Gather your family together and read through this special Christmas devotional from The Biggest Story Family Devotional, complete with Scripture readings, discussion questions, and a gospel connection.
The Big Picture
What do we celebrate on Christmas? The birth of our country? No. The new year? No. When the groundhog sees its shadow? Come on, now. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus. You know that. But you may not know the strange way Matthew begins the story of Christmas. He starts with a long list of names, called a genealogy. Genealogy is just a fancy way of saying family tree. Why would he tell the story of Christmas with a genealogy? One reason would be to remind us that Jesus was a real person from a real family. For the other reason, let’s read and find out.
Reading 1: Matthew 1:1; Genesis 12:1–3
The Son of Abraham
Jesus is the Son of God, of course! But he is also called “the son of Abraham.” What did God promise Abraham in Genesis 12? From what you know of Jesus, how do you think Jesus might have fulfilled that promise?
Reading 2: Matthew 1:2–6; 2 Samuel 7:12–13
The Son of David
Jesus is also called the son of David. What did God promise David in 2 Samuel 7? From what you know of Jesus, how do you think Jesus might have fulfilled that promise?
Reading 3: Matthew 1:7–17
Jesus’s Family Tree
Lots of tough names to pronounce! Do you know anyone with a tough name to pronounce? Who is someone in that long list in Matthew whose name and story you know? From what you know of some of the people and stories, are all the people in Jesus’s family tree people who always followed God’s ways? What does that tell us about God and his plan?
Reading 4: Matthew 1:18–21
The Birth of Jesus Christ
Answer yes or no to the following three questions. First, does Matthew record the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary? Second, does Matthew say that the Holy Spirit played an important part in Jesus’s birth? Third, did Joseph obey what the angel said to him in a dream?
Reading 5: Isaiah 7:10–14; Matthew 1:22–25
What’s in a Name?
What are the two names given to the baby born to Mary? Why is Jesus called “Immanuel”?
Gospel Connection
In the Old Testament we learned that the promised Savior would fulfill all God’s promises, like the promises made to Eve and Abraham and David. The Savior will be the great King and the one who brings all God’s family from all the nations under God’s forever rule. Jesus is that promised Savior! That’s what Matthew tells us. Jesus, like all of us, came from a family, and he was born at a time and place in history. But, unlike us, he was born of the virgin Mary and of the Holy Spirit. He is Immanuel—God with us! He is the promised Savior, who came to “save his people [even us!] from their sins” (1:21).
Prayer
Father in heaven, we thank you for Christmas, for baby Jesus, and that you are with us. What great gifts! Amen.
This article is adapted from The Biggest Story Family Devotional by Douglas Sean O’Donnell and edited by Kevin DeYoung.
Douglas Sean O’Donnell (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is the senior vice president of Bible editorial at Crossway. Over the past twenty-five years he has helped train people around the world to read and teach the Bible clearly. He has pastored several churches, served as a professor, and authored or edited over twenty books, including commentaries, Bible studies, children’s books, and a children’s curriculum. He also wrote The Pastor’s Book with R. Kent Hughes and The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition with Leland Ryken.
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