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Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of PEACE — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

Isaiah 9:1-7 –

9:1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.[1]

Merry Christmas, Sojourners!

As we move deeper into this Advent season, I have found myself meditating on what we saw in last week’s Bible study – the stunning grace of a God who entered the world through a broken family line to bring us the gift of hope. Advent has a way of slowing us down and lifting our eyes, reminding us that our hope isn’t rooted in circumstances but in the faithfulness of the God who keeps His promises.

This week, we turn from hope to peace. And just like with hope, the peace God gives isn’t thin or sentimental. It isn’t the quiet that comes when life stops spinning, nor is it the fragile feeling we try to hold on to when things seem manageable for a moment. The world can offer distraction, comfort, and brief periods of calm in our chaos – but none of it lasts. We’re all acquainted with this truth all too well. Our hearts get restless. Our minds get loud. The world around us trembles with conflict and fear. And even when we long for peace, we can’t seem to create it or find it on our own.

The peace God gives is different. It doesn’t come from escaping the brokenness of the world but from the presence of the One who entered it. Scripture tells us that the eternal Son took on flesh and blood so He could break the power of death and free us from fear (Hebrews 2:14-15). He is the One who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), stepping into our weakness and struggle so He could reconcile us to God and give us the kind of peace nothing in the world can (or even wants) to imitate – a lasting, perfect peace, a peace secured by His own life, death, and resurrection.

This is what we need to remember: peace isn’t found in our circumstances but in Christ Himself. Peace is not a feeling. Peace is a Person. And He has come.

Isaiah 9:1-7, a familiar reading at Christmas time, points us to this truth beautifully. Isaiah brought these words into a land covered in deep darkness, a people crushed by the weight of fear, oppression, and uncertainty. Yet into that darkness, God spoke through Isaiah to promise light, joy, freedom, and rest – all bound up in the coming of a Child who would be King. All of those familiar titles – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – push our gaze toward Jesus. He is the Wonderful Counselor whose wisdom never fails. He is the Mighty God whose strength and divinity never wavers. He is the Everlasting Father who cares for His people with perfect compassion. And He, Jesus, is the Prince of Peace whose reign brings an end to the turmoil within and around us.

Today, as we dive into this passage together, we’re going to see the darkness of Isaiah’s day (and ours), the brilliance of God’s promise, and the fullness of its fulfillment in Jesus. And, Lord willing, we’re going to see why the peace of Jesus isn’t temporary or fragile but strong enough to steady our lives in every season – even and especially the one we’re in. Let’s get in the Word together and behold the Promised King who brings peace to His people.

Original Context: The Darkness & the Promise (Isaiah 8-9)

When Isaiah first spoke these words, he was preaching to a people standing on the edge of collapse. The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali had already felt the crushing weight of the Assyrian Empire — their homes were devastated, their land seized (2 Kings 15:29), and their hope draining. Spiritually, the nation was in bad shape, too. Instead of turning to the Lord, they turned to anything but Him – mediums, whispers of the dead, worldly wisdom, and their own fearful imaginations (Isaiah 8:19-22). The result was exactly what God told them it would be: deeper darkness, heavier gloom, and a people walking without direction or peace (Isaiah 8:22).

This is the backdrop for Isaiah 9:1-7: darkness, suffering, and a people who cannot save themselves. But it’s into this darkness that God shines a light and speaks hope: “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish” (v. 1).

The places hit the hardest – Zebulun, Naphtali, and Galilee – would be very the places where God’s salvation would first appear. In other words, the lowest places would become the brightest. The lands most humiliated by Assyria would become the launch point for God’s redeeming work. Matthew later tells us that this is where Jesus’s public ministry began here, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy (Matthew 4:12-16)[2]. The people who walked in darkness saw a great light because the Light Himself arrived.

The language of this prophecy was specifically given so that Israel would understand. He spoke of light breaking in, joy overflowing, burdens snapped, and oppression shattered so that they’d know the God who broke Egypt at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-31) and crushed Midian under Gideon (Judges 7:19-25) would step in again and fight for His people. Only this time, the battle would look different. Israel needed more than physical and political rescue – they needed peace, real, lasting peace. Their true enemy was bigger than Assyria, the darkness thicker than invading armies, the oppression heavier than military threat. They needed God Himself to step in and help them. And that’s when Isaiah says something entirely unexpected – something that would have sounded unbelievable to anyone relying on human strength: God’s victory would not come through a general or a warrior or a king but through a Child.

This would be no ordinary child but a Child who is also the Son – fully human (“a child is born”) and fully divine (“a son is given”), a reality affirmed throughout Scripture (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9). He would be their Wonderful Counselor, providing wisdom beyond their understanding. He would come as their Mighty God, the Warrior who cannot be defeated, even by death. He would come as their Everlasting Father, faithfully loving and protecting His own. And He would come as their Prince of Peace, the only One able to end the conflict around and within them. His government wouldn’t rise and fall like the kingdoms of the world. His reign would not waver. The peace He brings will never end. And Isaiah ends the prophecy with the foundation of this promise: “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (v. 7).

This is the same hope given then and now – not a hope in human effort, political strength, or temporary solutions, but in the God who Himself brings peace through His promised King.

Prophecy Fulfilled in the Child Who is King (vv. 2-6)

When Isaiah gave the stunning announcement of this coming Child with all these divine titles, it should have definitely had the reader or hearer’s attention. In the midst of darkness, God promised a King whose wisdom, strength, care, and peace would outshine every failed ruler before Him. And everything in that promise – every title, every hope, every glimpse of light – points us straight to Jesus.

We’ve already seen how Matthew tells us that Jesus intentionally began His public ministry in the region Isaiah talked about in Isaiah 9, but Isaiah’s prophecy wasn’t simply to predict where the Messiah would appear – it was ultimately to reveal who the Messiah would be. Every title He spoke was like a window opening toward Bethlehem, Nazareth, Calvary, and the empty tomb. Every title anticipated a Messiah far greater than any king Judah (or Israel) had ever known.

Isaiah said the Child would be our Wonderful Counselor, one whose wisdom far surpasses human understanding. In Jesus, that promise becomes flesh. He’s not offering good advice but embodying the very wisdom of God (Isaiah 11:2, Colossians 2:3). When He speaks, storms still, demons flee, and blind (and confused) people finally see clearly. He’s the Counselor whose plans never fail and whose guidance leads to life.

