UNWRAPPING CHRISTMAS

Christmas series – Dec. 7, 2008 – Jan. 4, 2009

Most everyone loves to unwrap Christmas presents. Some of us unwrap gifts slowly with great precision while others simply tear at the wrapping wanting to get to what’s inside as quickly as possible. No matter what your style, it is the anticipation created as the gift sits under the tree, the expectation that comes in the unwrapping of the gift and the final revelation of the gift, and then the enjoyment of the gift that combine to create a unique experience all in the simple act of unwrapping a gift.

Have you ever taken the time to “unwrap Christmas”?

Jesus came as the incarnation of the good news that God loves His creation. He is the embodiment of His redemption plan for all of creation. He was given (Isaiah 9:6) to mankind by the Father (John 3:16) and we celebrate the gift and the giving of it.

Jesus did not come to simply give mankind what we wanted, to be a cosmic Santa Claus to offer us “life improvement”. Rather He came to be what we needed and to offer Himself as the atoning sacrifice. The good news is that He came and thus there is real hope, real love, real peace, real joy and real grace in this gift from God.

In this series “Unwrapping Christmas”, we will focus on the gifts given in the incarnation of Jesus: Hope, Love, Peace, Joy and Grace.

We will contrast the ways that mankind seeks hope, love, peace, joy and grace in our own strength apart from God, which is irreligion AND the ways that mankind seeks hope, love, peace, joy and grace in relationship with God BUT apart from the Gospel, which is then just empty religion.

As we “unwrap Christmas” our key focus will be to always point to how Jesus and the Gospel is the source of true Hope, Love, Peace, Joy and Grace, and how irreligion and religion when unwrapped are simply empty presents.

So enter into the anticipation and expectation of this season as we “unwrap Christmas” and discover afresh the greatest gift mankind has even received!