Day 1: Courage to Trust When You Don’t Know Everything
Mary stepped into a story she could not fully see, and yet she trusted the One writing it. You may not understand the scale of what God is doing either, but faith often looks like a simple yes in the dark. Courage is not certainty; it is confidence in God’s character when details remain hidden. When we release our need to know everything, we discover the One who holds everything. Let your next step be a quiet yes, even while questions remain [47:42]
Luke 1:38 Mary answered, “I belong to the Lord; let what He desires for me become my life,” and with that surrender she stepped into God’s plan.
Reflection: Where is God inviting you to take one uncertain but faithful step this week, and what would that yes look like by tomorrow night?
Day 2: If Jesus Is King, We Are Not
Herod’s reaction exposes something we all feel—the fear of losing control when a true King arrives. We may not plot like Herod, but we often try to keep Jesus safe, seasonal, and small. The message of Christmas refuses that; if Jesus is who He says He is, life cannot stay compartmentalized. This is not a warm idea to admire, but a living Lord to obey. Yielding control is where peace begins [49:07]
Matthew 2:3 When Herod heard a royal child had been born, he was shaken to the core, and the whole city felt the tremor of his fear.
Reflection: In what specific part of your life have you kept Jesus “seasonal,” and what is one practical change that would show you are yielding real control to Him?
Day 3: Beyond Sentiment: Truth That Splits Time in Two
Comfort is appealing, but Christmas is more than a feeling; it is God stepping into real history. If it is not true, then all we have are pretty traditions and empty nostalgia. But if it is true, then hope has weight, and our songs carry eternity in their lyrics. The arrival of Jesus does not invite part-time faith; it calls for a whole-life response. Let the truth, not the mood, shape your worship [51:11]
Isaiah 9:6–7 A child is given to us, a Son entrusted to us, and the weight of rule rests on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His reign and His peace will keep expanding, and His justice will not run out.
Reflection: Which Christmas tradition tends to stay sentimental for you, and how could you anchor it in the truth of who Jesus is this week?
Day 4: Peace of Presence, Not Perfect Circumstances
The first Christmas was anything but calm—Mary was afraid, Joseph confused, Herod threatened, and Rome heavy-handed. Into that chaos, heaven announced peace—peace not of easy days, but of God-with-us. This is the kind of peace that sits with you in the waiting room, steadies you in financial strain, and holds you when the smile feels forced. You are not asked to pretend; you are invited to rest. Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Jesus with you now [52:08]
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest places, and on earth peace rests on those He delights to lift and carry.”
Reflection: Where, specifically, are you tired of pretending you’re okay, and how will you invite Jesus’ steady presence into that one place today?
Day 5: Eternal Peace That Carries Us Through Conflict
Human sentiment can pause a war for a night, but only God can end the war within us. The peace Jesus brings is not a truce or a holiday mood; it endures when resolutions fail and calendars shift. When the music stops, Christ’s message does not. Do not pack Him away with decorations; center your days on His unending reign. This cannot be sort-of important [56:44]
Luke 2:11 “Today, in David’s town, a Rescuer has been born for you—He is the Messiah, the true Lord.”
Reflection: As the season ends, what one weekly rhythm will help you keep Jesus at the center rather than returning Him to the attic box?
Sermon Summary
I admitted feeling nervous because the moment felt weighty—like the table was set for something more than a seasonal feeling. When we think of the Christmas story, Mary is the bravest, but she didn’t fully know what God was going to do. Strangely, the most honest character may be Herod. He grasped that if Jesus is King, no one else is. That insight still challenges us: we might not try to kill Jesus, but we often domesticate Him—pack Him away with the decorations and admire Him without obeying Him.
Isaiah’s promise doesn’t let us reduce Jesus to December. “To us a child is born… and the government will be on his shoulders.” If that’s true, this night is not a sentimental tradition but a world-altering announcement. Even the atheist Richard Dawkins unwittingly helps here: if Jesus isn’t literally God, Christmas collapses into nostalgia. But if He is, then history has been invaded by God, time split in two, and peace announced that is stronger than circumstances.
