Jesus Christ Really Is That Awesome

In one paragraph

This Christmas Sunday message stayed in Hebrews rather than moving to Luke or Matthew, working through the opening verses of the letter and into chapter two to show that the Christmas story is bigger and stranger than the familiar manger scene. The pastor used a simple refrain throughout: Jesus Christ really is that awesome. The whole sermon was an attempt to let that claim land with its actual...

Read together

1. John 3:16-17 read aloud during the Advent candle lighting as the candle of Love reading
2. Hebrews 1:1-4 the Exordium, used as the primary text to show that Jesus Christ really is that awesome
3. Psalm 2 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
4. 2 Samuel 7 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
5. Deuteronomy 32 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
6. Psalm 97 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
7. Psalm 104 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
8. Psalm 45 listed as Old Testament proof in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
9. Psalm 102 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
10. Psalm 110 listed as one of the Old Testament proofs in Hebrews 1 pointing toward Christ
11. Psalm 8 quoted in Hebrews 2 to contrast the smallness of mankind with the greatness of Christ
12. Hebrews 2:1-4 briefly noted as verses to skip over and return to later
13. Philippians 2:5-11 read to show Christ emptying himself, taking on human form, and being exalted above every name
14. Galatians 4:4-5 used to show that in the fullness of time God sent his Son so that we might receive adoption as sons
15. John 3:17 cited as the Advent reading, noting God did not send his Son to judge the world but that the world might be saved through him
16. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 used as the benediction, praying that spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

Talk about it

1. The pastor said that even those of us who have devoted our lives to Christ still don't fully grasp how awesome He is. Where in your own life do you find it hardest to hold onto that reality, and what tends to crowd it out?
2. The sermon described Jesus as the 'brightness of God's glory' and the 'express image of His person,' meaning Christ is exactly what God looks like in flesh. How does that change the way you read the Gospels and the way you think about God's character?
3. Hebrews and Psalm 8 together set up a contrast: God has crowned mankind with glory, honor, and authority, but we do not yet see all things put under us. Where do you most clearly see that gap between the responsibility God gave humanity and the reality of how we are actually living it out?
4. The pastor pointed to the word 'might' in the text and said it puts the gift in the recipient's lap. The gift has been given, but it has to be accepted. How do you talk about that tension with someone who assumes that if God is truly powerful, everyone would simply be saved whether they choose it or not?
5. The sermon argued that you cannot really separate the Christmas message from the Easter message, that the manger only makes sense in light of the cross and resurrection. How does holding both together at the same time change the way you celebrate or explain Christmas?