It Came Without Ribbons, Without Tags

In one paragraph

The Sunday before Christmas 2011, Pastor Steve led First Baptist Jackson through a living nativity that brought the whole congregation into the story, with children and adults playing every part from donkeys to angels. After the pageant he stepped back to the pulpit and talked about what Christmas has become versus what it actually is. The through line was simple: God already gave the greatest...

Read together

1. Isaiah 12:6 quoted to show the prophet predicted the birth of Jesus seven hundred years before it happened

Talk about it

1. The innkeeper offered his stable to Mary and Joseph even though he had nothing better to give. When have you had to offer something imperfect or inconvenient to help someone else, and what did that cost you?
2. The angels told the shepherds not to be afraid, and the reason they gave was the birth of the Savior. What fears in your own life does the message of Christmas speak directly to?
3. The preacher pointed out that the focus of Christmas in our culture has shifted from the birth of Christ to acquiring gifts, and that people in much of the rest of the world still center the holiday on the joy and celebration of Jesus. Where do you honestly see that shift showing up in your own Christmas traditions?
4. Pastor's son told his young children that Christmas morning, falling on a Sunday this year, would not be about opening presents but about Jesus, and the grandchildren responded by saying they wanted to go bless people instead. What would it look like practically for your family to make that same kind of deliberate choice?
5. The preacher closed by praying that those who know the message of Christmas would go out and remind others of it, pointing to things like Christmas caroling and giving chocolate to people on the square. What is one specific way you could carry that message to someone outside this congregation before Christmas?