Sermon Notes 12.24.23
December 21, 2023

” When Darkness Turns to Light”

Upside Down Christmas Series Lesson 4

Sermon Notes

December 24, 2023

I. Introducing The Rest Of The Christmas Story…

A. Christmas Eve is important because it anticipates the coming of the light of the world!

B. The reality is trouble and sorrows don’t take a

! And Christmas takes every emotion and intensifies it.

C. The first Christmas had a “dark side” to it. It was filled with fear and anguish, sorrow, and flight. (Matthew 2:13-18)

  1. This is largely due to the king who

    Christmas! When king Herod heard about the One who had been born “King of the Jews,” Matthew tells us he was ! (Matthew 2:3)

  2. Herod lived by this motto: “Kill the opposition.” Herod comes up with a plan to kill all male children under two in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas.

D. We all want that “perfect” Christmas, but that’s not the story Matthew gives us.

E. Life Group Discussion Question: What’s your reaction to the “darkness” that exists in Matthew’s birth narrative? What is Matthew wanting his readers to see and understand?

II. Living In Darkness & Light…

A. Some of you may be in

this Christmas!

  1. Like Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus, you weren’t planning to be in Egypt this year.

  2. There is some wisdom and peace that can be gained by realizing that even in struggles and hardships, there can be

    !

  3. Sometimes those hard places that we don’t want to be in are, in fact, the places where we need to be in that moment!

  4. Christmas doesn’t explain the existence of evil; rather, the Christmas story invades a world that is infected with darkness and sheds “light” on the only

    !

  5. Life Group Discussion Question: Recall a time when you or your family were in “Egypt.” What was that experience like for you or you and your family? What did you learn from your time in “Egypt?” Were you able to identify any blessings from your time in “Egypt?” If so, what were they?

B . Christmas says it will get

! (Jeremiah 31:16-17)

  1. When Matthew quotes from Jeremiah, he wasn’t just looking to the past; he was also looking to the

    ! So, in the midst of the darkness that had settled over Bethlehem, Matthew breaks in with a reminder of restoration and hope!

  2. Christmas reminds us there is

    in our future because the “One” who came and conquered the grave is coming again! (II Timothy 1:10)

  3. Herod fought Christmas hard; but 2000 years later, it is the child’s kingdom that is still standing!

  4. My word to you is this: Live in the

    of Christmas! The prince of darkness wants you to believe that it doesn’t get any better than this. But light overcomes darkness! And because of that, we can say, it is “well with my soul!”

  5. Life Group Discussion Question: Based on your understanding of Scripture, try to describe what it will be like when the “Perfect One” (Jesus) returns to make everything right. What thoughts and images come to your mind as you reflect on our future?