The Wonder of Christmas: God's Love and Peace
Summary
The Christmas season is a time of wonder, a period filled with awe and amazement at the miraculous works of God. This wonder is not just about the festive decorations, songs, or even the gift-giving, but it is deeply rooted in the story of Jesus Christ's birth. This story is a testament to God's love and His divine plan for humanity. The Christmas narrative, as told in the Bible, is filled with moments that evoke a sense of wonder, from the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary, to Joseph's dream, to the shepherds' encounter with the heavenly host, and the journey of the wise men. Each of these events highlights the miraculous and incomprehensible nature of God's plan.
The story of Christmas is a reminder of God's jealous passion for us, His desire to bridge the gap between humanity and Himself. This passion is evident in the prophecy of Isaiah, which speaks of the coming Messiah as the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each of these titles reveals a different aspect of Jesus' divine nature and His purpose in coming to earth. As the Wonderful Counselor, He offers divine wisdom; as the Mighty God, He possesses limitless power; as the Everlasting Father, He is eternally present; and as the Prince of Peace, He brings reconciliation between God and humanity.
The wonder of Christmas is not just in the story itself but in the personal transformation it offers. Through Jesus, we are invited to experience peace with God, a peace that surpasses all understanding and assures us of our eternal destiny. This peace is not earned by our works but is a gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. As we reflect on the Christmas story, may our sense of wonder grow, and may we be reminded of God's incredible love and the lengths He went to save us.
Key Takeaways:
- The Christmas story is a testament to God's miraculous works and His divine plan for humanity. It is filled with moments of wonder that remind us of God's love and His desire to be in relationship with us. [46:16]
- God's jealous passion for us is evident in the prophecy of Isaiah, which speaks of the coming Messiah as the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each title reveals a different aspect of Jesus' divine nature and purpose. [59:52]
- The wonder of Christmas is not just in the story itself but in the personal transformation it offers. Through Jesus, we are invited to experience peace with God, a peace that assures us of our eternal destiny. [01:09:25]
- This peace is not earned by our works but is a gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of God's incredible love and the lengths He went to save us. [01:11:16]
- As we reflect on the Christmas story, may our sense of wonder grow, and may we be reminded of God's miraculous interventions and His love for us. This season, let us embrace the wonder of Christmas and the peace it brings. [01:12:10]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Christmas Eve Services
[03:00] - The Most Wonderful Time
[05:30] - A Time of Hope
[08:15] - Passing Faith Through Traditions
[12:00] - Celebrating God's Faithfulness
[15:45] - Unexpected Blessings
[20:00] - God's Bigger Plan
[25:00] - The Season of Wonder
[30:00] - Mary's Encounter with the Angel
[35:00] - Joseph's Revelation
[40:00] - The Journey to Bethlehem
[45:00] - The Shepherds' Announcement
[50:00] - The Wise Men's Journey
[55:00] - The Prophecy of Isaiah
[01:00:00] - The Names of the Messiah
[01:05:00] - Experiencing God's Peace
[01:10:00] - Invitation to Know Jesus
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Wonder of Christmas
Bible Reading:
1. Luke 1:26-38 - The Annunciation to Mary
2. Isaiah 9:6-7 - Prophecy of the Messiah
3. Romans 5:1 - Peace with God through Jesus Christ
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Observation Questions:
1. What was Mary's initial reaction to the angel Gabriel's announcement, and how did she respond to the message? ([47:39])
2. How did Joseph's perspective change after his encounter with the angel, and what does this reveal about his character? ([52:33])
3. What are the four titles given to the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6, and what do they signify about Jesus' nature and mission? ([59:52])
4. How does the sermon describe the journey of the wise men, and what does their story add to the wonder of the Christmas narrative? ([57:59])
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 reflect God's "jealous passion" for humanity, and why is this significant for understanding the Christmas story? ([59:52])
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the Christmas story offers personal transformation and peace with God? ([01:09:25])
3. How does the concept of Jesus as the "Prince of Peace" challenge or affirm your understanding of peace in your life? ([01:07:40])
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of faith in experiencing the wonder and peace of Christmas? ([01:11:16])
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced a sense of wonder during the Christmas season. How can you cultivate that sense of wonder this year by focusing on the story of Jesus' birth? ([46:16])
2. The sermon highlights God's miraculous interventions in the Christmas story. Can you identify a moment in your life where you felt God's intervention? How did it impact your faith? ([01:12:10])
3. Considering the prophecy of Isaiah, which aspect of Jesus' nature (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) do you feel most drawn to, and why? How can this shape your spiritual journey this season? ([59:52])
4. The sermon emphasizes peace with God as a gift of grace. How can you embrace this peace in your daily life, especially in moments of stress or uncertainty? ([01:09:25])
5. How can you share the wonder of the Christmas story with others in your community or family this season? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate God's love and peace? ([01:12:10])
6. Reflect on the idea of God's "jealous passion" for you. How does this understanding influence your relationship with God and your commitment to Him? ([59:52])
7. The sermon invites us to experience personal transformation through Jesus. What is one area of your life where you desire transformation, and how can you invite Jesus into that process? ([01:09:25])
Devotional
Day 1: The Miraculous Wonder of God's Plan
The Christmas story is a profound testament to the miraculous works of God and His divine plan for humanity. It is a narrative filled with awe-inspiring moments that remind us of God's immense love and His desire to be in a relationship with us. From the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary, to Joseph's dream, to the shepherds' encounter with the heavenly host, and the journey of the wise men, each event highlights the miraculous and incomprehensible nature of God's plan. These moments are not just historical events but are meant to evoke a sense of wonder and amazement in us, drawing us closer to the heart of God. As we reflect on these events, we are invited to see the world through the lens of God's miraculous interventions and His unwavering love for us. [46:16]
Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV): "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."
