Embracing Grace: The True Meaning of Christmas

 

Summary

Christmas is a time to reflect on the profound grace, faith, and praise that define our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate expression of God's grace, a gift that we could never earn or deserve. This grace is not just a seasonal sentiment but a transformative reality that invites us into a deeper relationship with God. The story of Christmas is not about the commercial trappings or the societal pressures that often accompany this time of year. Instead, it is about the divine intervention in human history, where God became flesh to dwell among us, bringing salvation and hope to a broken world.

The narrative of the shepherds in the Gospel of Luke illustrates the inclusivity of God's grace. These shepherds, considered unqualified and despised by society, were chosen to receive the heavenly announcement of Christ's birth. This choice underscores that God's grace qualifies the unqualified, using them to proclaim the good news. The shepherds' response to this divine encounter was one of faith and action. They encouraged one another, sought out the Christ child, and shared their testimony, demonstrating that faith is not passive but active and communal.

Moreover, Christmas is a call to praise. The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all they had witnessed. This response is a model for us, reminding us that when we experience God's grace, our natural reaction should be one of worship and gratitude. The story of Christmas challenges us to be both witnesses and worshipers, sharing the transformative power of Christ's birth with others.

In essence, Christmas is about recognizing the grace of God in the gift of Jesus, responding in faith, and living a life of praise. It is a reminder that God meets us where we are, transforming our lives and calling us to share His love with the world.

Key Takeaways:

1. Christmas is About Grace: The incarnation of Jesus is the ultimate gift of grace, a divine favor that we cannot earn or buy. It is God's prerogative to offer His Son as a gift to humanity, demonstrating His unmerited love and favor. This grace qualifies the unqualified, inviting us into a relationship with God. [11:48]

2. God Meets Us Where We Are: The story of the shepherds shows that God reaches out to those society deems unworthy. He meets us in our brokenness and uses us to share His message. This demonstrates that being valued by God is greater than being valued by men. [21:53]

3. Faith in Action: The shepherds' journey to see Jesus exemplifies faith in action. Their belief moved them to seek out the Savior and share their experience. True faith is not passive; it compels us to act and testify about God's work in our lives. [24:39]

4. The Power of Testimony: Sharing our experiences of God's grace can inspire and encourage others. The shepherds' testimony amazed those who heard it, showing that our stories of faith can have a profound impact on others. [28:30]

5. Praise as a Response to Grace: Experiencing God's grace should lead us to praise and glorify Him. The shepherds returned to their fields with a new disposition, praising God for what they had seen and heard. Our lives should be a testament to God's goodness, filled with worship and gratitude. [39:25]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:01] - Clearing the Clutter
- [02:04] - Reading from Luke
- [04:37] - The True Meaning of Christmas
- [07:44] - The Angel's Message to Mary
- [09:43] - The Possibilities with God
- [11:48] - The Gift of Grace
- [13:29] - The Significance of Jesus' Birth
- [14:58] - The Savior's Purpose
- [16:44] - Oppression and Sin
- [18:41] - God's Grace Qualifies
- [21:53] - Meeting Us Where We Are
- [24:39] - Faith in Action
- [28:30] - The Power of Testimony
- [39:25] - Praise as a Response to Grace

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

- Luke 2:20 (NASB): "The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

- Luke 1:32-33 (NASB): "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

- Micah 5:2 (NASB): "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."

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Observation Questions:

1. What was the shepherds' response after witnessing the birth of Jesus, according to Luke 2:20? How does this reflect their understanding of the event? [02:04]

2. In Luke 1:32-33, what titles and roles are given to Jesus, and how do they connect to Old Testament prophecies? [07:44]

3. How does the sermon describe the significance of the shepherds being chosen to receive the announcement of Jesus' birth? [18:41]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the timing of Jesus' birth and its theological implications? [13:29]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the choice of shepherds as the first witnesses to Jesus' birth illustrate the theme of grace in the sermon? [18:41]

2. What does the sermon imply about the nature of faith through the actions of the shepherds, and how does this relate to the concept of "faith in action"? [24:39]

3. How does the sermon connect the shepherds' experience with the broader message of God's grace and inclusivity? [21:53]

4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the story of Christmas challenges societal values and expectations? [04:37]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt unqualified or undervalued. How can the story of the shepherds encourage you to see yourself through the lens of God's grace? [18:41]

2. The shepherds responded to the angelic message with immediate action. What is one area in your life where you feel called to act on your faith, and what steps can you take this week? [24:39]

3. How can you incorporate praise and gratitude into your daily routine, following the example of the shepherds who glorified God after witnessing Jesus' birth? [39:25]

4. Consider the societal pressures and commercial aspects of Christmas. How can you focus more on the spiritual significance of the season in your personal celebrations? [04:37]

5. The sermon emphasizes the power of testimony. Who is someone in your life that you can share your experience of God's grace with, and how might you approach this conversation? [28:30]

6. How can you be more inclusive and welcoming to those who might feel marginalized or unworthy, reflecting the inclusivity of God's grace shown to the shepherds? [21:53]

7. Identify a specific way you can demonstrate grace to someone in your life this week, inspired by the grace God showed through the birth of Jesus. [40:24]

Devotional

Day 1: The Unmerited Gift of Grace
The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God's grace, a gift that humanity could never earn or deserve. This grace is not a mere seasonal sentiment but a transformative reality that invites individuals into a deeper relationship with God. The story of Christmas is not about commercial trappings or societal pressures but about divine intervention in human history. God became flesh to dwell among us, bringing salvation and hope to a broken world. This grace qualifies the unqualified, inviting everyone into a relationship with God. [11:48]

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." (Titus 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt unworthy of God's love. How can you embrace His grace today, knowing it is a gift you cannot earn?