Isaiah called Him Mighty God – a title Isaiah later uses for the LORD Himself (Isaiah 10:21). In Jesus, we see that divine strength fully displayed. He is the Warrior who breaks the real yoke of oppression – sin, death, and the devil – freeing His people in a way no earthly deliverer ever could (Hebrews 2:14-15). His miracles weren’t’ mere spectacles but signs revealing His true identity: Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).

Isaiah called Him Everlasting Father, the King whose rule is marked by faithful, fatherly care for His people. Jesus embodies this perfectly as the Shepherd who knows His sheep, protects them, provides for them, and never abandons them (John 10:11-15). Unlike the kings Judah had known – even the best ones, His compassion never falters, His reign doesn’t waver, and His care doesn’t end.

And Isaiah proclaimed that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace – the ruler who establishes true wholeness and reconciliation. Jesus fulfills this not by silencing earthly conflict but by reconciling sinners to God (Colossians 1:19-20). His peace is not fragile or temporary but the deep, restoring peace of being made right with God and living under the reign of a King who does not rise or fall with the shifting tides of history (John 18:36).

Isaiah finishes by saying that the increase of this King’s government and peace will never end, and that it will be accomplished by the “zeal of the LORD” Himself (v. 7). And that is exactly what we see in Jesus. His Kingdom does not come through human effort or political force but through the unstoppable, sovereign purpose of God. His reign expands not by military conquest but by changing hearts, rescuing sinners, and bringing people from every tribe and tongue into His eternal peace (Revelation 7:9-10).

In Jesus, every thread of Isaiah’s prophecy is woven into a perfect tapestry. The Child who was promised is the King who has come – and the King who is coming again.

The Gift of Peace for a Restless People (vv. 6-7)

When Isaiah announced that the coming King would be the Prince of Peace, he wasn’t offering Israel kind words or a soothing sentiment. He was announcing a peace that they were incapable of creating and their enemies couldn’t steal. Israel’s history had been chock full of conflict, fear, and instability – more than they could recount. Assyria was looming over them, their leaders had failed them, their hearts condemned them. What they needed, though, wasn’t calmer days or different politics or religious outcomes but a different kind of King – One whose very presence brings the peace our hearts were made for.

That’s what Jesus gives. When He entered the world, He didn’t arrive into a quiet nursery but into a world trembling with the same darkness Isaiah described. From the very beginning of His life, peace came not by avoiding brokenness but by stepping right into the middle of it. Scripture tells us that Jesus “made peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20), offering reconciliation no earthly leader could ever achieve. The conflict between sinners and holy God is the deepest unrest in the universe, and Jesus made a way for it to be resolved once and for all.

But His peace doesn’t stop at reconciliation. Isaiah promised a peace that would increase without end (v. 7), and that is the very peace Jesus continues to give His people today. He speaks peace into fearful hearts: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). He breathes peace into weary disciples who don’t know where to turn (John 20:19). He offers rest to those crushed by their own sin and striving: “Come to me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). His peace isn’t the result of everything around us settling down – it’s the result of Jesus Himself holding us fast!

And here is the miracle Isaiah got a glimpse of centuries before: the government of this peace rests on His shoulders, not ours. Its increase depends on His power, not our performance. He is the Wonderful Counselor who guides us when we’re confused, the Mighty God who keeps us when we’re weak, the Everlasting Father who comforts us when we’re hurting, and the Prince of peace who steadies us when the world shakes beneath us. If our peace depended on us, it would crumble. But, no, it depends solely on Him – His character, His reign, His finished work. That is why this peace can guard our hearts and minds even “in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

His peace isn’t fragile; it’s not seasonal; it’s not momentary. It is strong enough for the real world – for doctor visits and financial strain, for family tension and anxious nights, for wandering thoughts and restless souls. It is a peace that shines into our darkest valleys the same way it shone in Galilee’s gloom 2,000 years ago – a peace that doesn’t deny the darkness but breaks it – a peace that will one day fill the whole earth when the King returns and makes all things new (Isaiah 43:18-19; Revelation 21:5).

Wrapping Up

Isaiah 9 doesn’t give us a fairy tale to escape into; it gives us a Savior to anchor ourselves in. The Promised King has come, and the peace He brings is as real today as it was on the night the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) That peace is for you – not someday, not theoretically, but right now, in the very places where your heart feels most restless. And the reason this peace is possible is because the Prince of Peace has come – and the same Jesus who entered our darkness then is One who promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20).

This is what Advent keeps teaching us: peace isn’t found in the stillness of circumstances but in the nearest of Christ. The government of peace rests on His shoulders, not ours. Its increase depends on His power, not our performance. If you’ve never trusted Him – if peace has always felt out of reach – hear the good news Scripture gives: Jesus has come to seek and save the lost. He is approachable. Call on Him. Trust Him. Let Him bring His peace. And if Jesus has saved you, take heart in the beautiful truth that His peace is anchored in His unchanging presence and unfailing promises. And “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). He has redeemed you, He is with you, and He will come again for you. So, fix your eyes on Him. Rest in what He’s done. Rejoice in what He’s doing. And let the peace of our Promised King steady your heart now and in every season to come.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 9:1–7.

[2] Matthew records Jesus quoting Isaiah 9:1-2, showing that region to be where the Light of the world began His ministry and illustrating how God was reversing Israel’s story in Christ and honoring the place once brought low (just as He said He would).

NT260 | Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission

This phase will have us reading about Jesus’s life in the gospel of Luke, the formation of the Church in Acts, and walk through the theology found in Paul’s letters that the Church needs to know about and live out the eternal life given by grace through faith in Jesus.

Below, you’ll find brief synopses of each book in this phase to help you understand the scope of the book and most importantly, how it fits into the full Story of the Bible.

When you click on each day’s link, you will find a link to audio, a summary of the chapter, a key verse from the chapter, and opportunities for reflection and outreach.

We’re moving into Paul’s epistles, which we’ll go through chronologically rather than in the order they appear in our Bibles.

