Hidden Christmas: The Six-Mile Journey

1 John 3:16–24

Today's journey is six miles — the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

It's the same path Mary and Joseph walked in obedience. The same road the wise men traveled, leaving Herod's deception for Christ's truth. The same distance that separated religious performance from God's presence.

As we walk these six mile markers together, you'll discover this isn't about trying harder to be generous. It's about letting God's generosity at Christmas transform how you see everything else.

Some of you feel exhausted by the demands of this season. Others feel guilty that your giving doesn't match your gratitude. Many of you wonder if your faith is real when your heart feels cold toward others' needs.

This message is for you.

The journey from Jerusalem's religion to Bethlehem's relationship isn't about manufacturing feelings or forcing behavior. It's about discovering that when we truly grasp what God gave at Christmas, we can't help but be changed.

Scripture Focus: 1 John 3:16–24 Central Truth: The love God showed us at Christmas is meant to overflow into radical, sacrificial generosity toward others.

Ready? Let's take the first step together.

INTRODUCTION

Church, today we continue our series Hidden Christmas — where we're pulling back the curtain on the parts of the Christmas story that are often overlooked, sentimentalized, or misunderstood.

Today we're asking a very simple but important question: "What does Christmas have to do with generosity?"

And the answer is: Everything.

Central Idea: The love God showed us at Christmas is meant to overflow into radical, sacrificial generosity toward others.

Sermon Disclaimer:

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "Pastor, we just talked about generosity at Legacy Sunday. Here we go again."

But here's the thing — today isn't about giving TO God. It's about what God's love does IN us.

John wrote this letter to help anxious Christians know they're really saved. And one of the ways he says you can know God's love is real in your life? It starts changing how you see your stuff. Generosity isn't the goal — it's the evidence. It's not what saves you — it's what shows you're being saved.

Think of today less like another appeal and more like a health check. When the doctor sees certain signs, they know you're getting healthier. When we see generosity growing in our hearts, we know God's love is taking root.

So take a breath. This isn't about manufacturing guilt or forcing behavior. This is about recognizing that when we really grasp what God did at Christmas, it naturally changes how we hold everything else.

Santa and St. Nicholas:

I want to begin with something fun — because for many families, Christmas is wrapped up in traditions. For some, it's Christmas Eve services, baking cookies, or going to see the lights. For others, it's the story of Santa Claus.

But here's the twist: Santa Claus — the character we know — actually began as a real follower of Jesus named St. Nicholas of Myra.

And that matters, because Nicholas wasn't known for reindeer or chimneys… he was known for radical generosity. For giving secretly. For giving sacrificially. For giving without expecting anything in return.

And in a season where our culture has turned Christmas into consumption, God is calling His people back to compassion.

Back to care.

Back to self-giving love.

Back to the kind of generosity that reflects the heart of God Himself.

Because generosity is not an add-on to Christmas — it is the center of it.

The Six-Mile Journey

There's something profound about the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem — six miles.

Six miles separated the city of power from the village of humility. Six miles between Herod's palace and Jesus's manger. Six miles from where religion was performed to where God showed up.

Mary and Joseph walked these six miles for the census — a journey of obedience that became the journey of redemption. Later, the wise men would travel these same six miles, leaving Herod's deception in Jerusalem to find truth wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem.

It's the perfect metaphor for the journey from consumer Christmas to Christ's Christmas. From performative generosity to Spirit-led giving. From closed hearts to open hands.

Today, I want to take you on that same six-mile journey — not from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, but from where you are to where God's love wants to take you. Six mile markers that trace the path from simply knowing about God's generosity to actually becoming generous people.

It's not a marathon — it's a pilgrimage. Not so far that you can't imagine it, but far enough that you'll be different when you arrive. The same distance the shepherds ran in wonder. The same journey Mary treasured in her heart. The same path the wise men traveled to bring their gifts.

Six miles from religious performance to real transformation.

Let's walk it together.

Mile Marker 1: Love Defined

Leaving Jerusalem's Temple for Bethlehem's Manger

Let's look at 1 John 3:16

1 John 3:16 NLT

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us…”

If you want to know what love looks like — you start with Christ.

Not Hallmark movies.

Not cozy moments.

Not sentimental feelings.

Love is defined by sacrifice.

Love gives.

Love acts.

Love costs.

And John says:

1 John 3:16 NLT

“…So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

John is saying: "You cannot receive the sacrificial love of Jesus and remain unchanged."

