Have Yourself a Global Little Christmas

SERMON

What does it mean to have a global Christmas message?

SCRIPTURE:John 1:1-18

Have Yourself a Global Little Christmas

Matt Woodley

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Sermon Outline:

Introduction

I. Christ is the Light that shines on everyone

II. Christ is the One who offers grace to all people

III. We are a witness to the Christ's light and grace

Conclusion

Introduction

[The sermon began with a 30-second clip from the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," performed by Michal Bublé.]

I really like the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I don't know if they call it a carol, but it's one of my favorite Christmas songs because it presents a particular vision of Christmas. A cozy, familiar tight circle of friends and relatives who are near to us and who are dear to us and who have gathered around us. It's one vision of Christmas that I would call a good vision of Christmas. Our Gospel reading this morning from John 1 provides us with a different vision of Christmas that doesn't negate the first vision of Christmas.

Think of it this way. The song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is like taking a camera zoom and zooming in on one tight group of people around Christmas. The Gospel of John zooms out and gives us this huge, cosmic, global picture of the Christmas story, another vision of Christmas. If we were to write a song about that we might call it "Have Yourself a Global Little Christmas." I know it's not as catchy, but that's the theme of John 1:1-18.

(Read John 1:1-18)

I don't know if you noticed but there's all kinds of references to all people and everyone.

Verse 3: "All things were made by him."

Verse 4: "He is the light of all people."

Verse 5: "He's the true light that enlightens everyone."

Verse 12: "To all who received him he gave power to become children of God."

So, there's this huge global perspective. Have yourself a global, little Christmas.

I want to look at this global angle, this wide angle, zoom out with John and look at what it means to have a global Christmas message. What does it mean to believe in a global Savior? What does it mean .

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