Christmas: God's Promise and His Visitation to Us

Every December our streets glow and the nativity scenes come out—Joseph, Mary, a manger, even a few penguins if you live in my neighborhood. But Christmas didn’t start in a stable; it started as a promise. Long before trees and lights, God spoke through the prophets: I am coming. If we don’t understand why that promised coming was necessary, it’s easy to celebrate the season and still miss the point.

Malachi spoke to a people who felt faithfulness didn’t “work.” They saw corruption rewarded and concluded obedience was optional. When faith feels unprofitable, we often grab for control—soft forms of witchcraft, shortcuts, or systemic injustice. In Malachi’s day that looked like disposable marriages that left women economically and socially vulnerable. God called it violence. At the same time, worship degraded: blemished sacrifices were offered and accepted. Sincerity alone was treated as enough. But worship reflects what we believe about God. If God is holy, our offerings—now our bodies, lives, and daily choices—must be holy and pleasing.

Historically, that level of corruption should have drawn immediate judgment. But God promised something different: “I will send my messenger… then the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple.” Instead of punishment, presence. John the Baptist arrived in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way, but many missed him because he didn’t match their expectations. And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, they missed God’s visitation for the same reason. They wanted a king without repentance, a savior without surrender, a kingdom without a cross.

God came exactly as promised—but quietly, vulnerably, in a poor family, under suspicion and stigma. Christmas announces that God came near and still comes near. So don’t trade the King for a cultural placeholder—Santa can’t carry the weight of holiness, judgment, or mercy. Joy to the world makes sense only if the Lord has come and every heart prepares Him room. That means dethroning whatever rules our inner life and receiving Jesus as King—not merely as a seasonal story, but as the One whose presence reorders our worship, our integrity, our relationships, and our hope.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Christmas began as God’s promise Christmas does not start with a manger; it starts with God saying, “I am coming.” That shifts Christmas from nostalgia to anticipation rooted in God’s faithfulness. It anchors our hope not in circumstances but in a God who keeps His word. Advent is learning to wait for a promise that has already started to come true. [29:08]
• 2. Faithfulness when unprofitable still matters When obedience seems to “lose,” the temptation is to grab control or compromise. But faithfulness is not a transaction; it is allegiance to a trustworthy King. Choosing integrity in a crooked world is how we refuse rival powers. Waiting with clean hands is itself an act of worship. [35:05]
• 3. Corrupt worship misrepresents God’s character What we bring to God tells the world what we believe about Him. Half-hearted offerings preach a small, flexible deity; holy, embodied worship declares a great King. Our lives from Monday to Saturday are the liturgy unbelievers read. Offer what reflects His worth. [48:02]
• 4. God chose presence over punishment When judgment seemed overdue, God promised to come Himself. Presence doesn’t ignore sin; it heals, refines, and reconciles. Christmas is God moving toward us when running away would have been justified. That nearness is both comfort and summons. [52:30]
• 5. Don’t miss God’s quiet visitation Many missed John and Jesus because they didn’t fit their scripts. God often fulfills His word in ways that humble our assumptions and invite repentance. Look for the King where vulnerability and holiness meet. Receive Him, not merely admire Him. [62:45]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [27:51] - Lights, nativity, and missing it
• [29:08] - Christmas began as a promise
• [32:31] - When faith seems unprofitable
• [36:21] - Control without God: witchcraft
• [38:07] - Divorce as systemic violence
• [41:49] - Old Testament worship explained
• [43:51] - Substandard offerings and lowered standards
• [46:29] - Living sacrifices vs. mere sincerity
• [48:02] - Worship and God’s reputation
• [50:32] - Presence over punishment: Malachi 3:1
• [55:12] - John the Baptist: Elijah’s mantle
• [62:45] - Jerusalem misses God’s visitation
• [63:52] - The vulnerable King we didn’t expect
• [66:23] - Not Santa—receive your King

1. What complaint do the people make about serving God in Malachi 3:13–15, and how does that complaint show up in everyday attitudes about faithfulness? [32:58]
2. What concrete forms of social and religious corruption are named from Malachi’s day (examples: divorce as violence, low‑quality sacrifices)? How did each one make people vulnerable or misrepresent God? [38:07]
3. Who is the “messenger” promised in Malachi 3:1, and what description connects that messenger to the ministry of John the Baptist? [55:12]
4. How is worship redefined from animal offerings to living sacrifices in light of Romans 12:1 and the sermon’s explanation? [46:29]

1. How does offering “substandard sacrifices” function theologically as a statement about God’s worth and reputation among the nations? [44:26]
2. What does the promise “I will send my messenger… then the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple” indicate about God’s chosen response to corruption — presence rather than immediate destruction — and why might that be surprising in the Old Testament narrative? [50:32]
3. Why were John the Baptist and Jesus missed by many people, and what does that reveal about how expectations can distort recognition of God’s work? [01:02:45]
4. In what way does the call to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” change the community’s understanding of weekday behavior and Sunday worship as part of one continuous liturgy? [46:29]

1. Faithfulness matters even when it seems unprofitable. Where in your life are you tempted to treat obedience as optional because others prosper by cutting corners? What is one concrete step you can take this week to choose integrity instead? [35:05]
2. Worship reflects what is believed about God. Where might you be offering “substandard” worship (work, relationships, time, money, sexual integrity)? What small, specific change could make that offering more holy and pleasing? [44:26]
3. When anxious about the future, some turn to control‑seeking practices (fortune telling, quick fixes, alliances) instead of trusting God. Have you ever sought control outside of God’s means? What would trusting God look like instead in that situation? [36:21]
4. The King must have the throne of the heart. What presently occupies the center of your heart’s throne (work, spouse, comfort, status, fear)? What is one tangible way you will make room for Christ to rule there? [01:09:47]
5. God chose presence over punishment in Malachi’s promise. How does that change the way you respond to brokenness around you (personal sin, church failure, social injustice)? Name one practical way you can be an agent of God’s healing presence this season. [50:32]
6. The messenger prepared the way but was overlooked because people had the wrong script. What assumptions about how God "should" act might make you miss his work today? How can you cultivate a posture of watching for God where vulnerability and holiness meet? [55:12]