The generosity of God must take deep roots in the generosity of His people.

Mile Marker 2: Love Tested

Where the Road Gets Personal

John gets extremely practical.

1 John 3:17–18 ESV

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

That is a strong question. John is not shaming — he is testing. He is helping us see the gap between what we say we believe and how we live.

Notice the progression here:

First, you have resources ("the world's goods")

Second, you see a need

Third, you make a choice — open your heart or close it

John isn't talking about people who lack resources. He's talking about people who have something to give but choose not to.

The phrase "closes his heart" is visceral. It's like slamming a door. It's an active rejection, a deliberate turning away. We feel that tug of the Holy Spirit saying "help them" and we push it down. We rationalize. We make excuses.

"They'll probably use it wrong." "Someone else will help." "I worked hard for this."

John is saying: "You know the love of God is taking root in your heart when it turns outward."

This isn't about guilt-driven giving. It's about transformation. When God's love genuinely captures us, it rewires our operating system. We stop seeing our resources as "mine" and start seeing them as "entrusted." We stop asking "How much do I have to give?" and start asking "How much can I give?" The love of God doesn't leave us unchanged — it makes us conduits of that same love.

And then he says this: "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Not just words. Not just intentions. Not just feelings. Love that is not expressed is not love.

Think about this: How many times have we said "I'll pray for you" and never prayed? How many times have we said "Let me know if you need anything" hoping they never call? Words are easy. Actions cost something. But John is clear — real love moves from sentiment to sacrifice, from feeling to action.

St. Nicholas understood that.

He didn't give to impress.

He didn't give publicly.

He didn't give to earn status.

He gave because the love of Jesus had captured his heart.

The stories say he would throw bags of gold through windows at night, leaving before anyone could thank him. He paid dowries for young women who had no other options. He provided for widows and orphans. And he did it all secretly because he wasn't looking for credit — he was reflecting Christ.

Mile Marker 3: The Counterfeit Christmas

The Fork in the Road: Jerusalem's Way or Bethlehem's Way

Our culture has built a version of Christmas that is:

about receiving more than giving

about consuming more than blessing

about convenience more than sacrifice

about what we want, not what others need

1 John 2:15–16 NIV

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

We've turned the manger into a mall. We've transformed the story of God becoming poor into an excuse to accumulate more.

Black Friday has become more important than Good Friday.

We measure Christmas's success by what we got, not what we gave.

And here's what's really twisted: We've made generosity transactional. We give to those who can give back. We keep mental spreadsheets of who gave us what last year. We feel obligated rather than joyful. We give out of social pressure rather than spiritual overflow.

Two Types of Giving:

1. Selfish Giving

This is the kind we see in our culture. "I'll give so people like me." "I'll give so people think I'm generous." "I'll give so I feel good about myself."

This is giving with strings attached. It's giving that keeps score. It's the donation with your name on the building. It's the gift that needs to be Instagram-worthy. It's helping someone and immediately telling everyone about it. It's generosity as performance art.

Think about the moment from The Office where Michael Scott gives his employees a huge gift… and then immediately wants praise for it. Why? Because it wasn't about love — it was about validation.

We've all done this. We give and then wait for the thank you. We serve and then feel hurt when no one notices. We sacrifice and then make sure everyone knows how much we sacrificed. This isn't generosity — it's manipulation. We're not giving to bless; we're giving to be blessed. We're not giving to serve; we're giving to be seen.

2. Christlike Giving

Christlike generosity is the opposite:

We give even if no one sees

We give even when it costs

We give even when it feels inconvenient

We give even if there's no applause

We give because we have been loved by God

This is giving that expects nothing in return. No recognition. No reciprocation. No reward. It's the anonymous donation. It's doing the dishes without being asked. It's forgiving the debt without making them feel guilty.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He healed ten lepers; only one came back to thank Him. He kept healing. He fed five thousand; they tried to make Him king for the wrong reasons. He kept feeding. He died for the world; the world crucified Him. He went through with it anyway.

Luke 6:35 NLT

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

But Christmas — the real Christmas — flips all of that upside down.

Because God didn't give us a gift we deserved. God didn't give because we earned it. God didn't give because it was convenient.

God gave because He loved. God gave because we needed it. God gave because His nature is generosity.

This is what Jesus meant when He said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Not because receiving is bad, but because giving makes us like God.

