Three Reasons Baby Jesus Came into the World (In His Own Words)

Baby Jesus couldn’t tell us anything about his birth, because he was fully baby. But grown-up Jesus can. In this episode we'll look at three reasons Jesus came into the world... in his own words. --The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --05 Baby Jesus (Christmas Eve)Title: Three reasons Jesus came into the world (in his own words)Intro: Kids and ChristmasI’m not sure if kids really write letters to Santa anymore. You can probably just tweet at him or send him your wishlist on Instagram. But I did come across a couple actual letters from kids to Santa that I wanted to share with you:Dear Santa,You did not bring me anything good last year.You did not bring me anything good the year before that.This is your last chance.Signed, MadisonDear Santa,There are three little kids who live at our house.There is Jeffrey; he is 2.There is Ashley; she is 4.And there is Norman; he is 7.Jeffrey is good some of the time.Ashley is good some of the time.But Norman is good all of the time.I am Norman.Kids love Christmas. Do you know who was the first kid at Christmas?Jesus! (Did you ever think about that?)Tonight we’re finishing our Christmas seriesThe Story of Christmas from People Who Were Actually ThereThe innkeeper: make roomThe shepherds: The wise men:King Herod:Today: Baby JesusThe most important person who was actually there is… Jesus. We don’t have his viewpoint as a babyBecause he was fully baby, so he doesn’t rememberHow many of you remember when you were a baby?Some people claim to remember their birth, but that’s bogus:We have "infantile amnesia," the inability to recall events from the first few years of life. Memory formation, particularly episodic memory (the ability to recall specific events), begins to function more reliably around the age of 3–4.My earliest memory is about 5 Sunday morning, brother’s face bit by a German ShepherdSo, baby Jesus couldn’t tell us much about his birthBut grown-up Jesus canAt Christmas we tend to think of Jesus as a baby, but Jesus didn’t come to just be a baby, He came because He’s Immanuel, “God with us” Today: three reasons Jesus came into the world (in his own words) John 3:16 (NLT) 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son….”Jesus came as the ultimate demonstration of God’s lovePrinciple: the gift you give is a demonstration of your loveNot everyone understands this (me, AJ)“This is how _____ showed his love: he gave me ______”God understands this principle, that’s why he gave his one and only sonUltimate demonstration of his loveNot like giving Kenzie’s hand in marriageThat will be a blessing to herHe gets to provide and protect nowGod gave his Son for a brutal purposeThat’s the second thing…John 3:17 (NLT) 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.What a simple, powerful verseSo many people see God as judgmentalChristmas proves that he is notHe sent his son to save the worldTo do that, he would have to die in our place(Come back for Easter to learn more)Come back on Sunday to learn about the difference between conviction (good) and condemnation (bad)Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but to set us freeBut this doesn’t mean we’re free to live wreckless, sinful lives…That’s what Jesus’ final quote is all about…John 12:46 (NLT) 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.John 8: 12 (NLT) 12 Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”Light is a fun theme at Christmas timeStar of Bethlehem (the light above our drum cage)Lights on houses, trees, etc.But the real reason lights are connected to Christmas is this:If we follow Jesus, He leads us out of the darkness ofSelfishnessPrideAddictionAngerAnxiety HopelessnessFearGriefPurposelessness