Christmas 2015 with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

Everything Changed When Jesus Came

Scripture References

Primary text

• Luke 2

Other references

• John 17:3
• Matthew 7:22
• Romans 8:16
• Matthew 1:23

Overview

Christmas marks the moment God entered history in human flesh, splitting time into “before Christ” and “the year of our Lord.” Yet many still live in an AD world with a BC mindset. Craig Groeschel walked through Luke 2 and showed three sweeping changes Jesus’ birth brought: religion is replaced by relationship, uncertainty gives way to assurance, and a distant deity becomes “God with us.”

Context

Craig opened with family updates, playful cat jokes, and lighthearted Christmas photos before praying for God to work through His Word. These warm moments set the stage for a message about the profound shift accomplished by Christ’s arrival.

Main Points

From Religion to Relationship

• Before Christ: life with God felt like keeping law—trying to close the gap between sinful people and a holy God through rules, rituals, dos and don’ts.
• Jesus fulfilled the law and invited sinners into friendship with God.
• Religious leaders were offended that Jesus gravitated to “unrighteous, unlikely people.”
• Story: Craig’s friend “Mickey,” a hard‐living man who freely cusses around him, finds it hard to believe Jesus could love someone like him. Craig keeps assuring him that Christ came precisely for people like Mickey.
• Eternal life, according to Jesus, is to know God (John 17:3)—not merely to behave well.

From Uncertainty to Assurance

• Pre-Christ worshipers wondered whether sacrifices were “good enough.”
• Craig remembered a childhood VBS moment when fear of hell echoed in his mind and he sprinted home in tears.
• Because of Jesus’ finished work, believers can know they are God’s children (Romans 8:16).
• Illustration: A toddler who falls while learning to walk is never disowned; likewise, a Christian’s misstep does not cancel sonship. Our spiritual adoption is secure—our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

From Distant God to God With Us

• Old-covenant worship meant traveling to the temple where God’s presence was believed to dwell.
• In Jesus, God came to dwell with us—Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23).
• Believers now become temples of the Holy Spirit; His presence never leaves.
• Story: While Craig hung Christmas lights, young Katie moved a chair beneath him, promising, “Daddy, I’ll catch you if you fall. I’m always with you.” Her limited strength highlighted God’s limitless promise to catch and keep His children.
• Whatever the need—direction, healing, forgiveness—Jesus is present and sufficient.

Key Truths

• Jesus did not come for the righteous but for sinners who know they need grace.
• Salvation is a relationship to be received, not a standard to be achieved.
• The Holy Spirit assures believers they belong to God.
• Emmanuel means God is permanently present in every circumstance.
• The birth of Christ irrevocably changed history—and can still change any life today.

Response

• Trade rule-keeping for a living, daily relationship with Jesus.
• Rest in the Spirit’s witness that you are God’s child instead of striving to earn acceptance.
• Invite God’s with-you presence into every fear, hurt, or holiday tension.
• Share the “good news of great joy” with unlikely friends who assume God wants nothing to do with them.

Closing

The angel’s announcement still stands:

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”

Because the Savior has been born, everything is different. Craig urged listeners who sense God drawing them to stop wondering and simply surrender. Many responded, praying for forgiveness and new life in Christ—the ultimate evidence that the year of our Lord is still unfolding today.

Prayer

Craig prayed for those facing difficult holidays—asking God’s comfort, provision, healing, and relational peace—and led seekers in a surrender prayer: confessing sin, trusting Jesus’ death and resurrection, and inviting the Holy Spirit to make them new.