This sermon outline was the second in Celebration Church’s CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED series. I hope you will find it helpful if you’re planning a Christmas sermon.
- “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she (Mary) will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21)
- The first Christmas was a pivotal moment for Salvation, fulfilling God’s promise to humanity to redeem us.
- “But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
- Christmas is the celebration of God’s perfect timing in sending His Son into the world exactly as prophesied, so salvation could be accessible to all.
Because Jesus Came at Christmas, We Can:
RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SIN
- Every person, despite their best efforts, falls short of God’s standard.
- “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
- “For ____________ has sinned; ____________ falls short of God’s glorious standard.” (put in your own name here)
- We are actually the source of most of our own problems.
- “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3)
- “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
- C.S. Lewis – “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
- Jesus came specifically because we cannot achieve salvation on our own.
- “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
Because Jesus Came at Christmas, We Can:
FIND FREEDOM FROM OUR HURTS, HABITS, AND HANGUPS
- “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.” (Luke 4:18)
- The story of Christmas is the story of freedom – Jesus was born not to simply live among us, but to liberate us from our deepest struggles.
- “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
- “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Jesus invites us to bring our hurts, our habits, and our hangups to Him, and He promises to walk alongside us as we journey through our healing and restoration.
- Christmas is the perfect time to embrace the new life Jesus offers, letting go of the past and stepping into the freedom of His transformative love.
Because Jesus Came at Christmas, We Can:
EXPERIENCE FULFILLMENT THROUGH CHRIST
- “The thief’s purpose is to kill and steal and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)
- Helping us transform our existence into lives that are meaningful and abundant is at the core of Jesus’ mission.
- “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
- The birth of Christ symbolizes the fullness of God wrapped in human skin, accessible and ready to fill every voice in our hearts.
- “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him.” (Romans 15:3)
- Our trust in God allows us to embrace joy and peace, reshaping our lives with a new perspective and purpose.
Because Jesus Came at Christmas, We Can:
LIVE FOREVER IN HEAVEN WITH THE LORD
- “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
- God’s immense love was manifested in the gift of His Son, born so that all who believe in Him can enjoy eternity with Him.
- “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
- Because Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, died to pay the price for our sins, and rose again, we can have an eternal future with Him in Heaven.
- “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down…we will have a house in Heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)
- Heaven is a place where all of our stress, anxiety, fear, depression, disease, hurt, and agony is replaced by peace, patience, fulfillment, freedom, and joy forever.
- Our assurance of Heaven should always lift our spirits, reminding us that our earthly existence is simply the beginning of an eternal journey with God.
- “He who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:14-17)
“Joseph, son of David… do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she (Mary) will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
*Image Courtesy of Jack Chambers
JohnJFrady.com 