On this second week of Advent we begin worship with:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
This is the lifeless "stump of Jesse" that we heard about last week. David's family line no longer reigned. In fact, Joseph had to obey the distant decree of a foreign king and endure the disgrace of sleeping in the barn with the animals, when their place should have been among royalty.
But a new shoot began to sprout about which Jesus himself said concerning the end times:
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
While Caesar "decreed" (dogma) this inconvenient registration, the God the Father King Eternal is sovereign and we are under His Decree:
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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