The first Christmas wasn’t calm: Mary was afraid, Joseph confused, Rome tense, and Herod plotting. Into that chaos, the angels declared peace—not the peace of quiet schedules and tidy outcomes, but the peace of God’s presence in the thick of diagnosis, debt, grief, and exhaustion. Human sentiment can pause a war for a night, like the Christmas truce of 1914, but only God can end the deeper war within us and between us. His peace isn’t a truce; it’s a reign—the Prince of Peace arriving to rule with a love that doesn’t flinch under pressure, disappear when life gets complicated, or wait for the world to behave.
So tonight is not about seasonal peace; it’s about eternal peace. Not because the world is silent, but because Christ is present. If this is true, then Christmas can’t be “sort of” important. It is either untrue and irrelevant, or true and central. Don’t decorate with Jesus; surrender to Him. His peace isn’t just available to you—it’s pursuing you, even here, even now.
Key Takeaways
1. Jesus disrupts our self-rule Herod understood that the birth of a true King dethrones every rival—including the one in the mirror. We often prefer to keep Jesus manageable, admiring Him without yielding to Him. Peace begins where our self-sovereignty ends and His Lordship is welcomed. [49:07]
2. Peace is presence, not perfection The angels proclaimed peace into a night filled with fear, confusion, and political pressure. God’s peace does not wait for better circumstances; it takes root in the middle of them. The gift is Christ-with-us—rest that holds when nothing else does. [52:08]
3. Truth over nostalgia, always If Jesus is not God, then Christmas is hollow sentimentality. But if He is, then this night announces reality, not ritual: God has stepped into history and claims all of us, not just our holidays. Faith matures when we prefer truth to comfort. [50:40]
4. God’s promises outlast our ceasefires Human goodwill can pause hostility, but it cannot heal the human heart. The Prince of Peace brings a durable, reconciling rule that doesn’t depend on everyone agreeing or behaving. His peace endures the darkness and remakes us from the inside out. [53:01]
5. Jesus cannot be “sort of” important Either He is untrue and unimportant, or He is true and central to everything. Seasonal admiration without surrender is just a safer form of resistance. Let His pursuing peace move from decoration to devotion. [56:44]
Youtube Chapters
Bible Study Guide
Bible reading - Isaiah 9:6-7
Observation questions
Read Isaiah 9:6-7. What titles are given to the child and what do those titles say about who this child will be and what he will do?
Herod realized that a true king dethrones every rival. What does the reaction of Herod and “all Jerusalem” reveal about the threat a real Messiah posed to existing powers and to personal control? [48:07]
The angels announced “Glory to God…and on earth peace” into a scene of fear and confusion. What details in Luke’s Christmas scene help explain why the angels’ message was surprising and significant? [51:36]
The idea of “domesticating” Jesus was described as putting him away with the decorations. What specific behaviors or habits look like that in people’s lives? [49:28]
Interpretation questions
If “if Jesus reigns, we don’t,” how should the claim that Jesus is King change the way a person thinks about personal priorities, decisions, and identity? [49:07]
If the peace announced at Christmas is primarily God’s presence rather than perfect circumstances, how does that reshape expectations about what it means to experience God’s peace in suffering? [52:08]
If the coming of Christ is described as splitting time in two (before and after his arrival), what practical implications follow for how a person organizes time, values, and life goals? [51:11]
If Christmas is hollow sentiment unless Jesus is truly God, what standard does that set for what counts as authentic worship and belief rather than mere cultural nostalgia? [50:40]
Application questions
Jesus disrupts our self-rule. Where in your life are you most tempted to keep Jesus as a harmless decoration rather than surrendering Lordship? What concrete step will you take this week to welcome his authority? [49:28]
Peace is presence, not perfection. Name a current stress, loss, or fear where you need Christ’s presence. How will you invite him into that specific place (prayer, Scripture, asking someone to pray with you, etc.)? [52:08]
Truth over nostalgia. Which holiday habits have become substitutes for true devotion (comfort-seeking, routine attendance, surface-level rituals)? What one change could move those habits toward authentic worship? [50:40]
God’s promises outlast our ceasefires. Where have you relied on temporary goodwill or a “truce” instead of seeking deep reconciliation? What is one practical step you can take to pursue lasting reconciliation rooted in Christ? [53:01]
Jesus cannot be “sort of” important. What is one decision (time use, relationship boundary, financial choice, or daily habit) you will make so that Jesus’ lordship becomes central rather than seasonal? [56:44]
The peace of Christ is actively pursuing people “even here, even now.” What would it look like for you to receive that pursuit this week? Who could you invite to join you in one specific step (a phone call, a time of confession, corporate worship, or a quiet hour of listening)? [56:19]
Sermon Clips
Now, when we think about Christmas, if we had to pick the bravest person in the Christmas story, hands down, it goes to Mary. Mary didn't know all of what was coming. We just listened to a song where the question was asked, Mary, did you know? I'll settle it for you. Mary did not know. She had no full understanding of what the scale of what was about to happen was. She had trust. She took an unbelievable and tremendous step of faith.
