The biblical account of Christmas begins with a look at Jesus' Family Portrait Album. His family tree reveals the real meaning of Christmas. There aren't very many bright lights on this family tree, and you'll find a whole lot of knots and kinks in the line!

However, the Family Tree is one of grace and glory because it presents Jesus as the Rightful Sovereign and the only Savior of sinners.

The Bible is an historical book. Our fall in Adam and redemption in Christ are historical events. Our faith is not based on myths and fables, but upon spacetime historical events and accomplishments. All mankind's history is written in one of two Family Albums ‑ In Adam or In Christ.

The History of the Natural Man ‑ Genesis 5:3

In Genesis 1:26,27; 5:1,2, we learn that God created Adam in his image and after His likeness. This meant that man was made to be a picture, a visible expression of the invisible God. This meant that man was originally designed with personality, spirituality, rationality, morality, authority, and creativity. Man was meant to be an expression of God's person, and extension of His presence and an exhibition of his power.

Adam was the federal and seminal head of humanity. He represented us because we were in his loins. We were actually, fully, and fairly represented by Adam. Yet, he willfully and deliberately rebelled against God and lost it all.

What did Adam lose?  He lost the likeness of God, the life of God, the leading of God, the liberty of God, and love for God.   How lost is man? He is lost willingly, ignorantly, deceitfully, and helplessly. In his lostness he loves only one thing ‑ himself! (Read Roms 5:12)

Notice what Genesis 5:3 says, "... Adam beget a son after his own likeness." This son, and all mankind after him, was born fallen, defiled, frail, mortal and a sinner.

Sin has defaced the moral image of God within man. Sin has deformed man's heart, deluded his mind, diseased his body, and subjected both he and his whole environment to death.

The Bible declares that all men by birth, as well as by choice, are rebels against God's government, robbers of God's glory and rejecters of God's grace.  All born since Adam’s fall have been born with a terminal, twisted spiritual birth defect. We are born sinners. The reason we are sinners is not because we sin but because we were born sinners!.

Admittedly, this is not a very flattering family portrait. But the good news of Christmas is that we can get in on another family album!

The History of the New Man ‑ Matthew 1:1

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” 

The Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 5:1, contains the book of the generations of Adam and ends with a curse in Malachi 4:6. But the New Testament begins in Matthew 1:1 with the account of the book of the generations of Jesus Christ and ends with no curse in Revelation 22:3. Jesus birth is the Second Genesis, a new beginning, a new creation.

This family tree of Jesus' human lineage is not at all flattering - no family trees are. One fellow, in filling out a form requiring a brief history of his family, was so embarrassed because his father had died in the electric chair wrote, "My father occupied for a brief period of time a chair in applied electricity in a state institution and then died."

The Focus in Jesus' Family Album is on Grace

(1) Grace is seen in the choice of one woman named Mary – Matt. 1:16

(2) Grace is seen in the descendants of two men – Matt. 1:1 – The royal lineage of David and the racial lineage of Abraham.

(3) Grace is seen in the history of three eras – Matt 1:17 - So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. 

The national genealogy of Jesus is one of mingled glory, pathos, heroism and disgrace, renown and obscurity. Israel rises, falls, and so apostatizes from God that they finally reject and crucify the Messiah that God sent to them. But God's grace triumphs over their sin and salvation comes to the world.

(4) Grace is seen in the inclusion of four outcasts

Why any women? Why these women? Why not Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, etc.? Because the highlight is on the grace of God. The coming King was to be a King of grace and glory.

Tamar acted like a prostitute – Matt. 1:3

Rahab was a Canaanite and a prostitute – Matt. 1:5

Ruth was a Moabite (The whole Moabite nation was the product of incest.) who meet a mighty man of wealth from Bethlehem who took her for his bride and brought her into the royal line of King David and King Jesus!

Bathsheba was an adulteress – Matt. 1:6

Jesus is the friend of sinners; the Physician of the sin‑sick; the Refresher of the weary and heavy laden; the Proclaimer of Good News to the Poor.

