Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Mind of Christmas
Thursday, December 4, 2003
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You that after sending Jesus into the world to rescue us all from our sins, that You also sent Your Holy Spirit into the world to give us gifts for ministry! I praise You that You give us the opportunity to participate in the process of having Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray this day that You will fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit that all that I am and do will glorify and honor You, and draw others to know You or know You better. I pray that my life and all my life’s activities will be a ministry carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, in whose name I offer this prayer. Amen.
Bible Verses
John 1:1-14
1In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. 5The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 6God sent John the Baptist 7to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light. 9The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world. 10But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. 11Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. 12But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God. 14So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. (grace and truth) And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
Reflecting on Scripture
Today we focus on the fourth purpose of our lives: ministry, which means serving God by serving one another within the church. What do we find out about Jesus’ ministry in today’s reading that could be useful in our overall understanding of what ministry is for our lives?
What ministry would you do in your life if you had the time to do it?
Exploring the Scripture
If John 1:1-14 was the only passage of Scripture we had, what would we know about Jesus’ ministry on earth?
What does today’s Scripture tell us about the ministry of John the Baptizer?
What is our primary role in today’s Scripture? In other words, what does this Scripture call us to do?
Understanding the Scripture
Why do you suppose that John chose to emphasize the “logos” angle of Jesus’ coming rather than recording his physical birth as did Matthew and Luke in their Gospels?
What does John 1:1-14 teach us about the significance of ministry in our lives?
Applying the Scripture
What is one thing you will do differently in your life today as a result of having reflected on John 1:1-14 for five days in a row?
Ministry - A Witness to the Light!
John the Baptizer is well-known to those of us who are familiar with Jesus’ life on earth. John was the older cousin of Jesus, who was selected by God before his birth, to be the one who would “prepare the way” for Jesus. In this season of preparation for Christmas, each of us has a “John the Baptizer role” to carry out in our daily lives. While the world around us busies itself with the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas (which may or may not include a focus on Jesus’ birth), while the retailers gear up for the busiest time of the year (at least they hope it will be!), we are called to remind people of who it is that came to earth in that humble stable of Bethlehem so long ago. The celebration of Jesus’ birth gives us a great opportunity for ministry and mission. Remember that ministry is service carried out to folks who already know Jesus, while mission is sharing that same service to those who haven’t yet responded to Jesus invitation to salvation. Our ministry during this time includes reminding one another that Jesus’ birth IS the central focus of Christmas, that God became a human being and lived among us and that, Jesus was and IS full of grace and truth! As we remind one another of these truths, we also equip each other to share the Good News with others. Don’t assume that everyone knows the true meaning of Christmas. In our day, we cannot make that assumption. The celebration of Christmas gives us a natural opportunity to carry out mission and ministry, as we simply remind one another and the world that Jesus is STILL the reason for the season!
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.