Tell Me The (His) Story Of Christmas

Devotional

Day 1: Grace for Misfits in Jesus’ Family Tree

Christmas really can be simple because it is the celebration of God’s amazing grace. Matthew opens with a genealogy that refuses to sanitize the story: Tamar, Rahab the harlot, Ruth the Moabite, and “her who had been the wife of Uriah” stand in the family line of the Messiah. This back story tells your story: Jesus came for misfits and mess-ups, for sinners in need of a Savior. He knows the parts of your life you would rather hide, and still he says, “Follow me.” Grace means your past does not disqualify you; it is the very place God wades into your mess to begin redemption. Let the Savior who carries a family tree like ours carry you today. [02:45]

Matthew 1:1–6: Here is the record of Jesus the Messiah’s family: he descends from David and from Abraham. Abraham’s line runs through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah—whose family includes Tamar. Generations pass to Salmon, who fathers Boaz by Rahab; Boaz fathers Obed by Ruth; Obed fathers Jesse, and Jesse fathers David the king. David later fathers Solomon by the woman who had belonged to Uriah—evidence that the Messiah’s line includes both glory and scandal, yet God weaves redemption through it all.

Reflection: What name or chapter in your story have you tried to erase, and how could you bring it honestly to Jesus in prayer this week, trusting his grace to redeem it?

Day 2: Emmanuel—Light in the Darkness

“What child is this?” The New Testament answers: He is Emmanuel, God with us. John says the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot swallow it. When confusion, grief, or sin cast long shadows, Jesus does not stand far off; he steps in. Invite his presence to brighten what feels dim and to warm what has grown cold. Let his light expose lies and guide your next faithful step. [05:26]

John 1:1–5: Before anything existed, the Word already was; the Word was with God and truly God. Everything that came into being did so through him. In him was life, and that life lights the path for humanity. The light keeps shining, and the darkness cannot master, mute, or extinguish it.

Reflection: Where does darkness feel thick right now, and what small practice—such as lighting a candle and slowly reading John 1 each evening—could help you welcome Emmanuel’s light?

Day 3: He Forgives and Fills with the Spirit

Mark points to power: the One who comes is stronger, and he baptizes not merely with water but with the Holy Spirit. This Jesus made the lame walk, the blind see, storms grow quiet, and demons flee. Luke reminds us he came like every human child and carried our sin with such weight that he sweated drops of blood before the cross. He has authority to forgive and the power to make you new. Bring him the place where guilt still clings, and ask him to wash you and fill you. He delights to do both. [04:21]

Mark 1:7–8: John announced, “Someone is coming after me who outmatches me in every way; I’m not even worthy to untie his sandals. I immerse you in water, but he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.”

Reflection: What is one specific sin or shame you continue to carry, and how will you tangibly ask Jesus to forgive and fill you—perhaps by confessing to him and inviting a trusted believer to pray with you?

Day 4: A Real Story, Fulfilled Promises

The New Testament is not myth; it is the real story of God entering real history—names like Caesar Augustus, Herod, and Pilate anchor the timeline. Prophecies begin to be fulfilled from Bethlehem onward, confirming God’s plan across centuries. Archaeology, eyewitness testimony, and corroborating writings echo the gospel accounts. The same Jesus who intersected their world now intersects yours. He steps into oppression, injustice, and immorality—not to condemn from a distance, but to redeem up close. Trust him to meet you in your story today. [12:16]

2 Peter 1:16–19: We did not follow crafted tales when we told you about our Lord Jesus Christ’s power and arrival; we spoke as witnesses who saw his majesty. This confirms what the prophets had been pointing to all along. Pay attention to that prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the dawn breaks and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Reflection: Which piece of Jesus’ historical footprint or fulfilled prophecy would you like to explore, and what step will you take (reading Luke 1–2, studying one prophecy, or reviewing 2 Peter 1) to strengthen your confidence this week?

Day 5: Christmas and the Indescribable Gift

What difference does Christmas make? Without it there would be no forgiveness, no hope of heaven, no reunion, only grief that never lifts. But he did arrive, exactly as promised, to bring the gift of God—eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. This is why we celebrate: simple, profound, undeserved grace. Receive the gift, rest in it, and let joy overflow into how you love and serve others this week. The Savior has come, and everything changes. [27:39]

Romans 6:23: The payoff of sin is death, but God offers a free and undeserved gift—eternal life—through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reflection: Who is one person you’ll contact to share—in simple words—how the gift of eternal life in Jesus has brought hope to your story, and when will you do it?

Sermon Summary

We walked through Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul to answer the questions people still ask: Who is Jesus? Why did He come? Where did He come from? The New Testament gives a clear, multifaceted answer. Matthew begins not with a fairy tale but with a family tree—filled with real names and real scandal—because Jesus steps into a real world and a real history. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, David—misfits and mess-ups—are in His line on purpose. That means our stories, with their sin and shame, are not outside His reach; they’re exactly why He came. Matthew himself, a hated tax collector, was called by the Messiah and found a new life by grace.

Mark shows that Jesus’ authority is not theoretical. He heals the sick, commands storms and spirits, and even raises the dead—signs that He can forgive sin at its root. Luke underscores His full humanity: He grows in wisdom and stature, and He sweats blood in Gethsemane, bearing the weight of the world’s sin. John lifts our eyes to His deity—“Before Abraham was, I AM”—and uniquely claims what no other figure in history can: “I give eternal life.”

