Overview

1. Jesus—the true gift of Christmas
2. The Son of God came down and sought us out
3. Jesus stooped down not to judge, but to save and restore
4. We have been redeemed through the gift of God’s Son

Jesus—the true gift of Christmas

As a young boy, Pastor Prince associated Christmas with the joy of receiving gifts. It was only until one memorable year, when he attended a Christmas service with his mother, that he realized what the true gift of Christmas was . . . As he stepped into the church, the congregation was singing Silent Night, and it was at that moment Pastor Prince encountered the real, tangible presence of God for the first time—an experience that profoundly touched his heart.

Just as Pastor Prince encountered the presence of God during that Christmas service, we too can experience His presence in a real, tangible way this Christmas!

This season, as we gather with loved ones around the tree and delight in the gifts laid beneath it, let’s take a moment to remember the greatest gift of all: the person of our Lord Jesus.

This verse reminds us of the depth of God’s love for us. He didn’t just give us a gift; He gave us the most precious gift of all.

Beloved, if you’re going through a difficult situation or a challenging time this season, know that there is someone who knows you intimately and sees what you’re going through. The Lord knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). He keeps track of all your sorrows, puts your tears in His bottle (Ps. 56:8), and promises to bind up your wounds (Ps. 147:3). No matter what you’re going through this season, His love and presence is with you.

The Son of God came down and sought us out

One of the most beautiful aspects of Christmas is that it shows us how God doesn’t just love us from a distance. Instead, He draws near to us, so close that His very name is Immanuel—God with us.

While the law was given through Moses, who was a servant of God, grace and truth came personally through our Lord Jesus, the Son of God. Notice the profound difference in wording: The law was given, but grace and truth came.

The law was given from a distance, like a parcel sent from afar through a postal service. But grace and truth came in person, meeting us right where we are—a picture of intimacy and closeness.

Many people have the idea that they are the ones searching for God, but the reality is quite the opposite. In truth, we are the ones who were lost, and it is God who came searching for us.

Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way.” Yet, the Bible tells the story of a shepherd who, upon losing one sheep, was willing to leave the ninety-nine to search for the one (Luke 15:3–6). Rather than cutting his losses and letting that one sheep go, he chose to pursue it. And when the shepherd found this sheep, he lovingly laid it on his shoulders and invited his friends to rejoice and celebrate!

This beautiful story is a picture of Jesus, our good Shepherd, who came to seek and save the lost. It was not the sheep who found the shepherd, but the shepherd who sought out and found the sheep.

In today’s world, no shepherd would take such a risk. Some shepherds might even break a sheep’s leg to teach it a lesson and ensure that it never strays again. But Jesus, our good Shepherd, is described in Psalm 23 as the shepherd who loves and tenderly cares for us. He is the Shepherd who “makes us lie down in green pastures” and “leads us beside still waters.”

Some of us may be feeling angry, stressed, or worn out this season. Without even realizing it, fears and anxieties may be occupying our hearts and weighing us down. The condition of our soul—the unrest we feel on the inside—affects how we behave and interact with those around us. But here’s the good news: the Lord promises to restore our soul (Ps 23:3). Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, our good Shepherd lovingly restores us to wholeness.

The Lord’s care extends especially to us in our weakest moments:

When we are weak, weary, or overwhelmed, He doesn’t leave us in our struggles. Instead, He gathers us in His arms and carries us close to His heart.

Through the parable of the lost sheep and Psalm 23, we see the heart of Jesus, our Shepherd who tenderly cares for us, seeks us out when we are lost, and brings us back to safety. This is the kind of Shepherd He is—one who values every individual and rejoices when even one of us is found!

Jesus stooped down not to judge, but to save and restore

This season also serves as a powerful reminder of God’s love in action and His heart to save and restore us through His Son.

Let’s take a look at a story in John 8, which beautifully illustrates how Jesus brought grace and truth, rather than judgment and condemnation, to a woman caught in adultery.

