The reason for that gap in time is not difficult to understand. The disciples and early Christian community expected the Lord would return to earth almost immediately. But when that did not happen, those first century believers began to realize that they needed to preserve the memory of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and to share His story with others. So they shifted their attention from the anticipation of His second coming to concentrate on the reality of His first arrival.

Mark’s gospel was written around 65-70 A.D., followed by Matthew and Luke, circa 80-90 and then John at about 100 A.D. Biblical commentators agree that Matthew and Luke used much of Mark’s material, and Matthew, in particular, drew from another source called Q, or "Quelle" which was a collection of Jesus’ teachings and sayings.

We have no extant copies of the Q document. It is apparent, however, that Matthew, a Jewish tax collector who became a follower of Christ and one of His 12 disciples, put together both the stories from Mark and the Quelle teachings of Jesus. More than likely, after Matthew died, someone else who knew Matthew well wrote the entire gospel in the form we have today and attached Matthew’s name to it, rightly giving him credit for the original work. (See The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, "The Gospel of Matthew," which underscores the point that if the disciple Matthew had written the entire gospel himself, it would have been more of an "eyewitness account" without the need to borrow so many passages from Mark.)

The author wanted to make it clear that the baby born in Bethlehem was of royal Jewish lineage, just as the prophet Micah had foretold: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel (Micah 5:2). But there are some names in this genealogy which are most unusual, including four women - Rahab, Tamar, and Bathsheba who, according to the Old Testament, had less than virtuous reputations; and Ruth, who belonged to the Moabites, a tribe which was despised by the people of Israel.

Reading those names, and the names of the men as well, reminds me of something Mark Twain once said: that "he spent $25 to research and uncover his family tree, and then $50 to cover it back up again!" So why would Matthew include those names in Jesus’ family tree, names he knew would be objectionable and offensive to some people in his day?

Could it be that the author of this gospel was trying to tell us that God sent His Son Jesus into the world to break down the barriers that divide us? The good news of the gospel is that Jew and Gentile, male and female, rich and poor, young and old, saint and sinner alike are all bound together through the love of Christ! In the kingdom He came to establish, no one is more or less important to God than anyone else.

Several years ago, during a trip to the Holy Land, I visited the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem. We waited in a long line to enter that sacred place, and the front door was so low that we had to stoop down to get in.

Walking toward the chancel, we were directed to descend a narrow set of steps into a cavern below. There we found an altar, lit by silver lamps, and on the floor there was a star circled by a Latin inscription which read: "Here Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary."

We don’t know for certain that was the place where Jesus was born. But looking around at the shadowed faces of the other tourists, the thought occurred to me that long ago, God stooped down in humility to be born among humanity as a sign for the whole world to see that He is with us in person, in the person of Jesus. For nearly 2000 years, the long line of those who have sought and found Him, and others who seek Him still, stretches out far beyond the horizon of history. And in that line stand all sorts and conditions of people, including you and me, reaching out to receive the love and grace, the hope and the peace that He alone can give.

As we move toward Christmas, let us open our hearts to accept and enjoy those gifts that matter the most. And may we share our lives not only with family members and friends who are close to us, but also with people who are different and diverse, especially those who are hurting and in need. I think Henry Van Dyke’s words can lead us in the right direction:

But that assumption is not correct. According to an article I read recently in the Presbyterian Outlook magazine, written by the retired seminary professor Dr. Ben Lacy Rose, "Mary was not an ‘unwed mother.’" This, in part, is what Dr. Rose has to say:

Dr. Rose goes on to explain that

Dr. Rose concludes,

Now, if Dr. Rose is right, and I believe he is, then the theory about Joseph’s fear of being embarrassed with Mary in front of the entire community is unfounded. Because, no one would have raised an eyebrow when they heard that she was going to have a baby. It happened, often, to betrothed couples in that day.

Instead, it was Joseph and Mary themselves who were dealing with apprehensive and painful feelings behind the closed doors of their own home. And even after both of them had been visited by angels who described the miracle that God was unfolding in their lives, I imagine there were unanswered questions and awkward moments between Joseph and Mary for quite some time.

Matthew tells us that Joseph did as the angel had commanded him. He took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a Son, and he called His name Jesus. And here is the revelation that came to me as I read the article about this story just a few days ago.

Behind the closed doors of all our homes, there are joyful events and painful moments that people on the outside will never know. Some of us have been hurt or betrayed by the one person we loved the most. Others of us struggle with secrets from the past, with addictions in the present and fears about the future which we keep to ourselves. And there are those of us who are hanging on by our fingernails to hold marriages and families and other relationships together, even though everything looks just fine to our friends and neighbors.

And if that is where you are today, then listen once more to what the angel said to Joseph and Mary: Do not be afraid! Because, if we, like they, trust in God to come alongside us, He will work behind those closed doors to help us find forgiveness and healing and hope. It may not happen immediately, but with God’s help, and perhaps the assistance of a good counselor or a caring Christian friend, we can discover light on the other side of the darkness, love in the midst of our pain and the opportunity to begin all over again.

Matthew tells us that when Mary bore a Son, it was Joseph who called His name Jesus. Do you know what the name means in the Hebrew language? It means "Salvation." That is the gift Joseph and Mary received. That is the gift that we, all of us, need. And that is the gift which God gave to the whole world long ago in Bethlehem. It is the greatest gift of all. And the angel said: You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.