Day 2: God’s Presence in Our Brokenness
The story of the shepherds in the Gospel of Luke illustrates the inclusivity of God's grace. These shepherds, considered unqualified and despised by society, were chosen to receive the heavenly announcement of Christ's birth. This choice underscores that God's grace qualifies the unqualified, using them to proclaim the good news. God meets us where we are, in our brokenness, and uses us to share His message. Being valued by God is greater than being valued by men. [21:53]

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:18-19, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a moment when you felt overlooked or undervalued. How can you find comfort in knowing that God values you and meets you where you are?


Day 3: Faith That Moves Us
The shepherds' journey to see Jesus exemplifies faith in action. Their belief moved them to seek out the Savior and share their experience. True faith is not passive; it compels individuals to act and testify about God's work in their lives. The shepherds encouraged one another, sought out the Christ child, and shared their testimony, demonstrating that faith is active and communal. [24:39]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror." (James 1:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where your faith has been passive. What is one step you can take today to put your faith into action?


Day 4: The Impact of Sharing Our Stories
Sharing experiences of God's grace can inspire and encourage others. The shepherds' testimony amazed those who heard it, showing that stories of faith can have a profound impact on others. By sharing personal testimonies, individuals can become witnesses to the transformative power of Christ's birth, encouraging others to seek a relationship with God. [28:30]

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul." (Psalm 66:16, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent experience where you witnessed God's grace. How can you share this story with someone who might need encouragement today?


Day 5: Worship as a Response to Grace
Experiencing God's grace should lead individuals to praise and glorify Him. The shepherds returned to their fields with a new disposition, praising God for what they had seen and heard. This response is a model for believers, reminding them that when they experience God's grace, their natural reaction should be one of worship and gratitude. Lives should be a testament to God's goodness, filled with worship and gratitude. [39:25]

"Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent blessing or moment of grace in your life. How can you express your gratitude to God through worship today?

Quotes


The angel of the Lord tells them, do not be afraid because they were bringing good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. For in the city of David, there has been born a savior or the savior who is Christ the Lord. Church, this awesome proclamation directly from heaven, it's dripped with redemptive implications because he was not only a gift towards the Jews, but he was a gift towards you and I. [00:14:58]

The Bible is clear that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And therefore in God's redemptive plan, what God was doing was providing his son, the God-man, as a gift to the world so that you and I can be in a right relationship. Relationship with God to experience eternal life. But it only happened, church, because Jesus Christ stepped down 42 generations, became incarnated so that he can serve on behalf of you and serve on behalf of me. [00:17:12]

God not only provides a gift, but God also, based on this text, made the qualified or made the unqualified qualified. Watch what he does. I love this. I love this because God's grace will always qualify you when you're not qualified. Did you hear what I said? God's grace will always qualify you when you're not qualified. I love this because God uses, here it is, the unqualified to promote a qualified message. [00:18:16]

But what God does, God will meet you right where you are. He met them out in the field, brought down the heavenly host, and they got a taste of what the praise and worship sounds like from heaven. And that's a testimony for all. All of us. God will meet you right where you are. Folks try to tell you you need to come in the house to get cleaned up. You need to stop doing this and stop doing that. Baby, my God is so powerful. He can meet me in the jail. [00:22:53]

God sent an angel where they were, gave them the good news of great joy and allowed them to experience the greatest praise and worship team straight out of heaven. That's what God did. And I know we're trying to figure out, well, why would God do that? It's all because of grace. Church, that's a word. For those of us in the building and those that are watching online, don't allow what here it is. Religious folks say about you or think about you. [00:23:57]

Notice, they encouraged one another in verse 15 to go straight to Bethlehem to see the thing that the Lord had revealed to them. The Bible says, watch it, the shepherds, plural. I'm in your text. Say, let us go straight to Bethlehem then. And see the thing that has happened which the Lord has made known. Now, you have to understand, they are all in the same boat. Because they are all despised people. [00:24:48]

The good news is, is that when you walk by faith, it opens up doors of opportunity for you and I to see the grace of God in our lives so that we can't help but to do the third one. And that is to have faith that testifies. Faith that testifies. Verses 17 through 19. The Bible says that when the shepherds saw baby Jesus, they shared the good news of great joy. [00:28:30]

They are the ones who appreciate grace so much so that they can turn around and be used as instruments of righteousness. In God's hands as a witness of the glory of God about the incarnation of Jesus Christ. I love this because God will always confound the wisdom of the so-called wise by using people, the world and society either despise, ridicule, hate, or have thrown away. [00:32:29]

The pattern is that they heard the good news. They came to Jesus. They believed and then they went witness. If you and I could ever get to a point, because God is still looking for men and women, boys and girls who have been deeply impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we heard the good news. [00:34:24]

Jesus' arrival fulfills God's promise of the Messiah, God's agent of salvation for Israel and for the entire world. The Bible says that after the shepherds saw what they needed to see in baby Jesus, they begin their journey back. I'm in verse 20. They begin their journey back to where they had come from. But y 'all, they left with a new disposition. They left after hearing, they came, and they saw. [00:38:23]

God allowed them to be a witness about Jesus. They brought Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, to the whole entire world, which was all of God's grace. And they found themselves, here it is, the Bible says, giving God glory and praise for all the things that the Lord had allowed them to experience. And church, that's a word that you and I need to take hold within our heart this morning. [00:39:25]

We ought to be guilty, church, of witnessing about the grace of God through the faith of God. That produces. That produces a praise of God. And we ought to be guilty of being both a witness and a worshiper because of what God has done in our life. You see, when you are a recipient of grace, do you know how to demonstrate grace? Did you hear what I said? When you are a recipient of grace, you know how to demonstrate grace. [00:39:50]

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Transcript
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