Mile Marker 4: The Generous Life

What Transformation Actually Looks Like

1. Generosity is not about money — it's about the heart. 

Generosity is not measured by the size of the gift but the size of the sacrifice. A child giving five dollars with joy is more generous than an adult giving five hundred with resentment.

2. Generosity is not seasonal — it's spiritual. 

Christmas is not the one time of year we give… it is the reminder of why we give all year long.

3. Generosity is discipleship. 

When God's love is forming you… when the Spirit is shaping you… when Christ's life is in you… It inevitably expresses itself outward. God's generosity toward you becomes generosity through you.

4. Generosity is how the world sees Jesus. 

Jesus said in,

Matthew 5:16 NLT

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Not glorify you — glorify Him. Your generosity is a window through which people see the character of Christ.

Mile Marker 5: Teaching Generosity (Especially to the kids)

Raising the Next Generation

Many parents worry about "ruining Santa" or confusing their kids. Here's a healthy, Christ-honoring way to navigate it:

The tension is real. You want your kids to enjoy the magic of childhood. You want them to have wonderful memories. But you also want them to know the true meaning of Christmas. You don't want to lie to them, but you also don't want to be the family that ruins it for everyone else's kids.

Tell the truth about the real St. Nicholas. Explain:

He was a Christian pastor/bishop

He was known for helping the poor

He secretly gave to people in need

He lived his life trying to imitate Jesus

Kids actually love this story more than the mythology. A real person who really lived and really helped people? That's even better than flying reindeer. You can explain that the Santa we see today is like a fun game based on a real hero of faith. Just like we might dress up as historical figures, our culture dresses up the memory of Nicholas.

You can even make it interactive: "This year, we're going to be like St. Nicholas. We're going to secretly bless someone. We're going to give without them knowing who did it." Kids get excited about being secret agents of generosity.

Then teach your kids: "We give gifts at Christmas because God gave us His Son. And we want to give like Jesus — generously, joyfully, and sacrificially."

Make it practical. Have them use their own money to buy gifts for siblings. Let them feel the cost. Have them pick out toys to donate — not the broken ones, but good ones. Include them when you're generous to others. Let them put the money in the offering. Let them carry the groceries to the neighbor. They learn by doing, not just hearing.

This keeps the fun and imagination of Christmas but connects it to the heart of God.

And here's the beautiful thing: When kids understand that giving is better than receiving, they actually enjoy Christmas more. They get excited about what they're giving, not just what they're getting. They learn the joy that comes from blessing others. They experience what Jesus meant when He said it's more blessed to give than receive.

Mile Marker 6: The Confident Heart

Arriving at Bethlehem: Where Assurance Meets Action

John says something beautiful at the end of this passage:

1 John 3:19–24 NIV

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

"Our actions will show that we belong to the truth…"

In other words: When your faith expresses itself through generosity… when your love takes the shape of action… it gives us confidence.

You begin to know:

"I really belong to Him."

"His love really is changing me."

"His Spirit really is shaping me."

It gives your heart confidence before God.

And John ends with this encouragement: "the Spirit he gave us, lives in us."

Meaning you don't become generous by trying harder — you become generous by walking closer. The Spirit of God will make you look more like the Son of God.

Three Simple Practices:

1. See the need. 

Ask God to open your eyes to the people around you. Generosity begins with awareness.

2. Feel the need. 

John says "don't close your heart." Let God soften you. Let God wake you up. Let God break your heart for what breaks His.

3. Meet the need. 

Do something. Give something. Serve someone. Bless someone. Start somewhere small — but start.

GOSPEL INVITATION — RECEIVE THE GIFT BEFORE YOU GIVE IT

Before you try to be generous… Before you try to be sacrificial… Before you try to love well… You must first receive the love of God.

You cannot give what you have not received.

Christmas is not about what you bring to God — it is about what God brought to you.

Receive His love. Receive His forgiveness. Receive His mercy. Receive His generosity.

Let His love fill you — and then overflow from you.

CONCLUSION — THE HIDDEN GIFT

Church, the hidden gift of Christmas is this: God's love creates generous people.

People who give. People who bless. People who sacrifice. People who reflect Jesus.

This Christmas, may we join the long line of saints — from the shepherds to Mary to Joseph to St. Nicholas — who allowed the love of Jesus to turn their faith into action.

Six miles from religious performance to real transformation. Six miles from Jerusalem's way to Bethlehem's way. Six miles from closed hearts to open hands.

The journey isn't far — but you'll be different when you arrive.