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The Matriarchs of Christmas

Dec 05 2021 • Greg Boyd

When Matthew set out to write the story of Jesus, he didn’t start with a starry night in Bethlehem. He began with a long list of names tracing Jesus’ heritage as the rightful King of Israel. However, there’s something odd about Matthew’s list. In a culture that excluded women from these lists of ancestors, Matthew made a point of drawing attention to four specific women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Along with Mary, these women were unlikely candidates to be in the lineage of a king. So why them? This Christmas we take a look at what the matriarchs in Jesus’ family tree can teach us about God’s love.

Sermons in this series:


Good News for Mary

• Greg Boyd

The story of Mary, Jesus’ mother, is significant. Through it we can see how following Jesus involves trusting him in the midst of confusion, not the lack of it. Her story encourages us to press through fear and doubt, even when we don’t understand how God is at work in and around us.

Topics: Christmas


Good News for Ruth

• Greg Boyd

Ruth is an ancestor of Jesus. Her story reveals surprising aspects of what Jesus came to do in our world, how he came to tear down walls that divide us into nationalistic camps. This is a story that we need to embrace so that the kingdom of God might rise up. 

Good News for Rahab

• Greg Boyd

The genealogy of Jesus includes a woman named Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute. Such an inclusion is not only shocking, but it also is scandalous. Why was she included and what does it mean for us today?

Topics: Role of Women


Good News for Tamar

• Greg Boyd

This is the first sermon of our Christmas series that explores the five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew. Here, the story of Tamar from Genesis 38 is told and we are introduced to what Christmas means for women in a culture that is shaped by misogyny.

Topics: Leadership, Role of Women, Sexuality


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