The Future of Jesus’s Family Tree will Triumph unto Glory

(a) The Full Identity of the Savior ‑ Mt 1:1,21,23 ‑ Jesus, Christ, Immanuel

(1) Christ ‑ The word "Christ" is the Greek word for the "Messiah." What a peculiarity! An angel of Heaven broke through the veil and announced that the 18- to 20-inch-long baby laid in a manager in a cowshed in Bethlehem was none other than the long‑promised, long‑prophesied, long‑predicted, long‑expected, long‑awaited Messiah of Israel. He was the One appointed and anointed in Heaven and anticipated and announced on earth. Micah 5:2 had foretold that He would be born in Bethlehem, Isaiah 7:14 that He would be born of a virgin, Isaiah 53 that He would die a violent death for sinners, and Isaiah 9:6 tells us that His Name would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace; and that in time the government of the world would be upon His shoulders.  All this was packed into the frame of a tiny baby in Bethlehem!

(1) Immanuel ‑ God with us!  The first Christmas celebration was not one of God in man.  This is what happens when a person becomes a Christian ‑ God takes up his abode in man.  The first Christmas celebration was not God and man coming together to work cooperatively. It was a celebration of the God‑man ‑ Jesus the Christ. It was the union of two natures, Godhead and manhood in one glorious person.

Wonderful, mysterious, incomprehensible is His person. God became man.  And everything Jesus did was an exhibition of God's power and purpose, everything He said was an expression of God's will and Word. Christ was and is, the sufficiency of God's grace, the infallibility of God's Word, the impregnability of God's peace, and the tranquility of God's rest.

(1) Jesus ‑ The full, final, perfect revelation of God is compacted into one name ‑ but what a name ‑ the name of JESUS.

Matt. 1:21 says “.... you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." The name Jesus means “Jehovah Saves”.

Nine hundred seventy‑five times in the New Testament that Name is written. The name of every other person in history except this one has the fingerprints of Satan smeared all over it. It has the stains of sin inscribed indelibly on it, but this Name ‑ not one stain.

His name beautifies the radiance of righteousness and enriches the gifts of goodness. He engraces the merits of meekness and enhances the heritage of hope, He embodies the language of love and gilds the glories of grace.

The Name of Jesus is history's most Prized Name.  How valuable is the Name of Jesus?  We will never fully know in this life, but what we do know is beyond expression. Without Him creation has no crown, history no destiny, personality no perfection, humanity no holiness, and heaven no openings!

The name of Jesus is the only door to salvation ‑ Acts 4:12, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."    

All hail the power of Jesus name, let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.

Precious Name O how sweet, Hope of earth and joy of Heaven.

 Jesus, Jesus, there is just something about that name!

His Final Victory

The new Genesis that Jesus initiated has made all who trust in him a "new creation (2 Cor 5:17). On us is a new name (Rev 2:17); in us is a new song. But one day, time will be no more, and He who sits on the throne will say "Behold I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Then on us will be a new body, around us will be a New Jerusalem, under us will be a New Earth, and over us a New Heaven, and before us New revelations of the never-ending glory of the Son of God. And we shall be like Him for we shall see him as he is. And the old, old story will be forever our new theme in glory!

Now unto Him who sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion from eternity to eternity!

O victory in Jesus my Savior forever!  He sought me, and bought me, and brought me from guilt into grace and unto glory!

From the picture album of a wanted criminal into the Forever Family Album of Jesus as a wanted and loved child of God!      

Whose family album is your history being written in? You can't help being born in Adam, but you can be born‑again into Christ Family Album.

Perhaps someone is reading these lines who has never received Christ and trusted Him for salvation from sin and for the gift of eternal life. What must you do?  Simply and honestly repent of your sins directly to God, the One against Whom you have sinned. Remind Him of His Word that promises that if you trust Him and receive Him into your heart, He would save you, forgive your sins, give you the gift of eternal life, and live in you all the way to His home in Heaven.  I join with the Holy Spirit in urging you to trust Jesus today.  If you do, this Christmas will be your first real one.