worry list?  If God decided Jehoram would be the father of Uzziah and made that happen, is there any chance he cannot and will not give us the strength to stand firm in the face of moral decay in society? If God had it in the works that Azor would be the father of Zadok and made that happen, is there any chance he cannot and will not use something like a job loss to benefit our family in some way or lead us to rely more on him?  If God, in his infinite perfect wisdom, wanted Nahshon to rock baby Salmon to sleep at night, is there any chance he cannot and will not use our leaders, national and statewide, to work the whole mess out so that we are blessed in the end, in whatever way he chooses to bless us?

This list is proof he does and he will.  And if we doubt that, make it even more personal.  God gave Hezron to Perez for you, so that you might have a Savior.  God gave Matthan to Eleazar for you, so that might know the name Jesus and rejoice that he is the one who freed you from sin’s guilt by his perfect work. God gave Joseph to Jacob for you, so that even in the darkest times, the most brutal days, you know true love, the love of a Jesus who rips you from the darkness of sin and despair and fills you with the light of peace, hope and joy.  These people had children, their children had children, so on and so forth so that you are here today, giving praise to the God who bought you at the price of his own Son.

See why this list has everything to do with you?  As all these people were a part of God’s plan, so are you.  Just as he got them to the right place at the right time for the right reason, he will do so with you.  No recession can thwart his plans.  No amount of garbage in our lives can undo what he wants done.  No fear or apprehension or terror we experience will alter his promise to always be our shield and our very great reward.  And the greatest proof of that is end of the list.  We have Jesus, a name that means Savior, and he is the Christ, the anointed one, the one chosen by God to bring us to himself.

You have your fears, as do I.  And you likely have your plans on how to combat these, as do I.  But let’s never forget God already has his plan in place.  It may seem odd at times.  We may even feel like it is the wrong plan.  But it God’s plan.  And God’s plans never fail.  We see that in Jesus.  We see that in the list.  May the assurance of God’s perfect plan working in the past be our encouragement that the same will happen in 2012 and always.  That’s what the Bible, in section after section, and even in a list of names ½ of which we can’t pronounce, has to do with you. Amen.

Let me know if you are on the same page with me.  No matter how hard I try, I am more of a pessimist than an optimist.  I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared when I think about the future of our country.  Debt upon debt that will somehow some way have to be paid off and it only seems to be getting worse.  I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared, when I look at society in general.  Granted, West Bend is a little more family friendly than Columbus, but what is accepted by society in general, what is put on TV, the way people talk and interact (or don’t) and what you are now forbidden to do that was praised in the past is like a deafening drum beat that only gets louder and louder each day. I am quite nervous, maybe even a little scared, when I think about what is going on in the economy.  The more I get to know all of you I understand how a little more of an economic dip could be brutal for your family and people you care about. 

And I’m nervous, even a bit scared when I see the condition of the Christian church in the world.  I just read a letter to the editor written by 4 pastors in which they took a political issue and dragged Jesus in where he doesn’t belong.  “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage” thinking has been replaced with “open doors, open hearts, open minds, believe whatever you want to belong but never say anything is incorrect or unbiblical” thinking. If you have all or any of these concerns, raise your hand.  That’s what I thought. We’re hours into a new year and yet these fears, concerns, issues are right at the front of our brains.

If you did raise your hand, and if you didn’t, God’s Word has something to say to you.  With all those things we just mentioned on your mind, turn your attention to our text.  And as I read it, remember all those things we just mentioned and remember this: these words have everything to do with what we just said.  Here goes.

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ 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, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 

 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

I’m hoping one question is burning in your brain right now. Why in the world read that? With all those wearisome, daunting things on our brain, with concern, deep concern, in a number of areas in our lives, on a day when we want some encouragement and strength from our God to face the challenges of 2012, why listen to a list of men and women who had children over 1000s of years? How in the world can this mean anything to us today, right here, right now? Good question. And I have a good answer.

