Christmas & Advent Messages

Grace Bible Church's Christmas and Advent series explores the profound mystery of the incarnation through the lens of those who first witnessed Christ's coming. These messages capture the wonder, joy, and transformative power of God entering our world as a baby in Bethlehem.

Advent: Preparing for Christ's Arrival

Hope Through Prophecy

The word Advent simply means "arrival" or "a coming," and at its core centers around preparing for the arrival of Jesus (HOPE // The Prophecy // Advent Week One, 0:08). Over 700 years before Jesus was born, God gave a prophecy to Isaiah: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emanuel" (HOPE // The Prophecy // Advent Week One, 0:22).

This prophecy reveals that God had the story written before He spoke light into the dark, setting the stage thousands of years ago with eager anticipation to send the hero into the story (HOPE // The Prophecy // Advent Week One, 0:37). The incarnation represents the turning point for all of human history - the moment when the infinite almighty God did something wildly unexpected, humbling Himself to fulfill His promise to save us not through a great militaristic campaign, but through a humble birth and life of servitude (HOPE // The Prophecy // Advent Week One, 0:50).

Peace in Humble Beginnings

The birthplace of the Messiah was considered small and insignificant in the tribe of Judah (PEACE // Bethlehem // Advent Week Two, 0:06). Many learned and scholarly people believed the Messiah would come as a military leader with great fanfare, clothed in royal robes (PEACE // Bethlehem // Advent Week Two, 0:21). Instead, within the lowliest place in this little town, the savior of the world was born in the company of farm animals, with the bleat of sheep as His fanfare and strips of cloth as His royal robes (PEACE // Bethlehem // Advent Week Two, 0:35).

God loves to flip the script and make the weak mighty. His first coming was in unfathomable humility, while His next coming will be in unfathomable power (PEACE // Bethlehem // Advent Week Two, 0:46).

Joy Through Angelic Proclamation

Angels served as God's messengers throughout scripture, bringing God's words and carrying out His commands (JOY // Angels // Advent Week Three, 0:08). On that quiet night outside of Bethlehem, one angel appeared to the shepherds saying, "Don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people" (JOY // Angels // Advent Week Three, 0:18).

Before the angel left, a whole army of angels appeared in the starry sky, making night look like day, proclaiming "Glory to God in the highest Heaven and peace on Earth to those with whom God is pleased" (JOY // Angels // Advent Week Three, 0:41). The host of Heaven joyfully pointed the shepherds to the Messiah - the long waiting was over (JOY // Angels // Advent Week Three, 0:55).

Love Through the Shepherds

It makes perfect sense that on the night of Christ's birth, God decided to first share the news of the good Shepherd's arrival with the shepherds nearby (LOVE // Shepherds // Advent Week Four, 0:05). After the dazzling revelation from the angels, the shepherds wasted no time leaving the fields and hurrying to Bethlehem (LOVE // Shepherds // Advent Week Four, 0:15).

They found the little ramshackle barn where a young man and woman were surrounded by animals, and there He was - the savior of the world wrapped in strips of cloth lying in a manger (LOVE // Shepherds // Advent Week Four, 0:21). The angels told the truth, the prophecies came true, and the shepherds left proclaiming the good news to everyone they could find (LOVE // Shepherds // Advent Week Four, 0:35).

The Light of Divine Incarnation

Christmas celebrates Emmanuel - God with us. God put on flesh and came to dwell among us (LIGHT // Divine Incarnation // Advent Christmas Eve, 0:09). In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it (LIGHT // Divine Incarnation // Advent Christmas Eve, 0:12).

He humbled Himself so that we might be saved, embracing destruction so that we might be restored. We were separated from our maker because we thought we knew better, but He endured what we deserved so that we might be a family again (LIGHT // Divine Incarnation // Advent Christmas Eve, 0:21).

We look back at His first coming in wonder that the greatest became the smallest, and we look forward to the second coming when our King comes back for His church in power (LIGHT // Divine Incarnation // Advent Christmas Eve, 0:38).

Responding Like the Shepherds

1. Focus and Prioritize

When the angels departed, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us" (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 9:29). They dropped everything because this was not only a once-in-a-lifetime event, but a once-in-history event - the Son of God had been born within walking distance (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 11:30).

Their response challenges us to consider: How does the reality that Jesus entered our world to give us eternal life affect our priorities - the way we think about our money, relationships, time, home, and family? (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 13:01)

After seeing the baby, the shepherds made known everything that had been told them about the child (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 13:45). They didn't need a class on evangelism or a tract - they simply went and said the Messiah was born, compelled by the overflow of joy in their hearts (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 14:34).

3. Worship with Wonder

The shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 17:04). For them, this wasn't yet a tradition or familiar carols - this was brand new and so overpowering that they couldn't help but worship God (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 17:35).

The challenge for believers today is to maintain that sense of wonder and awe - that the God of the universe loved us so much that He entered our world in the person of Jesus Christ. As John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

The Promise Fulfilled

Born of a virgin, the prophecy was fulfilled and the savior of the world appeared - the one sent to ransom the slave and save sinful people from death and the grave (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 0:04). He is Emmanuel, God with us, who traded heaven for this world's broken ground so that the lost could be found (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 0:20).

The Messiah came with hope for the world to deliver us from darkness and shame. He is called by the names Mighty God, Wonderful Counselor, and Prince of Peace (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 0:31). We rejoice because a promise foretold became a promise seen through, as God put on flesh for us and dwelt with us (Christmas Sermon // Matt Morton, 0:43).

Christmas & Advent Messages