Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Purpose of Christmas
Friday, December 19, 2003
My Prayer Today
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Public Domain
Bible Verses
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Question for Reflection
According to today's reading, who is responsible for sharing the new life of Jesus Christ with the world?
Questions for Exploration
One of the purposes of Christmas is mission. Jesus made salvation possible and He left us, His disciples, His followers, the task of making Him known. That is our purposeful mission.
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers – Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew – fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19 Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. (Matthew 4:18-20) In John, chapter 1 we are told that Jesus knew Simon and Andrew. He talked to them before calling them to be His disciples. He had a relationship with them.
Whom should we place on our "fishing" list?
With whom should we share the new life?
Questions for Understanding
25 "I don't know whether he is a sinner," the man replied. "But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!" (John 9:25)
Many people fail to share their faith because they are afraid that someone will ask them a hard Bible question that they can't answer. So, instead of being embarrassed or backed into a corner, most will just keep their mouths shut. We don't need to be Bible scholars to share our faith. We just need to know Jesus. Add to that our own stories, our own testimonies, what Jesus has done in our lives. We don't have to quote a single verse of Scripture to tell someone about Jesus. If they ask a hard question, just say, "I don't know the answer to that, but here's what I do know …" and share our story.
What is the man's testimony in John 9:25?
What is your testimony?
Question for Application
People are not going to hear the message unless we tell it. Our lifestyle and our actions are vitally important in our witness, but we can't just let it end there. Sooner or later, we have to tell. We have to explain the truth of the Gospel message. Here are all of the basics that we need to know and share.
A – Accept
Accept our sin problem. (Romans 3:23)
B – Believe
Believe in who Jesus is and what He has done. (John 11:25-26)
C – Commit
Commit to following Jesus for the rest of your life. (Luke 9:23)
When we share these simple basics from God's Word, along with our testimony, we have all of the tools and power that we need to lead a friend to Jesus.
But we can't just float the information out there and leave it hanging. We must take it to the ultimate, most important step. We need to help them call upon the Lord (Romans 10:13). A simple prayer is at the bottom of this page. Clip it and keep it in your wallet or purse. It may come in handy someday as we fulfill our Christmas purpose of mission – go – tell!
Will My Mommy Be In Heaven?
Did you know that a five-year-old can tell people about Jesus? There was a little girl named Lindsay. Her parents were amazed one day when they heard this five-year-old telling one of her little friends about Jesus. The children were sitting on the front steps of the house, and the parents tiptoed up to the window to see and hear better.
Little Lindsay told her friend that if she believed in Jesus and prayed, He would forgive her sins and she would go to heaven. The little girl was convinced, so they prayed.
When she was done praying, she looked up at Lindsay and asked, "Will my mommy be in heaven, too?"
Lindsay thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah, if she believes in Jesus. But if you don't want her there, just don't talk about Him when she's around."
Now, that's cute coming from the mouth of a child. But what's not cute is the fact that so many of us take little Lindsay's approach every day. We have people around us, family – friends – schoolmates – coworkers – neighbors, who have no knowledge whatsoever of Jesus Christ. They are spiritually dead. Yet we do not share the one message that will change their life and eternity. We know the truth, but we keep it a secret. Most often because we are afraid of rejection, or we fear we do not know enough, or we fear that the people we talk to may ask us a question that we cannot answer. God calls us to get over that! To go and tell. He is with us always. "Will my mommy be in heaven?" "Will _________ be in heaven?" Only if we share the purpose of Christmas. Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). "Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8:12)
Go, tell it on the mountain. Over the hills and everywhere. Go, tell it on the mountain – Jesus Christ is born!
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.