The Pharisees, known for their pride in keeping the law, had brought the woman before Jesus as He was teaching in the temple. Their intention was clearly not to uphold God’s law. According to the law, both parties involved in adultery were to be punished, yet they had only brought forward the woman. This revealed their hypocrisy and their true motive: to trap Jesus and undermine His authority.

The Pharisees believed that they had backed Jesus into a corner. If He said, “Stone her,” they would most likely have challenged Him and asked, “What happened to Your message of grace?” If He said, “Don’t stone her,” they could accuse Him of breaking Moses’ law.

Jesus’ response revealed both His wisdom and His heart of grace. Instead of answering directly, He stooped down and began to write on the ground with His finger. Then, He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

The ground in the temple courts was made of stone, reminiscent of the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God (Exod. 31:18). By writing on the stone, Jesus was effectively declaring His authority over the law: “You presume to teach Me about the law of Moses? I am the One who gave the law.”

And yet, the One who gave the law did not use it to condemn the woman! Instead, Jesus chose to extend grace and said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

On that day, Jesus stooped down—just as He stooped from heaven and came down to earth to save us. He didn’t come to condemn the world; He came so that the world through Him might be saved.

Under the old covenant, the relationship between God and His people was conditional. Obedience brought blessings, while disobedience brought curses. The law also placed the focus on man’s ability to perform (“You shall not . . .”) while exposing man’s inability to meet God’s perfect standard. Like telling someone not to think about a pink elephant, which ironically causes them to think of it, the law stirred up the very desires it sought to restrain (1 Cor. 15:56).

Does this mean the law is flawed? Not at all! The law is righteous, perfect, and holy—but it cannot make us righteous, perfect, or holy. Its purpose was to bring us to the end of ourselves and reveal our need for a Savior.

This is why Christmas is so significant! Knowing that we could never fulfill the righteous requirements of God’s law, our heavenly Father sent His Son and gave Him up for us so that we might be saved.

We have been redeemed through the gift of God’s Son

Through His perfect life and sacrificial death, our Lord Jesus fulfilled every requirement of the law on our behalf and redeemed us. At the cross, a divine exchange took place—He took our sin and gave us His righteousness, reconciling us to God forever.

Under the old covenant, when an individual sinned, they were required to bring a spotless lamb to the priest as an offering (Lev. 4:1–4). This lamb, without blemish, represented innocence and perfection. The priest’s focus was not on the sinner but on the lamb because it was the worthiness of the sacrifice that mattered, not the sinner.

As the sinner laid their hands on the head of the lamb, a divine exchange took place. The innocence and purity of the lamb were imputed to the sinner, while the lamb bore the guilt and punishment of the sinner’s transgressions. Once the lamb was sacrificed, the individual walked away forgiven, with God’s favor and blessings upon them—until the next time they sinned.

This system, while imperfect, pointed to what Jesus would one day do for us at the cross. Jesus is the only baby ever sent to this earth born to die as our sin offering. Even the manger He laid in—made of stone—was a picture of a place of burial, foreshadowing His destiny as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

At the cross, the ultimate divine exchange took place. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of the Lord in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Unlike the sacrifices under the old covenant, Jesus’ blood does not merely cover sin—it washes sin away entirely, making us whiter than snow.

At the cross, Jesus also bore our infirmities and diseases, and through His suffering, we can receive health and complete well-being for our bodies (Isa. 53:5). He was forsaken, crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that today, we can cry out in gratitude, “My Father, my Father, why have you so blessed me?”

Beloved, this is the true message of Christmas: God sent His Son not to give us another set of rules to follow, but to be our righteousness. Our Lord Jesus came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves!

Through this gift of the Son, we have been redeemed, restored, and reconciled to God. Today, we can enjoy the blessings of the new covenant, which is established on God’s promises rather than our performance.

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas, let us remember that our celebration is incomplete without acknowledging that He is alive today, resurrected, and seated at the Father’s right hand. May this truth fill our hearts with hope and joy, knowing that because He lives, we shall live also (John 14:19)!

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These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.