God Keeps His Promises!

Introduction

As the saying goes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year… but it doesn’t quite feel like it, does it? 70 degrees on Christmas?! Regardless, here we are. 2025 is coming to a close and 2026 is about to begin. We all come tonight with different traditions, different Christmas tree preferences, different favorite Christmas movies, different homes, different emotions — joy for some, grief for others, and even different reasons for being here tonight: Some of you are here because this is your church home, others are here because grandma made you come (God bless Grandma’s!) and others are here maybe because you saw a sign or something on social media.

What unites us at Christmas time? We all have these different celebrations and traditions - what is something that we all love about this season? Close your eyes and think back to when you were a kid - kids, you’re there right now! The nights are longer, the weather is usually colder, but we have Christmas lights everywhere we look. We have lights on trees, our houses, light poles, in our yards, throughout our town. There is light everywhere and Christmas lights light up our houses, fill us with joy, and remind us of this special and fun season. Light changes everything. Have you ever walked down a dark hallway or been in a dark room and you stub your toe on the bed frame or you step on a lego that you didn’t know was there? My wife and I have 2 young boys, and if we’re not careful, walking through the house in the dark can be dangerous because in the dark, you can’t see what’s around you. Just a little bit of light makes a world of difference!

Sadly, we know that we live in a world that is in darkness. Not just physical darkness, but moral darkness, emotional darkness, spiritual darkness. A world that celebrates and promotes things that are evil and heartbreaking.

John 3:19 CSB

19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

So many people love darkness rather than light. This was true 2,000 years ago, and it’s also true today. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This evening we’re going to spend some time in Isaiah 60 and John 1, and see how God promised to send a light into a dark world and how that light changes everything! This evening we’ll be reminded that the ultimate Christmas light came onto the scene long before the invention of electricity, as Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem. Let’s read God’s Word together in Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1–3 CSB

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. 2 For look, darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the Lord will shine over you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness.

This evening we’re going to see 4 things that we celebrate at Christmas, first

God’s Promise

Isaiah 60 is hundreds of years before the first Christmas, and maybe that sounds like a strange place to begin our time together tonight. The book of Isaiah has several prophecies about Jesus. The book of Isaiah reminds us that Jesus will be born of a virgin, that He will die for the sins of others, and that He will rule as King with faithfulness and righteousness. These promises are given through the prophet Isaiah to God’s people, nearly 700 years before Bethlehem. Maybe that makes you squirm in your seat a bit because it sounds outlandish and far fetched to believe. If that’s you tonight, you’re not alone! Lots of people have heard the Christmas story before and before devotion they doubt. Before surrender they’re skeptical.

These are conservative numbers:

There are dozens of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled just with His birth

There are dozens, if not hundreds, that He fulfills with His life

There are dozens more that He fulfills with His death and resurrection

That’s 100 prophecies that are hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem! These are written in God’s Word, and even non-Christian historians throughout the centuries affirm that many of these did take place. So, what’s the big deal?

For 8 of these prophecies to happen, it’s a 1 in 10x17th power. That’s a 1 in 100 Quadrillion chance. That’s 1 with 17 zeroes after it! This is for 8 prophecies… The chance of all 8 of those happening is so small that mathematicians and scientists far smarter than myself say that even random chance isn’t a satisfying answer. How could all of these things come to pass? It’s not coincidence… No, Christmas is God’s Promise!

Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, God promised the prophet Isaiah that though darkness will cover the earth, the Lord will shine and His glory will appear. The Jewish people knew darkness well - they had been in exile, they had been oppressed, they knew suffering well. In the midst of these realities, God makes a promise and says that they won’t last. God promises that evil has an expiration date. That He will send a light and that light will change everything!

Today, we know that this darkness still exists in our world. Our world is broken. Evil still exists. Hurt people still hurt people. God’s Word doesn’t ignore this - but it provides hope to sufferers by reminding us that it won’t be this way forever… because God keeps His promises. When the people of Israel were in exile, a man named Daniel was used by God in some awesome ways - and one of the things Daniel did was tell people about God’s promises, including this Christmas promise that God would one day send a King into this world and change the world forever. Those wise men, who saw the star and traveled a long way to see Jesus? Likely were told about this Christmas promise from their great, great, great, great grandparents, who heard it from a man named Daniel. Christians, never back down from sharing God’s Word with those around you!

Let’s look to John 1 and see how exactly God keeps this Christmas promise

John 1:1–14 CSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. 14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Second, we celebrate

God’s Power (1-8)

Typically whenever we think of the Christmas story, we begin with what? The birth of Jesus! Mangers, Angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph. But in John 1, we see that the Christmas story actually begins much earlier… all the way back in eternity. Before time even began. Before Adam and Eve were created. Before the world was formed. All the way back, John reminds us that Jesus was. He was present. He was working. He was ruling. See, Christmas isn’t the beginning of Jesus, it is the arrival of Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God… Maybe we wonder what this means or who exactly is being talked about here, verse 14 says that “The Word became flesh.” Who could this be? Jesus! So what does this tell us about Jesus? He is God. He isn’t made by God. He isn’t created, He is Creator! In fact, all things were created through Him.