[00:47:30]
(24 seconds)
#MarysFaith
But if you had to pick the most honest character in the Christmas story, the person who seemed earliest to understand the scale and severity of what would be about to happen for the regular system of the world, it would not be who you would expect. You might choose the last person, and that would be King Herod. He's the villain. He's violent. He's insecure. And he's desperate to maintain power. But Herod understood something that most of us, even now, thousands of years later, still forget.
[00:47:53]
(29 seconds)
#HerodKnewTheRisk
You might choose the last person, and that would be King Herod. He's the villain. He's violent. He's insecure. And he's desperate to maintain power. But Herod understood something that most of us, even now, thousands of years later, still forget. When he heard that a child has been born who might be the promised Messiah, the rescuer who had been promised for millennia, he did not see it as a warm, spiritual Christmas idea or a seasonal tradition.
[00:48:07]
(33 seconds)
#MessiahThreatToPower
Herod reacted with fear because he understood the truth that if Jesus is the king, then everyone else isn't. And that includes him. That includes, by the way, you and me. And in a strange way, he was right. If Christianity is true, it disrupts everything. If Jesus is who he says he is, it disrupts everything. If God really entered human history in the person and work of Jesus, then his claim on our lives, it cannot be a part-time thing. It cannot be seasonal.
[00:48:56]
(32 seconds)
#ChristClaimsAll
If God really entered human history in the person and work of Jesus, then his claim on our lives, it cannot be a part-time thing. It cannot be seasonal. Herod rebelled against God's plan with violence. Today, we don't try to kill Jesus. We just domesticate him. We put him in the box in the attic with the Christmas decorations at the end of the season.
[00:49:18]
(24 seconds)
#NoPartTimeChrist
Herod rebelled against God's plan with violence. Today, we don't try to kill Jesus. We just domesticate him. We put him in the box in the attic with the Christmas decorations at the end of the season. We just limit Jesus to December and we make sure that he stays a harmless baby in a manger. We admire him at Christmas, but we largely ignore him for the rest of the year.
[00:49:28]
(27 seconds)
#JesusBeyondDecember
We just limit Jesus to December and we make sure that he stays a harmless baby in a manger. We admire him at Christmas, but we largely ignore him for the rest of the year. Some of us, we came tonight wanting the feeling of Christmas more than the truth of Christmas. And I understand that. There are years when I want comfort more than clarity too.
[00:49:42]
(25 seconds)
#ChooseTruthNotFeelings
If this story is not true, then all we have is empty nostalgia and hollow traditions. But if it is true, then this night is not a nostalgic reminder. And our traditions have profound depth. It's the announcement that God stepped into the world in real history. And nothing has been the same ever since. As a matter of fact, it's split time in two.
[00:50:59]
(28 seconds)
#TimeSplitByChrist
It's the announcement that God stepped into the world in real history. And nothing has been the same ever since. As a matter of fact, it's split time in two. And the message of the arrival is peace. Not the kind of peace that we imagine when life gets easier or life gets quieter. Contrary to some songs we sing around this time of the year, the first Christmas was not peaceful like we think about it.
[00:51:15]
(28 seconds)
#ArrivalThatChangedEverything
It's the announcement that God stepped into the world in real history. And nothing has been the same ever since. As a matter of fact, it's split time in two. And the message of the arrival is peace. Not the kind of peace that we imagine when life gets easier or life gets quieter. Contrary to some songs we sing around this time of the year, the first Christmas was not peaceful like we think about it.