2 Corinthians

Paul writes 2 Corinthians after a painful season with the church in Corinth. Some had challenged his integrity and authority, and the church was divided. When Titus brought news that many had repented, Paul responded with this deeply personal letter (2 Corinthians 7:5–16). He defends his ministry not by boasting in strength but by pointing to his suffering and God’s comfort: “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” meets us in affliction so we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3–7). Paul explains that his trials don’t disprove his calling—they display Christ’s life in a fragile jar of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7–12, 12:9–10).

The letter moves through pastoral appeals and rich teaching. Paul announces the glory of the new covenant, where the Spirit gives life and transforms believers into Christ’s image (2 Corinthians 3:6, 17–18). He proclaims reconciliation: in Christ, God makes us new and entrusts to us the message of reconciliation—“be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). He urges holiness and wholehearted devotion to the Lord (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1), calls the church to forgive and restore the repentant (2 Corinthians 2:5–8), and encourages generous giving for the saints in need (2 Corinthians 8–9). In the closing chapters, he confronts false apostles and “boasts” in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power might be seen (2 Corinthians 11:23–30, 12:9).

In the story of salvation, 2 Corinthians shows how God’s strength shines through human weakness. The crucified and risen Christ brings a new creation, writes His law on our hearts by the Spirit, and sends us as ambassadors of His grace (2 Corinthians 3:3, 5:17–20). Until we stand before Christ’s judgment seat, we live by faith—not by sight—seeking to please Him, comfort His people, and spread the aroma of His gospel in the world (2 Corinthians 5:7–10, 2:14–17).

Romans

Paul wrote Romans around A.D. 57 while he was in Corinth, near the end of his third missionary journey (Romans 16:1–2, 23; Acts 20:2–3). He addressed the letter to believers in Rome—a church he had not yet visited but deeply desired to see (Romans 1:10–13). The Roman church was made up of both Jews and Gentiles, and tensions had developed over how God’s law, faith, and daily Christian living fit together (Romans 14:1–15:7). Paul wrote to explain the gospel clearly, to unite the church around that gospel, and to prepare them to partner with him in future mission work, especially his planned journey to Spain (Romans 15:22–24).

At the heart of Romans is the gospel—the good news that God’s righteousness is revealed through Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16–17). Paul shows that all people, without exception, are sinners in need of salvation—both Jews under the law and Gentiles without it (Romans 1:18–3:20). No one is made right with God by works; instead, sinners are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone (Romans 3:21–26, 4:16). Using Abraham as an example, Paul explains that God’s promise has always been received by faith, not earned by obedience (Romans 4:1–5, 23–25). Jesus’s death and resurrection stand at the very center of God’s saving plan (Romans 5:6–11).

Romans also explains what the gospel accomplishes in the life of the believer. Those who are united to Christ are no longer slaves to sin but are given new life through the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:4–14, 8:1–11). Believers now live with peace with God, assurance of salvation, and a certain hope of future glory—even in suffering (Romans 5:1–5, 8:18–39). Paul addresses the difficult question of Israel’s place in God’s plan, showing that God is faithful to His promises and sovereign in salvation, working all things according to His mercy and wisdom (Romans 9–11).

In the story of salvation, Romans shows how God’s Old Testament promises are fulfilled in Jesus and how the gospel creates one new people—Jew and Gentile together—united by faith (Genesis 12:3, Romans 15:8–13). This gospel does not merely save; it transforms. Because of God’s mercy, believers are called to live holy lives marked by humility, love, service, and hope (Romans 12:1–2, 13:8–10). Romans helps us understand both what the gospel is and how to live it out, all for the glory of God among the nations (Romans 11:33–36, 15:5–6).

Continue reading in our NT260 plan with the fourth part of Phase 2 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

2 Corinthians 5 on 12/11 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for 2 Corinthians 5 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul looks honestly at life, death, and eternity. Our bodies are like fragile “tents” that will one day be taken down, but believers have the sure promise of a permanent, resurrection “building from God” that is eternal and secure (vv. 1–4). Because God has given us the Spirit as a guarantee, we can be confident—even as we groan in weakness now—that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (vv. 5–8). This future hope shapes our present purpose: whether we are here or with Him, our aim is to please Christ, knowing that we will all appear before His judgment seat to receive what is due for what we have done, whether good or evil (vv. 9–10).

This leads straight into Paul’s description of the gospel and our mission. The “fear of the Lord” and the love of Christ together drive him to serve and persuade others (vv. 11, 14). Because Christ died and was raised, those who belong to Him no longer live for themselves but for Him (vv. 14–15). In Christ, we are a new creation—the old has passed away and the new has come (v. 17). God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and entrusted to us the ministry and message of reconciliation, so that we now serve as ambassadors for Christ, pleading with the world: “Be reconciled to God” (vv. 18–20). At the heart of this message is the staggering truth that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (v. 21).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you feel the “groaning” of life in your earthly tent right now (vv. 2–4)? Bring that place honestly to Jesus, and ask Him to help you live today with two things in view: the aim of pleasing Him (v. 9) and the privilege of representing Him as His reconciled, new-creation ambassador (vv. 17–20).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Initiate one gospel-shaped conversation this week—share with someone (briefly and in your own words) what it means that God is reconciling sinners to Himself through Christ, and use 2 Corinthians 5:21 as the verse that anchors what you say.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

2 Corinthians 4 on 12/10 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for 2 Corinthians 4 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul explains why he does not lose heart in ministry: God has given him the mercy of serving the new covenant, so he refuses to twist or dilute God’s Word to please people, but sets the truth out plainly before God and others (vv. 1–2). If the gospel seems “veiled,” it is because unbelievers are blinded by “the god of this world” and cannot see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (vv. 3–4). Paul doesn’t preach himself, but “Jesus Christ as Lord,” and himself as the Corinthians’ servant for Jesus’ sake (v. 5). The same God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in believers’ hearts to give “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (v. 6).

