Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Purpose of Christmas
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
My Prayer Today
Jesus, Name above all names,
beautiful Savior, glorious Lord;
Emmanuel, God is with us,
blessed Redeemer, living Word.
Jesus, Name above all names,
beautiful Savior, glorious Lord;
Emmanuel, God is with us,
blessed Redeemer, living Word.
Public Domain
Bible Verses
Ephesians 5:1-7
1 Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world. 6 Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him. 7 Don't participate in the things these people do.
Questions for Reflection
God's purpose for us is to see us grow to be like His Son Jesus and reproduce ourselves. Why does God want us to follow His example (verse 1)?
As a child of God, what responsibilities does that entail?
Questions for Exploration
One of the purposes of Christmas is discipleship – becoming like Jesus. According to today's Scripture, how should a disciple – follower – of Jesus live?
Questions for Understanding
Loving others means seeing them as people, not things. Seeing them as opportunities for service not obstacles that hinder. People no longer are doing something to you – they become someone you can do something for. How did Jesus meet our greatest need (verse 2)?
As we grow to become more like Jesus each day, how can we meet the needs of our family or friends?
What "sacrifices" would be "sweet perfume" to God?
Question for Application
In order to be imitators of Jesus, our lives need to mirror His life. Mark the areas below where you need to "clean your mirror" in order to more fully imitate Jesus.
Action / Thought |
Need to Clean the Mirror |
Follow God's Example |
|
Live a Life Filled with Love |
|
Follow Jesus' Example |
|
Sexual Immorality |
|
Impurity |
|
Greed |
|
Obscene Stories |
|
Foolish Talk |
|
Coarse Jokes |
|
Thankfulness to God |
|
Disobedience |
|
Write your name here: ________________.
Write your name below Jesus:
Jesus
___________________________________.
Jesus is the name above all names. When we place Jesus above our names, it reminds us that we are His. Every action we do, every word we say should imitate Jesus.
The purpose of Christmas is discipleship – becoming like Jesus. Imitating Jesus in all things.
Rub Off
Once we understand what it means to be a disciple and we are actively imitating Jesus, it is time to build relationships with people and "rub off" on others. Whom can we rub off on?
We need to be seeking and developing intentional relationships with the sole purpose of leading these friends to Jesus and then teaching them to imitate Him.
In John 3:22, we are told that Jesus and the disciples came into the land of Judea – and Jesus spent time with them. The Greek work for spending time is "diatribo." There are three definitions for it: to rub between, to rub hard; to wear away, consume; to spend, pass time.
Jesus took the time to spend with His disciples. He wanted to wear away the bad, sinful areas in their lives so that He could rub off some good on them. As imitators of Jesus, we should do the same. We need to find someone we can rub off on, spend time with them and lead them in the ways of God. Not every conversation has to be a spiritual revelation! People learn just as much from our actions that mirror Jesus' life as our words.
Be a disciple – make a disciple. The results are amazing! In year 1, two people begin to disciple one other person. Year 2 = 4 disciples; Year 3 = 8; Year 4 = 16; Year 5 = 32; Year 6 = 64; Year 7 = 128; Year 8 = 256; Year 9 = 512; Year 10 = 1,024. Year 32 = 4,294,967,296. In one generation, look at what 2 people can do!
The purpose of Christmas is discipleship. Clean your mirror. Live a life like Jesus. Then give a friend a "rub off" this Christmas – and let God do the rest!
Jesus, Name above all names, beautiful Savior, glorious Lord; Emmanuel, God is with us, blessed Redeemer, living Word. Amen.
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.