Matthew 2:1-12

Three Views of Christmas

Synopsis: The story of the Wise Men following the star to Bethlehem is a story of a about a Saviour who came to save people from every background tribe, and tongue and nation. Jesus is Immanuel, Saviour and king, not just of Israel, but of all the peoples of the world. God reveals himself to people all around the world in ways they can understand. In the wise men we see a picture of the rich and powerful, the wise and learned elites, the spiritually Gentile world coming to worship to the newborn king and this tells us something important about God’s kingdom.

At Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness and excitement of the season. Who doesn’t love gifts, food, and time with family?  But, do we slow down enough to take the time to remember and celebrate the “Who” that Christmas is truly about? It’s that question of “Who?” that makes all the difference. “Who is Jesus?” is the most important question you will ever answer; if you take the time, you’ll find that the answer is “Jesus is fully God and fully man, the Saviour of sinners, no less than God with us”.

Matthew 1:18-25

Most people’s names were picked because they hold some personal significance or meaning. Jesus’ name was picked for the same reason – a name chosen by God, significant for all people. This Christmas, focus afresh on the personal significance of the name of Jesus for your life.

Matthew 1:18-25

Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever felt like everyone, God included, had forgotten you? Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth teaches us some deep theological truths about Jesus’ nature and how he alone is able to forgive sins. More than providing mere intellectual knowledge though, this text encourages us that God is with us in profound, personal ways.

Matthew 1:18-25

The birth of Jesus is a famous story and for good reason.  It is the first step in the salvation that God brings, but let us not mistake this first step as being insignificant.  God stepped into humanity, to live among us, to save us and to call us to follow Him.

Matthew 1:1-17

Let’s be honest, biblical genealogies typically put us to sleep. They can be hard to follow and hard to see any point to them. But as we dig deeper, we realize that Matthew has a point. And a big one at that. He structures his text intentionally, highlights different stories deliberately and points us to the Christ while emphasizing God’s great grace.

Matthew 1:1-17

How well do you know your family history?  Matthew begins his gospel by giving us an insight into Jesus’ family tree, both in the failures and the incredible faithfulness of God.  He sets the stage for what Jesus is going to accomplish in redeeming sinners and fulfilling God’s promises. 

Matthew 1:1-17

The genealogy of Jesus, as outlined by Matthew, is an eclectic, yet beautiful, portrait of God’s family – a broken, messy, forgiven and redeemed, family under God. This genealogy reveals Jesus’ identity and mission as the Son of David and Son of Abraham who came to rule in our hearts and bless us with salvation in Christ, making us His people forever.

Matthew 1:1-17

There’s nothing quite like butchering a long list of Hebrew names when you get to a genealogy in your Bible Reading Plan. But genealogies in the Bible are never merely a list of names. Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy that proclaims God’s promises to Abraham and David are fulfilled in Jesus. Not only that, the scandalous names listed in the line that leads to Christ are there so we can know our names are included in the line that leads from Christ.