BECAUSE OF CHRISTMAS, WE HAVE HOPE
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: Because of Christmas We Have Hope
Main Scripture: Rom 5:1-5, John 16:5-12, Psalms 32:8
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
After Christmas, people can fell depressed. The excitement of Christmas is over and the joy of holidays enveloped in the reality of every life. Even believers we can forgot the purpose of Christmas was not a temporary moment in time but God fulfilling the redemption plan that would last for eternity. God left heaven to walk among his people and to give his life for a sin sick world. Because of Christmas, Christ coming to save mankind, we have hope. Hope in God will never leave us in shame or disappointment.
Notes:
Read 5:1-5
Our hope will not disappoint us because we know God know loves us through the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with God's love for us.
We are confident in our salvation because God has given us a deposit or a guarantee or what we have already inherited because of Christ's sacrifice for us.
Eph 1:14, The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
We have peace when we face trails, and we will certainly face trails in 2026. We have peace even in the valley of shadow of death for ourselves and our loved ones.
Hope=Gk. elpis, to anticipate, usually with pleasure.
Our hope goes beyond, Christmas day but is a life-long experience that transforms our lives.
1. Because of Christmas we have hope in salvation.
Read Matthew 1:21-23
Jesus came to save us from our sins. We have salvation because of Christmas.
The Christmas celebration should refuel us and remind us of what wonderful things God has done for us. Christmas is a reminder of the goodness of God.
Jesus came to save a world that was in sin and ever pinning. Because of Christmas our sins have been erased. Our shame has been wiped away. Death itself has been conquered.
Rom 8:11, The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
The grave could not hold our Lord and Savior neither will the grave be able to hold us when we close our eyes for the last time on this side of heaven. Jesus conquered the fear of death and gives us Hope of eternal life.
For Christians, Christmas is a celebration of the Hope we have in eternal life in Jesus Christ.
In this passage we see a list of people that were men of war and prophets of God. In this list we see that through faith they saw God show up and bring victory in battles, God gave them wisdom to lead people justly. God provided a way of escape when the enemy had the advantage. That was David’s testimony. David saw God do miraculous things in his life through faith.
David was from Bethlehem. The same city in which Jesus was born.
God saw something in David that was not visible with the eye. God saw David’s heart.
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13
God saw David’s heart. God sees our heart. He knows exactly what’s going on in our life.
We don’t have to be afraid that God sees what’s in our heart. In fact, it’s an opportunity to draw closer to him.
2. Because of Christmas we live our lives with daily Hope.
Read John 16:5-12
We give our hearts to the Lord and make a decision to follow him. Then we go back to our homes, our work places, our friends, our old environment.
Because of Christmas, we have God's Spirit living inside of us which enables us to live our daily lives with hope.
Jesus tells his disciples that he would send the advocate the Holy Spirit to be with them.
Jesus first tells them what the Holy Spirit will do in the world. First, he will convict the world of sin. The Holy Spirit will help people understand their need for a savior.
God graciously draws us to himself.
Prevenient Grace: This concept underscores the truth that human beings, in their fallen state, are unable to seek after God without His gracious initiation. Thus, prevenient grace involves God’s active pursuit of people, enabling them to sense His presence, respond to His call, and ultimately be drawn into a relationship through faith in Christ. https://biblehub.com/q/what_is_prevenient_grace.htm
God is drawing people to himself for salvation because of Christmas.
Second, the Holy Spirit will reveal God's Righteousness that is found in Christ alone. No one can come to the father accept through Christ. Jesus alone is the way the truth and the life.
Third, the Holy Spirit will warn the world of the coming Judgement for not believing in Jesus for Salvation. Judgement has already been set. The soul that sins will die. That's true of us all. We all fall short of God's glory. We all need a savior. Thank God for Christmas!
Jesus also tells his followers what the Holy Spirit will do in their lives. First, he says, the Spirit of Truth or the Holy Spirit, will guide you into all truth.
As believers, God will guide our lives through the Holy Spirit.
Psalms 32:8, The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
God knows how to direct our lives. He knows what he's doing. Trust him
Second, Jesus says the Holy Spirit will speak to us about the things of God. He will tell us of what He's heard from the Father. Even things about the future.
God will reveal His Will to us first and foremost through his Word. We can't separate God from his Word. The Holy Spirit will reveal the things of Jesus to us.
We are in a relationship with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit continually reveals the nature and character and will of Jesus to us.
Third is that the Holy Spirit will bring glory to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus in our lives.
The Holy Spirit lives inside of us bringing glory to Jesus.
Phil 2:13, For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Because of Christmas we have daily Hope because Christ lives inside of us.
3. Because of Christmas we have Hope to share.
We should continue to celebrate the reason for Christmas and that goes into 2026 and beyond. For believers, Christmas isn't just one day, but it's our life!
Christ came to save this world and we are recipients of his grace through our faith in Jesus. That doesn't stop Dec 25, that never stops.
We have Hope to share with our families and friends, our coworkers and neighbors.
If we can share the hope of Christ to strangers, shouldn't we share the hope of Christ to the people closest to us?
The retail people use this strategy. They have new sales people start practicing their craft with the people closest to them because they have credibility with them as family and friends.
People know what we were like before we gave our hearts to Christ and the see the difference. They can tell we have changed. That's a witness of Jesus in our lives. We can share the source of that change with them.
Our coworkers also observe our behavior. They notice how different we are from the average people in the world. We are always being watched. Similar to the family and friends, if our coworkers saw our behavior change they notice, but they will need help connecting the change to Jesus. We can share that hope beyond Christmas day.
Neighbors can be a little harder. In this day and age, we really don't communicate with our neighbors much. We have to be the more strategic with neighbors because we probably don't routinely interact them like we do with family, friends, and coworkers.
With neighbors we often have to create opportunities to cross paths to share the Hope of Christ. Acts of service is a great way. Do something to help them. If you discover they've been sick or lost a loved one, take them a meal. Great way to start a conversation.
All this all starts with prayer. The Holy Spirit will guide us and teach us how to share hope with our neighbors.
Applications:
1. Don't limit what Jesus did to Christmas Day
-God's redemption plan began when Adam and Eve fell into sin
-Jesus has always existed. He is the great I Am
-Jesus is King of Kings and Lords
2. Reflect on the Confident Hope we have in Christ
-Jesus gave his life for us
-Jesus lives inside of us
-Jesus he would always be with us
3. Live like it's Christmas everyday
-Give him a daily gift, let him lead our lives
-Bestow recognition, glory, and honor to His name
-Share the Hope found in Christ
Discussion:
Do you get depressed after the Christmas Holidays?
How can you apply the Hope we have in Christ beyond Christmas Day in your daily life?
What are your thoughts of Christmas being a reminder of the wonderful things God has done for us?
Which application resonated with you?
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!
