Jesus for All

Nº 385

December 16, 2025

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. - Corrie Ten Boom

PREVIEW – This December we are walking through five Christmas related passages – but none from the familiar Gospel accounts. We have looked at Genesis and Exodus, and today we will explore Ruth. Next week we will dip into Haggai’s words and end the month in 1 Timothy. Enjoy a look at Christmas from some non-traditional passages.

Ruth was born in Moab, a rival nation neighboring Israel. The Moabites were distant cousins of the Jews. They descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew.

Ruth married a young Israelite whose family had moved from Bethlehem to Moab to escape a devastating famine. Sadly, her young husband died, along with his father and brother. Devastated by the deaths of her husband and two sons, Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, returned to Bethlehem, and Ruth went with her.

The sad story has a happy ending and a happier epilogue. In Bethlehem, Ruth met and married a man named Boaz. They had a son. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:17b).

Ruth and Boaz’ great grandson was King David, from whose line the Messiah would someday come.

Jesus’ pedigree includes several non-Jews: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Jesus’ arrival was a blessing to the whole world. Christmas is a partial fulfillment of God’s blessing to Abraham. After a series of covenantal commitments to Abraham God said, ...all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3b).

Because of Christmas, the all the people of the earth being blessed includes Moabites, Jews, Gentiles, you, and me. Merry Christmas.

Excelsior,

Dan Bolin

Author & President