Reflection: Think of a moment in your life where you have witnessed or experienced something that felt miraculous or beyond comprehension. How did it change your perspective on God's presence and plan in your life?
Day 2: The Divine Nature of the Messiah
God's jealous passion for humanity is vividly expressed in the prophecy of Isaiah, which speaks of the coming Messiah as the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each of these titles reveals a different aspect of Jesus' divine nature and His purpose in coming to earth. As the Wonderful Counselor, He offers divine wisdom to guide us; as the Mighty God, He possesses limitless power to save and protect us; as the Everlasting Father, He is eternally present, offering us a sense of belonging and security; and as the Prince of Peace, He brings reconciliation between God and humanity. These titles are not just names but are a reflection of the multifaceted nature of Jesus and His mission to restore and redeem us. [59:52]
Colossians 1:15-17 (ESV): "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Reflection: Which aspect of Jesus' divine nature (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) do you feel most drawn to in this season of your life? How can you invite Him to work in that area today?
Day 3: The Transformative Power of Christmas
The wonder of Christmas is not just in the story itself but in the personal transformation it offers. Through Jesus, we are invited to experience peace with God, a peace that surpasses all understanding and assures us of our eternal destiny. This peace is not something we can earn through our works but is a gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. As we embrace this peace, we are transformed from the inside out, becoming more like Christ in our thoughts, actions, and relationships. The Christmas story is a reminder of the incredible love of God and the lengths He went to save us, inviting us into a life of peace and purpose. [01:09:25]
Ephesians 2:13-14 (ESV): "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to experience the peace of Christ today? What steps can you take to open your heart to His transformative power?
Day 4: The Gift of Grace
The peace that Christmas offers is not earned by our works but is a gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. This grace is a reminder of God's incredible love and the lengths He went to save us. It is an invitation to rest in the assurance of our eternal destiny and to live a life that reflects the love and grace we have received. As we reflect on the Christmas story, may we be reminded of the depth of God's love and the gift of grace that is available to us through Jesus. This season, let us embrace the wonder of Christmas and the peace it brings, allowing it to transform our hearts and lives. [01:11:16]
Titus 3:4-7 (ESV): "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Reflection: How can you actively rest in the grace of God today, knowing that it is not earned but freely given? What changes might this perspective bring to your daily life and interactions with others?
Day 5: Embracing the Wonder of Christmas
As we reflect on the Christmas story, may our sense of wonder grow, and may we be reminded of God's miraculous interventions and His love for us. This season, let us embrace the wonder of Christmas and the peace it brings. The story of Jesus' birth is not just a historical event but a living narrative that invites us to experience the wonder of God's love and the transformative power of His grace. As we journey through this season, may we open our hearts to the wonder of Christmas, allowing it to deepen our faith and draw us closer to the heart of God. [01:12:10]
Psalm 40:5 (ESV): "You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for God's work in your life? How can you share this wonder with others during the Christmas season?