This glorious gospel is a treasure carried in “jars of clay”—weak, ordinary people—so that it is clear the power belongs to God and not to us (v. 7). Paul is “afflicted … but not crushed,” “perplexed, but not driven to despair,” continually carrying in his body the death of Jesus so that Jesus’ life may also be seen in him (vv. 8–11). He believes and therefore speaks, knowing that the God who raised Jesus will also raise him and present him with the Corinthians (vv. 13–14). So he still does not lose heart: even though his “outer self” is wasting away, his “inner self” is being renewed every day (v. 16). Present troubles are “light” and “momentary” compared to the “eternal weight of glory” God is preparing, so believers fix their eyes not on what is seen and temporary, but on what is unseen and eternal (vv. 17–18).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you most feel like a “jar of clay” right now—fragile, tired, or limited (vv. 7–9, 16)? Instead of seeing those weaknesses as proof that God is far away, ask Him to help you see them as places where His resurrection power can shine through, teaching you to look beyond what is seen today to the unseen glory He is preparing (vv. 14, 17–18).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Share a brief word of hope with someone who is discouraged—maybe a text, call, or quick conversation—reminding them that present troubles are “momentary” compared to the eternal glory in Christ, and include 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 to point them to what is unseen and lasting.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

2 Corinthians 3 on 12/9 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for 2 Corinthians 3 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul pushes back against the idea that he needs letters of recommendation by pointing to the Corinthians themselves—their changed lives are his “letter,” written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God on human hearts (vv. 1–3). His confidence in ministry doesn’t come from his own ability but from God, who has made him a minister of the new covenant, “not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (vv. 4–6). The old covenant, written on stone, was a real “ministry of death” and “condemnation” because it showed God’s holy standard without giving the power to obey, yet even it came with glory on Moses’ shining face (vv. 7–9). If that fading glory was real, Paul says, how much greater is the glory of the new covenant, which brings righteousness and is permanent (vv. 9–11).

Because this new covenant is so glorious, Paul speaks with boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so Israel wouldn’t see that the glory was fading (vv. 12–13). To this day, many in Israel still read Moses with a “veil” over their hearts, unable to see how the law points to Christ—but when one turns to the Lord, that veil is removed (vv. 14–16). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom—freedom from condemnation, from a hard heart, and from trying to earn righteousness by the law (v. 17). Now all believers, with unveiled faces, behold the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into His image “from one degree of glory to another” by the Spirit (v. 18). The Christian life is not self-improvement; it is the Spirit slowly making us look more like Jesus as we keep looking to Him.

🌀 Reflection:
Are you living like someone who still has a veil over your heart—trying to be “good enough” by your own effort—or like someone set free by the Spirit to trust Christ and be changed from the inside out (vv. 6, 14–18)? Bring your failures and self-reliance to the Lord today and ask Him to help you behold His glory in Christ, trusting the Spirit to do the slow, deep work of transformation.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage a fellow believer who is discouraged about their growth. Remind them that transformation is a process—“from one degree of glory to another”—and share 2 Corinthians 3:18 with them, pointing them back to Jesus and the Spirit’s ongoing work.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

2 Corinthians 2 on 12/8 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for 2 Corinthians 2 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul explains why he chose not to make another painful visit to Corinth—he didn’t want to come only to cause them sorrow again, but wanted his next visit to be marked by mutual joy (vv. 1–3). Instead, he wrote a “severe” letter with many tears, not to crush them, but to show how deeply he loved them and to call them to repentance (v. 4, 7:8–9). True love sometimes wounds in order to heal, and Paul wants them to see even his hard words as an expression of Christlike care.

He then turns to the man who had caused grief in the church and likely opposed Paul publicly (vv. 5–6). Discipline from “the majority” had done its work; now it was time to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm love so that the brother would not be swallowed up by excessive sorrow (vv. 7–8). Paul reminds them that refusing to forgive gives Satan an opportunity to divide and devour the church (vv. 10–11). From there, Paul describes how even in his anxiety in Troas over not finding Titus, God still leads him in “triumphal procession” in Christ and uses him to spread “the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (vv. 12–14). The gospel is like an aroma—life to those who receive it and death to those who reject it (vv. 15–16). Knowing how weighty this is, Paul insists he is no peddler of God’s word, but speaks with sincerity, “as commissioned by God, in the sight of God in Christ” (v. 17).

🌀 Reflection:
Where have you been more ready to punish than to restore? Ask the Lord to show you if there’s someone you’re holding at a distance even though they’ve repented. God comforted you in your sin and sorrow; His grace now calls you to reflect that same forgiving, restoring heart to others (vv. 6–8)

💬 Mission Challenge:
Extend concrete grace this week. Reach out to someone who has failed or who feels on the outside—send a text, make a call, or have a face-to-face conversation that communicates forgiveness, comfort, and renewed love in Christ (vv. 7–8, 10–11).

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

2 Corinthians 1 on 12/7 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for 2 Corinthians 1 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul opens this letter by praising “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (v. 3). He explains that God meets him in his sufferings so that he can then comfort others with the same comfort he has received (vv. 4–5). Paul’s hardships are not a sign that God has abandoned him; instead, they become a channel of grace for the church. As he suffers for Christ and is comforted by Christ, the Corinthians share both in the sufferings and in the comfort, and their endurance is strengthened (vv. 6–7).

Paul then tells them about a severe trial he faced in Asia, where he was “so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (v. 8). God allowed him to feel like he had received a “sentence of death” so that he would not rely on himself but on “God who raises the dead” (v. 9). God delivered him, and Paul is confident He will continue to deliver, especially as the Corinthians help through their prayers (vv. 10–11). From there, Paul begins to defend his integrity: his conscience is clear that he has behaved toward them with holiness and sincerity from God, not with worldly wisdom (vv. 12–14). His change of travel plans was not because he is fickle, but because he wanted to spare them and act in line with God’s faithfulness (vv. 15–18).

To anchor this, Paul reminds them that all of God’s promises are “Yes” in Jesus (vv. 19–20). God is the One who establishes them in Christ, has anointed them, has put His seal on them, and has given His Spirit in their hearts as a guarantee of what is to come (vv. 21–22). That means their future with Him is secure, even when circumstances are hard. Finally, Paul calls God as his witness that he delayed his visit “to spare you,” because he does not want to lord it over their faith but to work with them for their joy, since they stand firm by faith (vv. 23–24). This is the heart of a true pastor: willing to suffer, eager to be misunderstood if needed, so that Christ’s people might be comforted, strengthened, and helped to stand.