Colossians 1:15–17 CSB

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.

Look at the work of Jesus. He created all things and He sustains all things. Here’s why this matters: Because God is the Creator of all things, and because God knows all things about His creation, we can trust God with everything in our lives today! Whatever you are facing in your life, you can rest assured that God knows. That God made you. That God knows what’s going on in your life. That the God who is Himself light and life, gives light and life to people like you and I who live in a world of darkness… and notice what verse 5 says, “The darkness did not overcome it.”

John 1 shows us that Jesus came to give us life by lighting up this world. Tonight, have you received this gift of life? Understand this story in Scripture.

We were once dead, but God made us alive

We were once separated from God because of our sin, but God adopts us

We were once walking in darkness, but God send the light of the world to change our world

Christmas is a result of God’s power! Third, we celebrate

God’s Provision: His Presence (9-14)

This is amazing news - God had this plan to send light into this dark and broken world, and this light provides people with life. But, we see a problem in verse 10 - people didn’t recognize Jesus. He wasn’t received by people - He was rejected. All of these promises were fulfilled… but people didn’t care. Lots of people thought that they knew better than Jesus. That they didn’t need Him. Doesn’t this sound familiar to our world today? We too live in a broken world where darkness is growing, but people continue to deny that they need Jesus. This isn’t anything new - Ephesians 2 says that this is where all of us at one time are at. We’re lost in darkness… Maybe you know someone in this boat tonight… or, just maybe, this person is you. Maybe you’ve done your whole life without recognizing your need for Jesus. If this is you, look at John 1:12. Here is God’s provision for us: For those who understand their need for Jesus and who receive Him, there is a promise: You are a part of God’s forever family! Regardless of your past or present, this can be your story today. This is how things were always meant to be!

In the first book of the Old Testament, we see that God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden in Genesis. All was well! Until it wasn’t. In Genesis 3, we see that sin creates problems and that God is holy - perfect - and cannot be in the presence of sin, so Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden. Yet, we were created to be with God. So, how does God solve this problem of sin that separates us from His presence? Some say that God should just snap His fingers and make it work. But think about that: What if a person was found guilty of breaking into your house, stealing your money and possessions, lighting your car on fire, and stealing all your Christmas presents. They did all these things and there was proof because you caught them on a Ring Camera. The evidence is presented to the judge and the judge says that He is feeling gracious because it’s Christmas, and he allows the criminal to walk out of the courtroom with no apology, no fine, and no jail time. What would you say about that judge? You’d say that he wasn’t fair. He wasn’t just.

We’re not just talking about a human judge… we’re talking about the God of the universe. His standard is perfection. Not mostly good, or really good, perfectly good. No stealing, no lying, no lusting, no hating. We all fall short because we’ve broken these commands and the Bible calls this sin. And Scripture says that the wages of sin is death - not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. This is serious stuff! So, how can God solve our problem of sin? John 1:14 - by sending His Son.

John 8:12 CSB

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

This is what we call the Gospel. The good news. Not something that we could earn or deserve… but the good news that we don’t have to continue walking in darkness and under despair of sin. See, every other major world religion has this framework: Here’s what you can do to reach God. Every major worldview says the same thing: Here’s what you can do in order to reach what you want. Work hard. Do this. Be kind. Do. Do. Do. Christianity is different. In one word the Gospel isn’t “DO” - the Gospel is “DONE” because we celebrate John 1:14, that when the time was right, God sent His Son from the top of the mountain, to the bottom, in order to make a way for people like you and me to be with God forever. Today, because Jesus came to this earth, because He lived a perfect life, because He died on the cross, because He conquered death, because He is alive, because He is going to come back, we can have hope because there is 1 way to God, it’s only through faith in Jesus. The greatest present of Christmas is the presence of Jesus!

So this brings us to an important question: Who are you following? We all follow something. Many follow their heart. Others follow a specific leader. Some might follow a movement or organization. Who do you follow? It’s easy to say “I follow Jesus” when in actuality, Jesus is a part of our lives… Friend, Jesus is overqualified to simply be a decoration in your life. He’s either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all! Who is the Master of your life tonight? As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, the most important thing that you can do is follow Jesus and experience the light and life that He gives!

As we look ahead to a new year, what an opportunity before you to follow Christ and to do this alongside other believers who will encourage you each step of the way. Many of you have that type of faith family that you belong to - in 2026, pursue Jesus with those folks! If you don’t have a church home, though, understand how important that is. We can’t do this alone. We need one another! We’d love for you to join us here at South Gate as we have a spot just for you! Tonight, if you aren’t currently following Jesus, you need to! Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Tonight, here as we pray, you can do this… and if you know you need to, don’t leave this place without talking with me, or one of our staff members!

Let’s pray