Scripture referenced 14 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
-
John 8:12 quoted twice: Jesus declares himself the light of the world, whoever follows him will not walk in darkness
12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Isaiah 7:14
virgin will be with child and bear a son named Emmanuel, spoken as prophecy from 700 years before Christ
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Isaiah 9:6-7
a child will be born, son given, government on his shoulders, names including Prince of Peace, throne of David
6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Micah 5:2
Bethlehem named as the place from which a ruler over Israel would come forth
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 1:18-24
Joseph and Mary's betrothal, angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, naming of Jesus
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Luke 2:1-20
census decree, journey to Bethlehem, birth in a manger, angels appearing to shepherds, shepherds visiting the child
1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
2 This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”
13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.
17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.
18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 2:1-11
Magi arriving from the East, Herod's inquiry, the star leading to the child, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
2 “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.
5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
6 ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”
9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Galatians 4:4-5
when the fullness of time had come God sent his son born of a woman to redeem those under the law so we might receive adoption as sons
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
2 Corinthians 8:9
though Christ was rich yet for our sake he became poor so that through his poverty we might become rich
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
John 3:16
so that whoever puts their trust in Jesus won't perish but will have everlasting life
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus who died so we might live
9 For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
1 John 1:5
the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish or overcome it
5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
John 1:12
all who believe and receive him he gives the right to become children of God
12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 5:14-16
you are the light of the world, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.
15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The Christmas Eve service at First B Jackson centered on a simple question: why did God send His Son? The preacher walked through the nativity story and then paused on a handful of New Testament verses that answer that question directly, finishing with the candle lighting as a picture of what believers are now called to do with the light they have received.
What was said
The evening opened with the nativity read from scripture, moving from the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah and Micah through the accounts of Joseph and Mary, the shepherds in the fields, and the Magi following the star from the East. The point made along the way was that God was drawing people in from the farthest-off places even at the moment of Christ's birth, long before any formal commission to go into all the world.
After the offering, the preacher turned to a short message built around a single Greek word: "henna," translated "so that" or "in order that." The argument was that God does not leave us to guess at His motives. Scripture supplies reasons, and those reasons matter.
Galatians 4 was the starting place: when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, "so that we might receive adoption as sons." The preacher noted that in the culture of the time, adoption as a son carried the fullest legal benefits of family membership, so the language is deliberately generous.
Second Corinthians 8 offered the same structure: though Christ was rich, He became poor, "so that" through His poverty we might become rich. The preacher described this as God opening a door and inviting people to accept the gift He has given.
To make the point about how many of these "so that" statements run through scripture, the preacher unrolled what he described as a roughly sixteen-foot scroll printed in 11-point type, one continuous line of every occurrence of that word in the Bible. The visual landed a little awkwardly, by his own admission, but the point was plain: God has been explaining His purposes all along, and they all point toward the same end, which he summed up with C. S. Lewis: the Son of God became a son of man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.
The closing candle lighting drew on John 8:12, where Jesus calls Himself the light of the world, and on 1 John's declaration that the darkness can never extinguish that light. The candles passed from the Christ candle to the elders to the congregation served as a picture of the task that follows belief. Jesus' words from Matthew 5 closed the service: "You now are the light of the world," and the call was to let that light show in ways that point others to God.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- The Advent reading quoted Jesus saying 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' What does it mean, practically, to follow that light in your own day-to-day life?
- The preacher pointed out that God was drawing people from far-off places, like the Magi, even from the moment of Christ's birth. Has there been a moment in your life when you felt God reaching out to you from an unexpected direction?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 3,712 words
Share this message
Every word on these came out of the message. Download one and post it anywhere.
