Day 2 of Preparing Your Heart for Advent

It's impossible to think about the Christmas story without remembering the reason that we celebrate Easter.  When we go back to Bethlehem, we see the baby in the manger, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the wisemen (the latter of which did not show up the same day as Jesus' birth, by the way!).  Oh, and we'll throw in the camels, donkeys, sheep, and horses that you always think of when you see the manger scene.  I'm sure it was quite a sight in actuality, but I'm not sure it's at all like we picture it at Christmas.

What was the point in the manger?  What was the point and significance of Mary?  What was the point in God bringing His Son to earth?  All of these things are significant to understanding Christmas.  I mean understanding the true meaning of Christmas....not the Santa Claus Christmas.  And yes, I did say Christmas...not Holiday.  These are things that we'll look at over the next couple of weeks as we prepare our hearts for Advent and for the celebration of our King.

For now, let's consider salvation.  We know that anyone who believes in Christ Jesus will be saved.  But if you say this to someone, you often hear back, "But He can't save me.  I did ________."  No sin is too bad to save.  All sin is equal in God's eyes.  As humans, we're the ones that have created levels of sin because I think it's a way that we judge people. 

I'd love for you to read Ruth 1-4 today.  You're probably familiar with the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz.  It's a wonderful depiction of love, faithfulness, and God's sovereignty played out.  However, when you get to the end of Ruth 4, you see a genealogy.  I want 2 people to stand out to you: Perez and Boaz.  Why?  Because of who their parents were.

Perez came from Judah and Tamar.  You can read their story in Genesis 38:6-30 and 1 Chronicles 2:4.  Long story short, Perez is the result of Judah and Tamar's incestuous relationship.

Boaz had a mother known as Rahab.  That's not all she was known by, though.  Usually when  you hear about Rahab, it's Rahab the harlot.  Or prostitute.  Whichever you prefer to say.  And she also began as someone who was not a believer, as well.

So what does all this mean?  I think that Ann Marie Stewart sums this up quite well.  "The Book of Ruth reminds us that God welcomes all who believe in Him no matter their background or faith.  He not only came for all, but His bloodline demonstrates His salvation for all." 

What's the point of Christmas without Christ?