This list is a list of the ancestors of our Savior.  If you add this list to some in the OT, you can trace Jesus’ relatives all the way back to the Garden of Eden, to Adam and Eve.  So what does that have to do with us?  Well, think about it this way.  In our list, we heard that Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel.  In order to have a son, Jeconiah had to have a wife.  Let’s call her Jane.  For them to get married, they had to meet.  We don’t know how this happened, but let’s imagine that one day young Jane heads down to the market.  She needs some figs.  A handsome young man named Jeconiah is manning the fig booth.  They strike up a conversation and find out they have similar interests.  Jeconiah goes out of his way to give her the best deal on figs and a relationship is started.  In time, the families meet, a dowry is decided, and Jeconiah takes Jane home to be his wife.  And a year later, they hold little Shealtiel in their arms.

Again, so what?  God put Jane in that marketplace.  God blessed Jeconiah’s family with an abundant fig harvest.  God put Jeconiah in that booth on that day at that time.  Jane needed figs at just the right time.  God made sure Jeconiah was not in the back restocking shelves when Jane walked by.  God brought them together, God joined them in marriage and God allowed them to bring baby Shealtiel into the world.  None of it was chance or fate or serendipity.  God planned it all.

Of course we don’t know how Jane and Jeconiah met, but we do know that every couple mentioned in this list, every baby they gave birth to, every batted eye to gain attention, every date, every marriage – it all occurred exactly as God wanted it to.  This list is evidence of God having a plan and then doing everything necessary to make sure that plan came together.

And what was the plan?  To bring the Savior into the world. God’s Son needed to be born of a woman, a human being, in order to take the place of sinful human beings.  God’s Son needed to take our place in every way possible. God’s Son had to embrace his humanity and then allow it to be taken away that the ransom price for you, me and everyone might be paid.  That was the plan.  We celebrated it last week on Christmas and we will celebrate that plan coming to fruition in April. And that plan would have failed had Jeconiah and Jane not met in the marketplace. Start to finish, A to Z, beginning to end, alpha to omega – God had it under control. 

Now, back to our issues.  If God directed all those things for our eternal good, is there any chance he cannot and will do the same as we itemize those things on our worry list?  If God decided Jehoram would be the father of Uzziah and made that happen, is there any chance he cannot and will not give us the strength to stand firm in the face of moral decay in society? If God had it in the works that Azor would be the father of Zadok and made that happen, is there any chance he cannot and will not use something like a job loss to benefit our family in some way or lead us to rely more on him?  If God, in his infinite perfect wisdom, wanted Nahshon to rock baby Salmon to sleep at night, is there any chance he cannot and will not use our leaders, national and statewide, to work the whole mess out so that we are blessed in the end, in whatever way he chooses to bless us?

This list is proof he does and he will.  And if we doubt that, make it even more personal.  God gave Hezron to Perez for you, so that you might have a Savior.  God gave Matthan to Eleazar for you, so that might know the name Jesus and rejoice that he is the one who freed you from sin’s guilt by his perfect work. God gave Joseph to Jacob for you, so that even in the darkest times, the most brutal days, you know true love, the love of a Jesus who rips you from the darkness of sin and despair and fills you with the light of peace, hope and joy.  These people had children, their children had children, so on and so forth so that you are here today, giving praise to the God who bought you at the price of his own Son.

See why this list has everything to do with you?  As all these people were a part of God’s plan, so are you.  Just as he got them to the right place at the right time for the right reason, he will do so with you.  No recession can thwart his plans.  No amount of garbage in our lives can undo what he wants done.  No fear or apprehension or terror we experience will alter his promise to always be our shield and our very great reward.  And the greatest proof of that is end of the list.  We have Jesus, a name that means Savior, and he is the Christ, the anointed one, the one chosen by God to bring us to himself.

You have your fears, as do I.  And you likely have your plans on how to combat these, as do I.  But let’s never forget God already has his plan in place.  It may seem odd at times.  We may even feel like it is the wrong plan.  But it God’s plan.  And God’s plans never fail.  We see that in Jesus.  We see that in the list.  May the assurance of God’s perfect plan working in the past be our encouragement that the same will happen in 2012 and always.  That’s what the Bible, in section after section, and even in a list of names ½ of which we can’t pronounce, has to do with you. Amen.