Quotes
"We are in this series called Christmas Time, and this is what we've been looking at, that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, right? And so there's a lot of different reasons for that. We've discovered that it's not just one thing. It's a whole bunch of different things. It's the songs of the season. It's the decorations of the season. It's the memories of Christmas. It's past. It's the gift giving. Like Pastor Becky was just talking about, the giving and the receiving of gifts. And then we've also been focusing on some very specific reasons why we believe that this is the most wonderful time of the year because it's a time of hope, right? This season reminds us that we have a hope because Jesus came to be our Savior, and that understanding, that knowledge is an anchor for our souls, that we just know, we know. We just have this confidence that we have this hope in Jesus that we are going to spend our eternity with him in heaven because we've been given this hope." [00:37:41] (50 seconds)
"We were thinking, man, we're going to help build. We're going to help rebuild three orphanages. And God said, no, you're going to help do a whole lot more. I've got something even bigger in mind that you don't even realize that you don't even understand. And church, I want to thank you for being faithful. I want to thank you for giving generously. Because God has something so much bigger in mind. That total is amazing. It just blows my mind. And so I want you to know that I reached out to the missionary after I realized how much came in. I said, hey, just, I didn't tell him how much. I said. We got a little bit more than what we thought." [00:42:46] (37 seconds)
"And on top of that, every one of those kids that we're helping to rebuild, in fact, can you flash the pictures up? I want you to know we've already sent the money. They've already started rebuilding these orphanages. All right? The work has already begun because of your faithfulness. Okay? And so things are already happening. But all these kids that lost their homes, these orphanages, not only did they lose their homes, but they lost all their possessions. And so none of these kids have blankets. They're heading into the... They're cold season. And so we're buying every one of the kids in those four orphanages blankets this year for Christmas. They're all getting new clothes this year for Christmas." [00:43:29] (37 seconds)
"It's just that look in their eyes and they're like, oh my God, if we're gonna define it, that word wonder, it means a feeling of surprise, amazement, something that is incomprehensible, meaning I can't even begin to comprehend, I can't even begin to get my mind around it and it's due to the miraculous works of God. When we talk about wonder, we're talking about things that God is up to, that God is doing that we can't even begin to understand, we can't even begin to see. It is so amazing that our minds can't even make sense of it. We can't even make sense of what God is up to. I want you to understand that that's really what the Christmas story is all about." [00:45:24] (38 seconds)
"But if your perspective of Christmas is the real story of Christmas, the story of Jesus, the story of God loving the world and sending his son to come and be our savior and then you begin to look at the story of his coming, his birth, your sense of wonder about Christmas will grow and grow and grow and the more you study, the more you research, the more you come to understand, the more your sense of wonder will grow. Every year, your sense of wonder in regards to Christmas could get bigger and bigger and bigger. It's all a matter of perspective." [00:46:57] (34 seconds)
"Mary, this young woman, who's engaged to be married to Joseph in the middle of the night has an angel. The Bible tells us this is Gabriel. Gabriel shows up and says, Mary, I got great news for you. Now, just stop right there. That in and of itself. See, we just read the Christmas story. Oh yeah, the angel showed up and talked to Mary. An angel showed up. When's the last time you had an angel show up in your bedroom? Probably hasn't happened. And if it did, it wouldn't be yet. Oh yeah. It would mark your life from that moment on, right? The sense of wonder that God would send an angel to talk to you and then to give you a message like he gave Mary. You're highly favored, God's blessed you." [00:47:51] (53 seconds)
"Isaiah in chapter 9, he's talking about, he's prophetically talking about the Messiah coming. And he makes this statement that the zeal of God will make this happen. This story that we're just quickly looking over this morning, it's God's zeal that will make it happen. And I started looking at that. And you know, we think of zeal to be his excitement or his passion, right? That it's going to make it happen. And I'm like, but it's even more than that. I looked up that word zeal. the zeal of God and the word that's actually used in the Hebrew word it means a jealous passion." [01:00:21] (39 seconds)
"understand what this is saying it's saying this Christmas story and all the wonders that it holds it all takes place because of God's jealous passion for you he's a jealous God he loves you with a jealousy because he doesn't want anyone or anything to come between you and him and he loves you so much that he's willing to put this story together if you will and it doesn't matter how crazy it sounds or how far fetched it sounds he's a God of wonders and he will do whatever he has to do to make a way possible for you and I to be saved and he's so so jealously passionate about you and about me that he will do miracle after miracle after miracle to make it happen that's what Isaiah is saying it's the jealous passion of God that's going to bring the coming of the Messiah to pass" [01:00:58] (64 seconds)
"Jesus came, the scripture tells us, to seek and to save those that were lost. He came for us, to seek us. and to save us. He came to be our Savior. And the reason why that is so significant is because of what Romans chapter 5 talks about. If you read Romans chapter 5, you'll see that in this passage it talks about how because of our sin, and every one of us, by the way, has sinned. We've all done things that are wrong. Not one of us in this room, not one of us on the planet is perfect. Perfect. And scripture tells us here in Romans 5 that that sin causes us to be enemies with God." [01:07:49] (45 seconds)
"But thanks to God, we're not enemies. We're not enemies. We're not enemies. Thanks to Jesus, he came to be the Prince of Peace. And look what Romans chapter 5 verse 1 says. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith. Stop right there. Justified through faith. That means when you've put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, he came to be our Savior. So if you put your faith in it, meaning I believe that you came. I believe that you lived a sinless life. I believe that you were crucified on a cross. You suffered. You bled. You died. You gave your life. And in doing so, you paid the price. For my sin." [01:08:48] (33 seconds)
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