These are not myths. The New Testament is anchored in history, supported by eyewitness testimony, corroborated by contemporaries, confirmed by archaeology, and threaded with fulfilled prophecy. Real rulers, real places, real oppression and injustice—into that world Jesus came, and into our world He still comes, intersecting our stories to redeem what we’ve broken. If Christmas had never happened, there would be no forgiveness, no reunion, no eternal life—only judgment and grief. But Christmas did happen. God waded into our mess, not to condemn but to save, and offers the indescribable gift—eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. When He enters your story—warts and all—everything changes.

Key Takeaways

1. Grace in a messy family tree Jesus’ genealogy includes the morally compromised and the marginalized on purpose. God isn’t embarrassed by human complexity; He redeems it and weaves it into His plan. If He claimed them, He can claim you. Your failures don’t disqualify you from grace; they qualify you to receive it. [15:04]
2. God wades into our real world Christian hope isn’t escapism; it is incarnation. God meets us in history, in injustice and confusion, to forgive and restore. The New Testament’s concrete witnesses remind us faith is anchored, not abstract. He intersects our story to make all things new. [12:16]
3. Jesus is God who gives life Jesus doesn’t merely teach the way; He is the way, the I AM who speaks with God’s own authority. Eternal life is not self-improvement but a gift only He can give. To see Him is to see God; to trust Him is to live forever. [22:27]
4. Christmas decides life or death If Christ had not come, sin would cling, grief would never heal, and death would be final. But He did come, and the gift is real: forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life. Christmas is not sentiment; it is rescue. Receive the gift and live. [27:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:40] - Big questions: Who is Jesus?
[01:46] - Why Matthew begins with genealogy
[03:45] - Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba named
[04:21] - Mark: Mightier One and Spirit baptism
[04:46] - Shepherds hurry to Bethlehem
[07:03] - The New Testament’s unparalleled witness
[09:29] - We are all misfits in need
[12:16] - The New Testament’s reality and aim
[15:04] - Abraham’s detour and lasting fallout
[17:59] - David’s sin and Solomon’s surprising place
[20:23] - Matthew’s call: from taker to follower
[22:27] - John’s portrait: the great I AM
[24:47] - Christmas as God’s rescue plan
[27:39] - The gift: eternal life through Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Matthew 1:1-6
- Luke 2:15-16
- John 10:28

Observation questions

In Matthew 1:1-6, which names stand out as surprising, and why might their stories be included in Jesus’ family line?
In Luke 2:15-16, what words show the shepherds’ urgency and response to God’s message? [04:46]
In John 10:28, what two promises does Jesus make, and how do these promises stand apart from what any other teacher could offer?
List three kinds of historical anchors mentioned that ground the New Testament in real history (people, places, corroborating records, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy). [09:29]

Interpretation questions

What does a messy genealogy (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah”) reveal about God’s heart toward sinners and outsiders? [15:04]
What might the shepherds’ “haste” teach about how a person should respond when God breaks into ordinary life with good news? [04:46]
If Jesus alone can say, “I give eternal life, and they will never perish,” what does that imply about every other path to life people chase (religion, achievement, self-help)? [22:27]
If the New Testament events are real history, how should that affect the way a person faces guilt, grief, and injustice today? [12:16]

Application questions

Grace in a messy family tree: Where is your story messy right now (family tension, moral failure, hidden shame)? What is one step you can take this week to bring that place into the light of Jesus’ redeeming grace? [15:04]
God wades into our real world: Name one place in your “real world” (work stress, injustice you see, personal confusion) where you need Jesus to step in. What will it look like to invite Him in and trust Him there in the next 48 hours? [12:16]
“They came in haste”: What would “going straight to Bethlehem” look like for you this week—an act of obedience you know you need to take without delay? Be specific. [04:46]
Power to forgive at the root: Where are you still carrying guilt or bondage that Jesus has authority to break? What concrete step will you take (confession, accountability, counseling, making amends) to live under His authority? [20:23]
Eternal life is a gift, not self-improvement: In what ways have you been treating prayer, Bible reading, or serving like scorekeeping? How will you reframe these as grateful responses to a gift already given? [27:39]
Christmas decides life or death: Who are you grieving, or what fear of death lingers for you? How does the promise of reunion and “never perish” reshape your hope and choices this week? [24:47]
“Follow me”: What “tax booth” might you need to leave—an identity, habit, or comfort that keeps you from following Jesus fully? Name one next step and when you’ll take it. [20:23]

Sermon Clips

God coming into our world to save the broken the lost and the dying So here's the overall theme of the Bible Humanity broke everything Humanity has been broken by everything We have been broken by greed lust hate pride deception addiction death and the list goes on And God waded into our brokenness beginning as a child born in Bethlehem's manger who would later rescue save and redeem all who would believe So the New Testament begins with Matthew's account of Jesus the Messiah King [00:13:07] (48 seconds) #GodWithUsSaves

And we are just like them And if we're going to be really honest with ourselves I mean do away with the pasteurizing and the homogenizing and the glamorizing and the sanitizing of our life If we're going to be really honest we're liars just like them And we're manipulators just like them And we're gossipers just like them Just go on anybody's Facebook Amen And we're cheaters just like them And we're blasphemers just like them And we're prideful and lustful and arrogant just like them [00:19:02] (37 seconds) #WereAllSinners

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Tell Me The (His) Story Of Christmas | December 21, 2025