What It Could Be l 25 December 2025 l Pastor Jeremy Govender

Christmas joy is not sentiment or “magic”; it is the joy of Jesus entering a broken world and a broken life. The story of Bethlehem is tender and beautiful, but it is also gritty and real—Mary’s vulnerability, Joseph’s risk, doors closed in Bethlehem, danger from Herod, and yet heaven breaking in among ordinary people. That child in a manger is not simply a reason for a holiday; he is the reason anyone can be saved. Christmas is the beginning of redemption. It is the first light of a dawn that runs through a cross and an empty tomb, giving sinners a second birth and opening eternity.

Yet real life does not pause for holidays. Grief sits at crowded tables. Tensions surface. Some smile while carrying quiet pain. Into that mix comes the question Jesus asked a man who had waited thirty-eight years by the pool of Bethesda: Do you want to be made whole? The longer trouble lasts, the easier it is to stop hoping. But hope can live again with a simple surrender: Yes, Lord, I do. Jesus is not one more option in a long line; he is the Lord who doesn’t wait for stirred water. He speaks, and the lame stand.

“Give us this day our daily bread” is not just a line to recite; it is a way to live. As God fed Israel with manna for forty years, so Jesus, the Bread of Life, sustains hearts through the wilderness of ordinary days. Grace arrives on time—enough for today, and tomorrow will have its own supply. So why not make every day like December 25—waking up to the news that Jesus has entered the situation again, that he walks with his people and will lead them all the way to promise?

Imagine what can be when Jesus is welcomed into every need: the One who conquered sin, death, and the grave can heal a body, restore a marriage, free an addict, and provide where there is lack. Strip away the trimmings and traditions if you must. Give only Jesus, and there is still a reason to celebrate—because he is enough, and he changes everything.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Keep Jesus central amid real life. When family tensions flare and grief visits joyful rooms, stability and peace come from keeping Jesus at the center. Not tradition, not nostalgia—Jesus. He anchors the heart when circumstances waver and joy feels thin. He is why hope endures through imperfect celebrations. [39:05]
• 2. Christmas launches our redemption story. Bethlehem is the opening chapter of a rescue that runs through Golgotha and the garden tomb. The manger announces a Savior who will purchase a second birth and an everlasting hope. Joy at Christmas is bigger than a birthday; it is the beginning of a new creation in broken people. [42:28]
• 3. Dare to hope and say, “Yes, Lord.” Long disappointment can teach the soul to stop expecting anything to change. Jesus meets people who have waited decades and asks for a fresh, simple surrender. He does not need “stirred waters”—he is Lord over them. Risk the vulnerability of faith again. [47:38]
• 4. Receive daily bread in the wilderness. God’s pattern has not changed: enough grace for today, and fresh supply tomorrow. Jesus, the Bread of Life, sustains through the routine and the raw places, not just the mountaintops. Pray and live one day at a time, and you will find his mercy has kept you more than you knew. [50:23]
• 5. Imagine what can be with Jesus. When Jesus steps in, the game turns—sinners become saints, despair gives way to promise. The One who defeated death is not stumped by debt, disease, or division. Welcome him into the need you fear most; his power reframes what seems impossible. [55:54]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [36:30] - The raw and real nativity
• [39:05] - Not magic—Jesus is our joy
• [42:28] - Christmas as the start of redemption
• [45:30] - When you’ve watched others get theirs
• [47:38] - Do you want to be made whole?
• [50:23] - Daily bread and manna parallels
• [53:30] - Sustained by grace one day at a time
• [55:54] - Imagine what can be with Jesus
• [58:46] - Only Jesus: a Christmas confession

1. In Matthew 6:9-13, what is the order of the requests Jesus teaches us to pray? Where does “Give us this day our daily bread” sit in that order, and what does that placement highlight?
2. Which “raw and real” details of the nativity were named (Mary’s vulnerability, Joseph’s risk, no room in the inn, Herod’s threat), and why do these matter for how we understand Christmas? [36:30]
3. What exact question did Jesus ask the man at the pool of Bethesda, and how long had the man suffered? [47:38]
4. What parallels were drawn between Israel’s manna in the wilderness and praying “Give us this day our daily bread”? [50:23]

1. What does the placement of “daily bread” after God’s name, kingdom, and will suggest about how God cares for everyday needs without making those needs the center of our lives?
2. Why would Jesus ask, “Do you want to be made whole?” to someone who has suffered a long time? What does prolonged disappointment do to desire and hope? [45:30]
3. If Christmas is the beginning of redemption that runs through the cross and the empty tomb, how does that enlarge joy even when grief sits at the table? [42:28]
4. What would it mean to live as if every day were December 25—waking to the news that Jesus has entered the situation—especially in light of God’s “enough for today” manna pattern? [53:30]

1. When tensions flare or someone offends you, what is one simple way you will keep Jesus at the center (a breath prayer, stepping aside to pray the Lord’s Prayer, a quick apology)? Be specific about what you’ll do and when. [39:05]
2. Where have you quietly stopped expecting change (health, marriage, addiction, finances)? What would “Yes, Lord, I do” look like in that area this week—what small step of surrender will you take? [47:38]
3. In what area are you trying to stockpile tomorrow’s manna today? Name one place you will practice “enough for today,” and one daily rhythm you’ll adopt to receive grace one day at a time (e.g., praying Matthew 6:9-13 each morning, gratitude at meals, an end-of-day examen). [50:23]
4. Who around you feels “stuck by the pool” and needs someone to carry them closer to help? What concrete step will you take in the next 48 hours to be Jesus’ hands and feet? [47:38]
5. Imagine what can be: identify one “impossible” situation you face. What could be different if Jesus stepped in? What faith action will you take that matches that vision (call the counselor, confess to a trusted friend, schedule the doctor, ask for prayer, start a budget)? [55:54]
6. Is there any tradition or habit that distracts you from Christ rather than points you to him? What will you strip back this week to make room for “only Jesus”? [58:46]
7. Think back to a time you truly “had nothing,” yet you were carried. What specific mercy sustained you then, and how will you mark that memory (journal it, share a testimony, set a reminder) so you remember it next time scarcity hits? [53:30]