Sermon Notes

In John 3:1–18, Jesus explains why He came and what His coming demands. Through His conversation with Nicodemus, we see that Christmas is about new life for those who cannot save themselves. Jesus saves Christmas from death by offering eternal life, and He saves Christmas from silence by sending His people to speak hope.

Key Takeaways

Christmas needs saving, not improving
Sin is not a flaw—it’s a fatal condition
New life comes only by looking to Jesus in faith
Saved people are sent people
The gospel was never meant to stay silent
Discussion Questions

In what ways has Christmas become familiar or routine for you?
Why is it hard to sit with the bad news before the good news?
Who first pointed you to Jesus?
Who might God be asking you to point to Him this Christmas?
What keeps you silent about your faith?

Transcript

Why Christmas Needs Saving

Christmas doesn’t usually look broken. It looks full. There are lights everywhere, familiar music, family traditions, gatherings, food, gifts, and moments we look forward to all year. On the surface, it feels like nothing needs fixing. But as we’ve been reminded throughout this series, Christmas often does need saving—not because it’s empty, but because it’s easy to forget why it exists in the first place.

Christmas doesn’t need better planning or more effort. It doesn’t need new traditions or stronger willpower. Christmas needs Jesus. When Jesus is at the center, Christmas becomes more than a season or a feeling. It becomes a reminder of God’s rescue plan for the world.

Jesus Saves Christmas from Death

In John 3, Jesus has a personal, late-night conversation with a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus wasn’t confused or careless about faith. He was a respected religious leader who knew Scripture deeply and took obedience seriously. And yet, something in him was unsettled. All his knowledge and morality hadn’t given him the life he was searching for.

Jesus doesn’t ease into the conversation. He goes straight to the heart of the issue. Unless someone is born again, Jesus says, they cannot see the kingdom of God. In other words, religious effort isn’t enough. Knowledge isn’t enough. Even sincerity isn’t enough. The problem isn’t that we need more information. The problem is that we are spiritually dead.

That’s why Jesus came. Sin isn’t a small flaw or something we eventually grow out of. It’s a fatal condition. And once that reality sinks in, John 3:16 stops sounding sentimental and starts sounding like rescue. God didn’t send advice. He sent life.

Jesus points Nicodemus to an Old Testament story from Numbers 21, where the people of Israel were dying from poisonous snake bites. There was no cure they could produce on their own. God provided one way to live: look in faith at what He lifted up. In the same way, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross so that anyone who believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.

Christmas is the beginning of that rescue. It’s God stepping into death to bring life.

Jesus Saves Christmas from Silence

But salvation this real was never meant to stay quiet.

Jesus didn’t just come to save people; He came because He was sent. And everyone He saves, He sends. Silence isn’t neutral. Silence leaves people lost. Christmas is God breaking centuries of silence, not with a message, but with a Person. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

If Christmas has saved us from death, it must also save us from silence. The gospel only works when it’s seen, heard, and shared. And the good news is, you don’t need perfect words or all the answers. You don’t have to preach a sermon or win a debate. You just have to point to Jesus.

So this Christmas, slow down long enough to look past the lights. Look at the people God has placed around you. Ask who needs to hear that death doesn’t have the final word. Ask who might need an invitation, a prayer, or a simple conversation that points them to Christ.

Christmas becomes powerful again when Jesus is lifted up—and when His people are willing to speak.