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Grace at Christmas
by David Krentel
Text: Matthew 1:1-17; Genesis 38:1-26; Joshua 2:1-21, 6:22-25
Topic: How Matthew's genealogy of Jesus shows God's grace.
Big Idea: By including notorious sinners in the genealogy of Christ, God shows us that his grace extends to everyone.
Keywords: Christ, birth of; Christ, humanity of; Christmas; Grace
Introduction: Genealogies are vital because they show us our roots, our "pedigree."
- For Jews in Bible times, genealogies would trace their ancestry to Abraham.
- The genealogy in Matthew 1 is a stylized, theological genealogy.
- Matthew's genealogy includes noble people as well as notorious sinners.
Matthew's genealogy includes five women, including four who seemed to be "mistakes."
- At first glance, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba don't seem like they belong, but they are participants as recipients of God's grace.
- Similarly, we are in Christ's genealogy (after the fact) because of God's grace.
Tamar's story shows God's graciousness to the desperate.
- The key comes in verse 1, where Judah decides to depart the Jewish nation.
- Judah's childless daughter-in-law, disguised as a prostitute, has sex with him.
- When Judah hears she "played the harlot," he shows no grace to her.
- Tamar is a picture of a desperate woman to whom the ends justifies the means.
- God shows her grace by including her in the bloodline of his Son.
Rahab's story shows how God spares people from destruction.
- Rahab was a harlot living in Jericho, a city under God's judgment.
- She receives grace because she understands the Jewish God is the true God.
- In the end, she marries a prince of Israel and is a mother in the line of David.
- She is listed in Hebrews as a Faith Hall of Famer with Abraham, Isaac, etc.
Conclusion: Christmas is a pageant including some characters we'd rather avoid.
- The genealogy says God's grace goes to sinners - which includes us.
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