Thesis
Drawing from John 1, this sermon argues that Christmas is far more than a seasonal feeling or a collection of holiday moments. It is the mission of God — who, in His unfailing love and faithfulness, entered the world He created to restore light and life to broken humanity. Just as John the Baptist was called to point others to Jesus and the first disciples were invited to 'come and see,' every follower of Jesus is called into that same ongoing mission. When we fixate on the moment — what we want right now — we miss the greater things God has prepared for those who trust His mission.
Key points
- 1
Christmas begins not in Bethlehem but 'in the beginning' — Jesus, the Word, is the eternal Creator who entered His own creation to restore light and life.
- 2
The darkness can never extinguish the light — no matter how dark your season feels, the mission of Jesus is greater than any moment of despair.
- 3
John the Baptist models the mission: his job — and ours — is to be a witness who points others to Jesus, not to make the mission about ourselves.
- 4
When Jesus asks 'What do you want?' He is probing a deeper question: What is your expectation of where following Him is supposed to take you?
- 5
Jesus' invitation — 'Come and see' — calls us past moment-level thinking (give me something, take something away) into a missional life of greater things.
- 6
The 'greater things' Jesus promised are rooted in His unfailing love and faithfulness — ultimately the cross — which is the stairway that reconnects humanity to God.
- 7
God's gift to us is not a toy for the moment but a tool for eternity — and like the first disciples and Philip, we are sent to invite others to 'come and see' Jesus.
Outline
Introduction: The Ugly Sweater Problem
Using the metaphor of ugly Christmas sweaters, the pastor observes that many people wear their faith proudly during Christmas but pack it away when the season ends — treating Christmas as a moment rather than a mission.
Big Idea: Mission, Not a Moment
The central theme is stated: Christmas is about a mission God went on for us that He wants to continue through us. The sermon introduces John's Gospel as a uniquely mission-focused account of the Christmas story.
Reading John 1 as the Christmas Story
All 51 verses of John 1 are read aloud, presenting the Christmas story from the perspective of who Jesus is and why He came — from the eternal Word in the beginning through the calling of the first disciples.
Unpacking John 1 — The Mission Established
The pastor explains how John 1 frames Jesus as the eternal Creator who came to restore light and life, and how the darkness can never extinguish that light — making Christmas about a savior, not a season.
John the Baptist and the Shared Mission
John the Baptist is held up as the first example of the mission continuing through a person — his job description (witness and testifier pointing others to Jesus) is the same job description every believer carries.
'What Do You Want?' — Moment vs. Mission
Focusing on Jesus' question to His first two followers in John 1:38, the pastor unpacks two layers: the surface-level moment answer versus the deeper missional question Jesus is really asking about expectations and purpose in following Him.
Come and See — Surrendering Expectations
Jesus' invitation 'come and see' is explored as a call to trust His unfailing love beyond our moment-level expectations, illustrated by Israel's mistaken expectation of a political messiah and how wrong expectations cause people to miss the greater things.
Illustration: The Encyclopedia Christmas
The pastor shares a personal story about receiving a World Book Encyclopedia as a child, initially rejecting it as a terrible gift but later discovering it was one of the most valuable gifts he ever received — mirroring how we can miss God's greatest gifts when we want a toy instead of a tool.
Closing Call: Come and See, Come and Be
The sermon closes with a challenge to answer Jesus' question — 'Why are you following me?' — by surrendering moment-level expectations and choosing to come and see what God has, while also joining the mission of pointing others to Jesus.
Memorable moments
Christmas isn't a season. It's a savior
Christmas is about a mission not a moment. A mission that God has done for us, and then wants to continue through us
When I get stuck in the moment, moment mentality instead of mission mentality, I tend to make it about me
You notice he didn't say, stay and wait
I wanted a toy. I didn't want a tool
that mission is God's unfailing love and faithfulness through Jesus who created you. Wants to bring you back and give you something that's not just about this moment, it's a tool for all of eternity
Application
The pastor's challenge is personal and direct: Why are you following Jesus? Why are you here? Most of us default to moment-level answers — give me something I want, take away something I don't. But Jesus is asking a deeper question about mission and expectation. The invitation is to surrender those moment-driven expectations, trust His unfailing love and faithfulness, and simply choose to 'come and see' where He leads. That means moving past a seasonal faith that gets packed away in January and stepping into the ongoing mission — being a witness who points others to Jesus, just as John the Baptist did and just as Philip did when he told Nathaniel, 'Come and see.' Christmas isn't something you celebrate and put away. It is the mission you were made for.
