Remembering that Christmas is joyful grace for broken people
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. People gather for worship, meals, gifts, and time together. For many, Christmas means laughter and joy, but for just as many, it can mean heartache and brokenness. So where do we turn when the holidays are a struggle for joy? How do we hold on to hope when this season is filled with pain? In this sermon series, we will explore how the genealogy of Jesus from the book of Matthew reveals joyful grace for broken people. Each week we will discuss the stories of some of Jesus’ relatives. You might not think that the Son of God would descend from a messy family tree, but in fact, he did. What each story will show us is how the gospel meets us in our brokenness with transforming and restorative grace. This sermon series will build as we anticipate the celebration of the birth of our Lord.
Note to group leaders using this material. As you will notice, each character study from Matthew’s genealogy will require significant study and exposition of other biblical passages to develop understanding. You will need to study and teach other passages to compliment Matthew chapter 1. This discussion guide material has provided key passages with each character, but we also recommend personal study and consulting commentaries.