[00:51:15]
(28 seconds)
#RealHistoryRealPeace
As a matter of fact, it's split time in two. And the message of the arrival is peace. Not the kind of peace that we imagine when life gets easier or life gets quieter. Contrary to some songs we sing around this time of the year, the first Christmas was not peaceful like we think about it. Mary was afraid. Joseph was confused. Rome was increasingly feeling pressure. King Herod was plotting murder. Yet into that world, the angels proclaimed glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
[00:51:24]
(44 seconds)
#PeaceInTheChaos
Contrary to some songs we sing around this time of the year, the first Christmas was not peaceful like we think about it. Mary was afraid. Joseph was confused. Rome was increasingly feeling pressure. King Herod was plotting murder. Yet into that world, the angels proclaimed glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. The peace that Jesus brings is not the peace of perfect circumstances. It's the peace of his presence in the middle of hurting families, of lost jobs, of financial hardships, of an overwhelming diagnosis.
[00:51:36]
(49 seconds)
#PeaceThatPersists
Joseph was confused. Rome was increasingly feeling pressure. King Herod was plotting murder. Yet into that world, the angels proclaimed glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. The peace that Jesus brings is not the peace of perfect circumstances. It's the peace of his presence in the middle of hurting families, of lost jobs, of financial hardships, of an overwhelming diagnosis.
[00:51:46]
(40 seconds)
#PeaceAmidPressure
The peace that Jesus brings is not the peace of perfect circumstances. It's the peace of his presence in the middle of hurting families, of lost jobs, of financial hardships, of an overwhelming diagnosis. Wherever you are faking a smile this Christmas, perhaps just exhausted in a crowd, overwhelmed with the list that's still in front of you, a calendar that's supposed to make you happy, but you walk through it hollow.
[00:52:08]
(31 seconds)
#PeaceInTheStruggle
We can create a ceasefire for a night, but only God can create the kind of peace that restores what is broken, that outlasts the darkness. The truce was temporary, but the pain that God steps into is a forever kind of pain, and the peace that he offers is a forever kind of peace. Jesus brings that kind of peace. It's not a truce. It's not a temporary pause.
[00:53:06]
(33 seconds)
#PeaceBeyondCeasefire
The truce was temporary, but the pain that God steps into is a forever kind of pain, and the peace that he offers is a forever kind of peace. Jesus brings that kind of peace. It's not a truce. It's not a temporary pause. It's not just an Advent calendar or Christmas concert kind of peace. See, a peace that does not rely on forcing everyone to agree or waiting for the world to want to hear it or waiting for people to behave themselves. It's a peace that God speaks regardless of the circumstances.
[00:53:19]
(43 seconds)
#EternalPeaceNotTruce
Those angels that were declaring and celebrating the work of Jesus had seen him reigning and ruling for all of eternity with power unimaginable, and now they saw that power contained inside of a child. When Christmas celebration turns into New Year's resolutions, remember that even though during Christmas the soundtrack of our culture can slip into and out of the tune of God's story for mankind, when Christmas music stops, Christ's message doesn't.
[00:54:38]
(31 seconds)
#ChristBeyondChristmas
When Christmas celebration turns into New Year's resolutions, remember that even though during Christmas the soundtrack of our culture can slip into and out of the tune of God's story for mankind, when Christmas music stops, Christ's message doesn't. So tonight, we're not celebrating a seasonal peace. We're celebrating the arrival of eternal peace. Peace that does not crumble under pressure.
[00:54:50]
(31 seconds)
#EternalPeaceNow
Peace has arrived. Not the kind of peace that pauses conflict for a night, but the kind of peace that carries us through it. Not the kind of peace that lasts for a moment, but the kind that lasts forever. And that peace is not just available to you tonight. It's pursuing you tonight. Even here, even now. If it's true that peace comes when God's promises are real and present in your and my life, here's what I want you to remember.
[00:56:08]
(36 seconds)
#PeacePursuesYou
If it's true that peace comes when God's promises are real and present in your and my life, here's what I want you to remember. Christmas can be the most important thing to you because it centers on what God has done for you. It can be untrue and completely unimportant. But it cannot be sort of important. Don't make Jesus a decoration to your celebration this year.
[00:56:35]
(31 seconds)
#JesusNotDecoration