🌀 Reflection:
Where have you felt “burdened beyond your strength” lately (v. 8)? Bring that specific place of weakness to the Lord and ask Him to use it to loosen your grip on self-reliance and deepen your trust in “God who raises the dead” (v. 9). Then ask Him to show you one way He might use your story of His comfort to encourage someone else who is hurting.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Reach out today to someone you know who is walking through a hard season. Let them know you are praying for them, share a verse from this chapter (such as vv. 3–4 or 10), and ask how you can keep praying specifically—be a living channel of the comfort you have received.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.3 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Songs for Sunday, December 7, 2025 @ Christ Community Church (Advent Week 2)

Tomorrow is the Lord’s day, and I’m excited! I’m also grateful for another week in this Advent season, remembering Jesus’s first coming and longing with hope for His return!

Last week, we lit the candle of hope and remembered that our confidence in Jesus isn’t vague, wishful thinking — it’s anchored in the character of our faithful God (Hebrews 10:23). This week, we move to the second candle: peace. And just like hope, the peace we find in Advent isn’t shallow or sentimental. It’s not the temporary ease the world (falsely) offers. It’s a deep, steady peace secured by Jesus Himself (John 14:27).

We light this second candle to remind us that true peace came to us through the humility of Jesus. Hebrews tells us that the eternal Son took on flesh and blood “so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). He didn’t stand at a distance. He entered our weakness, stepped into our struggles, and became like us “in every respect” so that He could be a merciful and faithful High Priest — able to reconcile us to God and bring lasting peace (Hebrews 2:17).

The peace that Jesus brings isn’t weak or merely sentimental. It is the victory-won peace that came “by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). Hebrews tells us He destroyed” the one who has the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14) — and He did it not by mounting a worldly assault but by humbling Himself (Philippians 2:6-8). The world wins peace by force (unpeacefully), but Jesus wins peace by laying His life down. His strength is not seen in crushing armies or empires but in crushing sin, Satan, and death through His own suffering and resurrection. And because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), His peace means we no longer fear death at all — He has already passed through it and triumphed over it for us. It’s the beautiful paradox of salvation: the humility of Christ is stronger than all the strength of the world, and His finished work is more than enough (Philippians 2:9-11).

Bethlehem shows us this and more. In Bethlehem, we see that God came near — not in power but humility, not with fanfare but quiet mercy (Micah 5:2, Luke 2:7). And the same Jesus who put on flesh and dwelt among us in the manger in Bethlehem now reigns in glory (Philippians 2:9-11). Because He lived, suffered, died, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), we can draw near to His throne of grace with confidence, sure that we can and will receive the mercy and help we need in every moment (Hebrews 4:14-16). As this candle of peace shines, we rest in the peace Jesus secured for us, and we pray that His peace would shine through our lives into a world that needs Him desperately (Matthew 5:9).

But Advent isn’t some mere set of religious exercises inviting us to remember theological ideas — it invites us to come to the One who is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). If you find yourself anxious, restless, or burdened, hear the good news: Jesus came near to save people just like us, and “He is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Hebrews 2:11). He welcomes you. So, come to Him. Bring your fears, your wounds, your weariness. His peace is real, and His mercy is sure (1 Peter 5:7).

Tomorrow at Christ Community, we also have the joy of celebrating the peace and salvation of Jesus through baptism — a visible picture of the gospel and a reminder of what Jesus has done for us. When someone goes beneath the water and rises out of it, we’re seeing Romans 6:4 lived out before our eyes: “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Baptism tells the story of Advent’s promise fulfilled — Jesus came to save sinners (Matthew 1:21), to make us new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and to bring us into His peace forever (John 16:33).

This is also why we take the time to share these “Songs for Sunday” posts each week (or at least as often as we can). We want to help you prepare your heart for corporate worship—that time each week when we come together as a church family to sing, pray, and hear God’s Word—to let the Scriptures and songs we’ll share this week begin settling in your soul before Sunday ever arrives. When we come ready, familiar with the Word and expectant to sing, our hearts are strengthened and our worship deepens (Colossians 3:16).

Take a few moments to read through the passages and listen to the songs we’ll be singing. Let them draw your thoughts and hearts to Jesus — our merciful High Priest, our Prince of Peace, and our soon-coming King.

We would love to invite you to gather with us as we sing and John opens God’s Word and points us to Jesus.

Everyone is welcome!

Here are our Scriptures, songs, and Advent readings:

  • Advent Reading | Peace —

The second candle reminds us that true peace came to us through the humility of Jesus Christ. Hebrews tells us that the eternal Son took on flesh and blood so that He might break the power of death and free us from fear (Hebrews 2:14–15). He was made like us “in every respect,” entering our weakness and our struggles, so that He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest—able to reconcile us to God and bring us lasting peace (Hebrews 2:17).

Bethlehem shows us that God came near—not in power, but in humility; not with fanfare, but in quiet mercy. Because Jesus came, lived, suffered, and rose again, we can now draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, finding the mercy and help we need in every moment (Hebrews 4:14–16). As this candle of peace shines, let us rest in the peace Christ secured for us and pray that His peace would shine through our lives into a world that desperately needs Him.

14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

OT Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled Through JESUS in the Gospels

Birth & Lineage

  1. Messiah would be born of a woman –
    Genesis 3:15 → Galatians 4:4, Matthew 1:20–23
  2. Born of a virgin –
    Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 1:22–23
  3. From the line of Abraham –
    Genesis 12:3, 22:18 → Matthew 1:1, Galatians 3:16
  4. From the tribe of Judah –
    Genesis 49:10 → Matthew 1:2–3, Luke 3:33
  5. From the house of David –
    2 Samuel 7:12–16, Jeremiah 23:5 → Matthew 1:1, Luke 1:32–33
  6. Born in Bethlehem –
    Micah 5:2 → Matthew 2:1–6, Luke 2:4–7
  7. Pre-existence of the Messiah –
    Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:6–7 → John 1:1–3, 14
  8. Kings bring Him gifts –
    Psalms 72:10–11 → Matthew 2:11
  9. Infants massacred / weeping in Ramah –
    Jeremiah 31:15 → Matthew 2:16–18
  10. Called out of Egypt –
    Hosea 11:1 → Matthew 2:14–15

