Christmas Eve Service 2024 - 4:30pm Service

In one paragraph

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. The evening opened with the nativity...

Read together

1. John 8:12 quoted twice: Jesus declares himself the light of the world, whoever follows him will not walk in darkness
2. Isaiah 7:14 virgin will be with child and bear a son named Emmanuel, spoken as prophecy from 700 years before Christ
3. Isaiah 9:6-7 a child will be born, son given, government on his shoulders, names including Prince of Peace, throne of David
4. Micah 5:2 Bethlehem named as the place from which a ruler over Israel would come forth
5. Matthew 1:18-24 Joseph and Mary's betrothal, angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, naming of Jesus
6. Luke 2:1-20 census decree, journey to Bethlehem, birth in a manger, angels appearing to shepherds, shepherds visiting the child
7. Matthew 2:1-11 Magi arriving from the East, Herod's inquiry, the star leading to the child, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
8. 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
9. 2 Corinthians 8:9 though Christ was rich yet for our sake he became poor so that through his poverty we might become rich
10. John 3:16 so that whoever puts their trust in Jesus won't perish but will have everlasting life
11. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus who died so we might live
12. 1 John 1:5 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish or overcome it
13. John 1:12 all who believe and receive him he gives the right to become children of God
14. 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

Talk about it

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. The sermonette focused on the phrase 'so that', showing how often God gives a reason for what He does. Which of God's stated purposes, whether adoption as sons and daughters, redemption, or receiving abundant life, means the most to you right now, and why?
4. C. S. Lewis was quoted as saying the Son of God became a son of man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God. What difference does it make to you personally that God did not simply send a message or a law, but came Himself?
5. The service closed with the candle lighting and the reminder from Matthew 5 that believers are now the light of the world. Where in your life do you sense the most pressure to put that light under a bowl rather than let it shine?