“And all of this is a gift from God.”
There are few better examples of pure love and grace than when a grandmother lavishes love on her grandchildren.
The unexpected $20 bill slipped into your pocket. The cookie jar that is always full when you go to visit. The type of hug that buries you in a sea of safety, and as you emerge from the embrace, you feel a spark in your soul that wasn’t there before.
Good grandmas are special.
Jesus had four amazing great-grandmas who were special on multiple levels. First, they made the lineage list of Jesus in Matthew chapter one. The inclusion on this list highlights incredible women of faith who faced unique challenges in their lives. The tapestry of their testimony lives on today, accenting the thread of God’s grace woven not just into the heritage of the Messiah but into all our stories.
God’s grace is the gift of Christmas.
“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:18b, NLT, bold added for emphasis)
“All of this” refers to everything Paul wrote in the prior verses, pointing to all that is made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT) “All of this” is an extensive-phrase that encompasses all the faith stories of those before us and of our stories of God’s grace gift.
Christmas calls us to stop and remember God’s gift of grace.
What can the great great great grandmothers of Christmas teach us about grace?
Each of the four great-grandmothers (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba) in the lineage of Jesus encapsulates the complicated, broken, and even shameful pieces of an imperfect bloodline. A family history most would leave unspoken rather than highlighted.
The treacherous experiences these grandmothers experienced are not to be forgotten but remembered, cherished, and celebrated. Their stories remind us of the straightforwardness, wholeness, and restorative power of God’s grace at work.
Grandma Tamar
(Genesis 38)
Deception, evil, and an almost ceased bloodline of Judah (the bloodline for which the Messiah was to come) create the backdrop for Great Grandma Tamar. Judah was a son of Jacob and represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel. He had sons who lived crooked lifestyles, which led to their deaths, leaving Tamar widowed twice. She waited patiently for the promised third son, but Judah did not intend to follow through. Tamar devised a less-than-desirable R-rated plan.
Tamar’s plan was instrumental in preserving the Messiah’s bloodline. Her brave actions earned her the title of “righteousness.” A title that no other female in the Old Testament carries. “She is more righteous than I am…” (Genesis 38: 26).
Tamar was known for her righteousness and became the Great Grandmother of The Righteous One, who makes it possible for us to be righteous. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” 1 Corinthians 1:30, NIV).
Tamar’s story was one of hardship, but out of her affliction, we have the legacy of God’s grace.
Are You Ignoring It?
Too often, we disregard our past as shameful, worthless experiences that point to pain rather than a framework for the miraculous. We would instead prefer not to remember or share those pieces of our story.
Great Grandma Tamar’s narrative is perhaps not the grandma’s story we would choose to include in remembering Jesus’ heritage, yet Matthew 1:3’s inclusion of her part is not to be ignored.
When we ignore our Savior’s messy past, we ignore God’s grace.
Paul begs us not to ignore it. “We beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it” ( 2 Corinthians 6:1, NLT, bold added for emphasis). Every challenging, hard, and even R-rated piece of our narrative is where the gift of God’s grace goes to work. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT).
Christmas feels like perfection. A season of surreal and nostalgia. We long for the Hallmark picture of warm baked cookies, laughter around the fire, a dazzling decorated Christmas tree, and snow softly floating by the window on a deep blue star-studded silent night.
But a Holy night, set apart from all other nights, includes God’s grace. God’s grace is needed to fill the lives of those like Great Grandma Tamar and our own.
Stories that inspire us to believe that no life is too messy, too far, too fragmented that God’s grace can not cover.
I pray your heart is warmed by the tender flames of God’s grace, melting away all shame. May you experience God’s abundant grace touching the places you didn’t even know needed His grace, and may you NOT ignore it, but receive it, celebrate it, and thrive in God’s mercy and kindness this season. So be it, in Jesus’ name.
Meditate: God’s Grace covers me.
Reflect: Is there any place in your life where you feel shame? How can God’s grace shine on that area and bring healing? What are moments of God’s grace woven into your story? -Recall them and be thankful.
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom and teach you more about how He wants to show you more about His grace.). Genesis 38; 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:1, Matthew 1: 3, 18-25.
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version)
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