Forerunner & Ministry Preparation

  1. A messenger would prepare the way –
    Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1 → Matthew 3:1–3; Mark 1:2–3
  2. Elijah-like forerunner (John the Baptist) –
    Malachi 4:5–6 → Matthew 11:10–14
  3. Ministry begins in Galilee –
    Isaiah 9:1–2 → Matthew 4:12–17

Character, Nature, and Mission

  1. He would be a Prophet like Moses –
    Deuteronomy 18:15 → John 6:14, Acts 3:22–23
  2. He would be a Priest forever –
    Psalm 110:4 → Hebrews 7:17 (reflected in Gospel ministry)
  3. He would be King –
    Psalm 2:6, Zechariah 9:9 → Matthew 21:4–5
  4. He would be the Son of God –
    Psalm 2:7 → Matthew 3:17, 17:5
  5. A light to the nations –
    Isaiah 42:6, 49:6 → Luke 2:30–32
  6. Would perform miracles –
    Isaiah 35:5–6 → Matthew 11:4–5, Luke 7:21–22
  7. He would teach in parables –
    Psalm 78:2 → Matthew 13:34–35
  8. He would cleanse the temple –
    Psalm 69:9, Malachi 3:1–2 → John 2:15–17
  9. He would be rejected by His own people –
    Isaiah 53:3 → John 1:10–11
  10. Gentiles would hope in Him –
    Isaiah 11:10 → Matthew 12:18–21

Events Leading to His Death

  1. Triumphal entry on a donkey –
    Zechariah 9:9 → Matthew 21:4–5
  2. Betrayed by a close friend –
    Psalm 41:9 → John 13:18–26
  3. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver –
    Zechariah 11:12 → Matthew 26:15
  4. The 30 pieces thrown into the Lord’s house –
    Zechariah 11:13 → Matthew 27:3–10
  5. Disciples scatter –
    Zechariah 13:7 → Matthew 26:31
  6. Silent before His accusers –
    Isaiah 53:7 → Matthew 27:12–14
  7. Hated without cause –
    Psalms 35:19, 69:4 → John 15:24–25
  8. Accused by false witnesses –
    Psalm 27:12, 35:11 → Mark 14:57–59
  9. Struck and spit upon –
    Isaiah 50:6 → Mark 14:65
  10. Mocked by enemies –
    Psalm 22:7–8 → Matthew 27:39–43

Details of His Crucifixion

  1. Hands and feet pierced –
    Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10 → John 20:25–27
  2. Crucified with sinners –
    Isaiah 53:12 → Mark 15:27–28
  3. Given vinegar to drink –
    Psalm 69:21 → John 19:28–29
  4. Soldiers cast lots for His garments –
    Psalm 22:18 → John 19:23–24
  5. No bones broken –
    Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20 → John 19:33–36
  6. His side pierced –
    Zechariah 12:10 → John 19:34–37
  7. Darkness over the land –
    Amos 8:9 → Matthew 27:45
  8. He would pray for His enemies –
    Isaiah 53:12 → Luke 23:34
  9. He would be forsaken by God –
    Psalm 22:1 → Matthew 27:46

His Death & Burial

  1. His death foretold (cut off) –
    Isaiah 53:8 → Matthew 27
  2. He would be buried with the rich –
    Isaiah 53:9 → Matthew 27:57–60
  3. He would die as a guilt offering –
    Isaiah 53:10 → Mark 10:45, John 19

His Resurrection

  1. Resurrection predicted –
    Psalm 16:10 → Matthew 28:5–7, Acts 2:25–32
  2. He would be restored to life and glory –
    Psalm 49:15 → Luke 24:6–7
  3. He would be exalted –
    Psalm 110:1 → Matthew 22:41–45, Acts 2:33–36

Post-Resurrection Mission & Gospel Effects

  1. The stone the builders rejected becomes the cornerstone –
    Psalm 118:22–23 → Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11
  2. Good news preached to the poor –
    Isaiah 61:1 → Luke 4:16–21
  3. The New Covenant inaugurated –
    Jeremiah 31:31–34 → Matthew 26:28
  4. He would ascend to heaven –
    Psalm 68:18 → Luke 24:50–51
  5. Enthroned at God’s right hand –
    Psalm 110:1 → Matthew 26:64
  6. Spirit poured out as a result of His exaltation –
    Joel 2:28–32 → Acts 2:16–21
  7. Gentiles included in salvation –
    Isaiah 49:6 → Luke 2:30–32, Matthew 28:18–20

Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of HOPE — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…. 16 …and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. [1]

Matthew 1:1-6, 16

Merry Christmas, Sojourners!

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is crisp and cool (or cold, depending on the Mississippi weather). Lights and decorations abound. There’s more than enough to do – following our kiddos around, gathering for extra worship times, a few opportunities to pause and reflect on a year spent, and finding that people are more willing to listen or even talk about Jesus than in other seasons.

Over the past few years at Christ Community, I’ve begun to think of this more in terms of Advent than just the Christmas season – not out of some sense of religious tradition or necessity but out of a sense of expectation and hope. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival”. It, of course, represents Jesus’s first coming (hence the Christmas aspect) and His arrival as God made flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:1, 14), but it also reminds us that He is coming again and that arrival in the clouds is on the horizon (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), maybe even in our lifetime. Advent trains our hearts to wait with hope (Romans 8:23-25, Titus 2:11-13).

Now, this isn’t the sort of hope that we’re used to – some sort of vague wish that we want to come about. That sort of hope leads to disappointment and anxiety. For example, I hear my school kiddos say things like, “I hope I do good on this test.” While there’s a certain anxiety that all too often accompanies the tests, the hope can be more sure than wishful thinking. I remind my students in those moments of all they’ve studied and all they’ve learned. My class is the culmination of all of the English classes they have taken since third grade. Getting to my class means they’ve successfully made it from third grade all the way to ninth or tenth grade. Most of my tenth grade students had me for ninth, so I can remind them also of what they’ve learned, studied, and succeeded at in order to get to the end of the class. Their anxiety flowed from feelings of inadequacy and felt thin because it had nothing solid beneath it.

Biblical hope is different. It isn’t rooted in our effort, our performance, or our feelings. It has substance. It is established on something solid – the promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20).

