Christmas in the Light - John 3:16-21
November 29, 2023

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Christmas in the Light

John 3:16-21
Darrin Mariott, Lead Pastor

Big Idea: The wonder of Christmas is best seen in the light of God’s love revealed in Messiah Jesus.

I. Christmas in the Shadows (vv. 18-20)
John 3:16-21
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

A. For many people, Christmas is all about gifts, family, and food. All good things, to be sure. But it also leaves out the most important element: Jesus Christ. Leaving Messiah Jesus out of our Christmas celebrations leaves us hungering for the very thing we need most and ultimately misses the point.

B. Why leave Christ out of Christmas? John reveals here that it’s because people are uncomfortable with their sins being exposed by the light of Jesus’s righteous character and call (vv. 19-20).

C. Christmas in the shadows is when we have all the trappings of Christmas but miss the heart of the holiday: God’s love for the world revealed in the coming of Jesus Christ (vv. 16-17).

II. Christmas in the Light (vv. 16-21)

A. Christmas in the light still includes gifts, family, and food. But when seen in the light of Messiah Jesus, the substance of Christmas is clearly revealed as we see:

1. Christ is our gift – Jesus reveals the most important gift of all, the gift of salvation (v. 16).

2. Christ ushers us into God’s family – Thanks to Jesus, we who put our trust in Him are adopted into God’s family (cf. Eph. 1:3-6; Gal. 4:4-7).
Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

3. Christ is our true sustenance – Christ offers us spiritual food and drink that truly satisfies (cf. Jn. 4:14; 6:51).
John 4:14
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 6:51
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

4. Christ is our most profound example – God’s generous grace is best revealed in Messiah Jesus (cf. Acts 20:35).
Acts 20:35
35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

B. All of this is made possible because of God’s great love and grace (vv. 16-17). Christmas in the light is when we celebrate this most holy day with worship and thankfulness to God for His overwhelming gift of eternal life given by grace, through faith, in Messiah Jesus.