The hope Jesus offers – the hope we are reminded of through Advent leading up to Christmas – is based in a more substantial substance than our mere life experience and accomplishments; it’s based out of Jesus’s life and His accomplishments on the cross and through the empty tomb. We can “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” because “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). He has a flawless record of keeping His promises – promises no human could make and see fulfilled much less fulfill them alone (see “Appendix: OT Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled Through JESUS in the Gospels”). And we can find hope in His faithfulness because He is the One who promised to come and did (Galatians 4:4-5), so when He promises to return, we can rest in the hope that He will (Revelation 22:12, 20).

Hopefully you took the time to look at the OT Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled Through JESUS in the Gospels appendix, taking a look at the fifty-five examples offered there. Today, though, we’re going to find hope not only in prophecy but in how God worked in the real, messy lives of real, sinful people. We will see that He who promised to redeem and save those who call on Him – confess Him as Lord and believe He raised from the dead (Romans 10:9, 13) – is faithful to do that. Their stories show that the God who speaks His promises is the God who brings those promises to fruition through ordinary sinners like us (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

So, where do we find these people? We find them – these four women – in Jesus’s genealogy in Matthew 1.

Before we look at any of their stories, it’s worth noting something remarkable: women weren’t usually included in genealogies in the ancient world. Genealogies traced the line through the fathers, generation to generation, name to name. Yet Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, intentionally highlights four women – and not women we might expect. Their stories are messy. Their pasts are complicated. Their situations were soaked in sin, sorrow, scandal, and suffering. And still the Holy Spirit saw fit to weave their names into the family line of Jesus. Why? Because the gospel isn’t a story for the polished but for the broken (Mark 2:17). Their presence in Jesus’s genealogy serves as the Spirit’s way of holding up the gift of hope – hope that God’s grace reaches further than our failures, hope that His mercy is deeper than our mess, and hope that the promised King truly came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

These women point us forward to the One who would come from their line – Jesus the Christ, Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) – the Savior who brings hope to people just like them…and just like us.

Tamar – Hope in God’s Faithfulness
Despite Human Sin (v. 3, Genesis 38)

The first woman is Tamar (v. 3), and her story is found in Genesis 38.

Tamar was Judah’s – as in lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8-10), the original – daughter-in-law. She was originally married to Judah’s oldest son Er until “the Lord put him to death” because Er was “wicked in the sight of the Lord” (Genesis 38:7). In those days[2], when the elder son died, it was the role of his younger brother to take his place and father children in his name. This fell to second-born, Onan, but Onan was more sinful and selfish than his big brother, doing what was “wicked in the sight of the Lord” and being “put…to death, also” (Genesis 38:10).

Poor Tamar. Her only hope at bearing children would fall on Judah’s youngest, and last remaining son, Shelah. But Judah lied and had no intention of taking care of or continuing with Tamar. What did she do? She decided to be wicked herself. She tricked Judah and tempted him. How did he respond? He decided to be wicked himself. Judah and Tamar committed sin together, her posing as a prostitute and him partaking in sin with her – honestly sinning against her similarly to his late-son Onan.

Scripture doesn’t hide this, and because of that, we begin to see hope shining through the darkness.

Paul reminds us that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20), and Tamar’s story is living proof of that. Despite Judah’s sin, despite Tamar’s sin, despite a situation that looked like a generational dead end, God preserved the family line through which the Messiah would come (Genesis 38:27-30). And when faced with evidence of his sin, Judah himself would later confess that Tamar was “more righteous” than him (Genesis 38:26), not because she was righteous in herself, but because God used a broken situation to move His promise and purpose forward.

Tamar’s presence in Jesus’s genealogy shows us that the promised King comes through broken, sinful people to give hope to broken, sinful people.

Rahab – Hope for Outsiders, Sinners,
and the Unlikely (v. 5; Joshua 2, 6:17, 22-25)

The second woman is Rahab (v. 5), and her story is found throughout the Bible in Joshua 2, 6:17, 6:22-25 as well as in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.

Rahab wasn’t an Israelite, so she wasn’t one of God’s chosen people ethnically, and before the Hebrew spies came to her house in Jericho, she was known for her sinful profession as a prostitute, except unlike Tamar, she was not merely posing as one. Yet she exhibited faith in the God of Israel because she had heard of the mighty work He had done with and for His people (Joshua 2:9-11). She chose to side with God’s people rather than her own and hid the Hebrews spies to keep them safe.

And this is what Scripture emphasizes – not the sinfulness of her past but the sincerity of her faith. We see in the book of Hebrews that “by faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish” (Hebrews 11:31), and James says her works proved her faith (James 2:25). Despite her people[3], her background, and her own history, God rescued her by letting her put a scarlet cord in her window to mark her safe when Jericho fell under His judgment (Joshua 2:18-21).

Why a scarlet cord? Some scholarly preacher folks see in it the foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus – God marking the saved safe through a covering only He can provide. For Rahab, it just represented the promise of the mighty God she had begun serving.

What about the fact that she was a prostitute? Why would someone like her be included in Jesus’s official lineage – in the Bible no less? Because Jesus came to save sinners, outsiders, and the unlikeliest of folks – people like Rahab, people like me and you (Luke 5:31-32). Her inclusion in Jesus’s family tree declares that the hope of the promised King is for all nations and all sinners who take refuge in Him (Psalm 2:12).

Ruth – Hope for the Hopeless
and the Gentile (v. 5; the book of Ruth)

The third woman is actually related to Rahab by marriage as she ended up marrying Rahab’s son Boaz. Her name is Ruth (v. 5), and her story is told in the book of the Bible bearing her name.

Like her mother-in-law, Ruth wasn’t one of God’s chosen people. She was from the land of Moab (a people group started out of a sinful union and messy situation way back in Genesis 19:30-37). Her husband Mahlon came to Moab with his family while trying to escape the Lord’s judgment through a famine, seeking help and relief from their own strength and ingenuity rather than from the Lord (Ruth 1:1-2).

While they were in Moab, her father-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law all died. She could have gone back to her father’s house and been right and righteous in doing so, but she decided to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel (Ruth 1:16-17). God blessed that decision and relationship and took care of Ruth and Naomi. Part of the way God took care of them was through Rahab’s son Boaz, first providing food and grain for them and ultimately through him taking on the role of kinsman-redeemer[4], marrying Ruth.

This is the beauty of Ruth’s story because providing a redeemer for them was more than just a husband; being called a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 2:20, 3:9, 4:14-15) is a picture pointing forward to Jesus Himself. Ruth, the foreigner and outsider, the one with no earthly hope, found refuge “under the wings of the Lord” (Ruth 2:12). Her story that began with such sorrow and grief had a happy ending, especially considering Ruth would be King David’s great-grandmother (Ruth 4:17), but doesn’t Jesus deserve a more presentable bloodline?

No, God delighted in bringing hope out of hopelessness and writing His redemption story through those the world would overlook so that those who are overlooked could find hope in Him (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Ruth’s inclusion in Jesus’s lineage shows that the Messiah is the Redeemer of all who take refuge in Him.

“The Wife of Uriah” – Hope through God’s Mercy
to the Deeply Fallen (v. 6, 2 Samuel 11-12)

The fourth woman isn’t even listed in the genealogy by her name, but how she is listed tells the sadness and sin surrounding her: “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah” (v. 6). This is not a slight to her but recognition of King David’s sin with her. Yes, David, the king who is most often heralded as a hero and worshiper of the Lord is also a sinner.

The man who slew Goliath and wrote a big chunk of the Bible’s songbook committed particularly heinous sins: murder and adultery (2 Samuel 11:1-5). David stayed behind when he was supposed to be with his troops and gazed upon the “wife of Uriah” from his roof as she took a bath. He, even though he was married to multiple women already and she was married to one of his mighty men, decided that he wanted to make her his. The resulting union led to a child between them. Rather than owning up and confessing his sin – to the Lord, to his wives, to Uriah, to Israel, David undertook a massive cover-up that ended in his arranging Uriah’s murder (2 Samuel 11:14-17). He stole this man’s wife. He took his life.

It looks good to have a giant-killing worshiper of the Lord in your lineage, but why associate Jesus instead with David’s sin and wickedness (and the same or worse from many of the kings listed after him in the family tree)? Because this gets to the very heart of the gospel.

Bathsheba’s story contains much sin and sorrow, but it doesn’t end that way. God confronted David through the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-3). Their baby died (2 Samuel 12:15-18). David repented (Psalm 51). And God, in astonishing mercy, allowed David and Bathsheba to become the parents of another child, Solomon – the next link in the chain leading to Christ (2 Samuel 12:24-25).

Where sin is great, God’s grace is greater still (Romans 5:20). Bathsheba – the wife of Uriah – being included in this genealogy reminds us that the promised King didn’t come to hide human sin but to seek and save sinners (Luke 19:10).

Wrapping Up

Each section walking us through these women’s stories included rhetorical questions meant to make us meditate on what God was doing in and through them: why include these women and take honest looks at their stories?

In short, there really are answers to those questions. Why would the Bible recognize and record those sins and sinners in Jesus’s lineage? Why would the Holy Spirit shine a spotlight on the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba? Because they all really happened. Sin happens. Every one of them was a real person with a real story marked by real brokenness. And the truth is that all people “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). None of us – not a single person in the history of the world other than Jesus – deserve to be anywhere near His lineage. But faith in God – trusting in His work, His steadfast love, His kindness, His promises, and in Him – is woven through that lineage like a scarlet cord of grace, like that cord hanging from Rahab’s window, marking those who He saves as safe (Ephesians 2:8-9).

When we look at the mixture of their sin and God’s faithfulness, their failures and His mercy, their weakness and His strength, we are reminded that none of us are worthy of salvation. But that is exactly why He came. Jesus Himself said that He came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). That coming to seek and save is remembered in Christmas – the incarnation – God coming, taking on flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:14). Hope came as God Himself entered the world with a real genealogy filled with real sinners so He could redeem real sinners like us (Philippians 2:5-8).

The stories of these four women aren’t in Matthew 1 to embarrass them or Jesus. They’re there to announce Him! They testify that the promised King comes through stories soaked in sin, sorrow, scandal, and suffering so that He can bring hope where hope seems impossible. Their lives preach to us that no one is too far gone, no past is too messy, no family tree too twisted, no heart too broken or sin too deep for the Redeemer who came from their line (Hebrews 7:25).

So, as you gather with family and friends this Christmas – and maybe as you glance around at some rough-looking fruit on your own family tree – or whether the roughest branch you see is staring back to you in the mirror of God’s Word, remember this: Jesus is more than the reason for the season. He is the gift of hope for sinners. He came through a broken lineage to step into our brokenness. He came to seek and save people like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and David – people like you and people like me (Romans 5:8).

If you haven’t before, won’t you ask Him to save you?

Call on Him. Trust Him. Let the promised King fill your heart with the gift of hope – real hope, lasting hope, the hope that only Jesus can give (1 Peter 1:3-5). If Jesus has saved you, take heart in this beautiful truth: the same King who came to seek and save you is the One who holds you fast. Your hope still isn’t in your performance but in Him and in His promises. And “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). He has redeemed you (Ephesians 1:7), He is with you (Matthew 28:20), and He will come again for you (John 14:3). So fix your eyes on Him this Christmas. Rest in what He’s done. Rejoice in what He’s doing. And let the hope of our Promised King steady your heart now and in every season to come.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 1:1–16.

[2] This was known as a levirate marriage. The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary defines levirate marriage as:

“A law and custom in ancient Israel that if a man died without sons his brother would take the widow for a wife in order to provide male offspring for his dead brother. The children then would be heirs of their dead father’s land and possessions and the family line would not be broken.”

[3] For clarification, saying “her people” here is not referencing her ethnicity but the fact that God commanded Jericho marked for destruction as punishment for sin.

[4] The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament defines kinsman redeemer thusly:

“The kinsman-redeemer’s role was to help recover the tribes losses, whether those loses were human (in which case he hunted down the killer), judicial (in which case he assisted in lawsuits) or economic (in which case he recovered the property of a family member). Since Yahweh had granted the land to the Israelites as tenants, they could not sell it…. In this way the land remained with extended family as a sign of its membership in the covenantal community.”

This describes the way Boaz married Ruth so that Naomi would have access and provision from the land of her husband and family. There was a more closely related person who could have done this, but Boaz chose to take up the mantle of Ruth’s husband in order to give them the care they needed.