๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ -๐จ๐ฃ
โข What is something you made that you are most proud of? How long did it take you to make it?
โข Have you ever tried to change a habit of yours? Tell us about it.
โข Share a time when you had to sacrifice something for a loved one. What did you sacrifice and how did it make you feel?
๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ, โ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ!โ ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ:๐ฎ๐ต
(Read also ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ:๐ฏ๐ฌ-๐ฏ๐ฐ.)
The lamb was one of the most symbolic sacrifices in the time of the Israelites. The blood of the lamb spared them from judgment during the Passover. In the Old Testament, two lambs were offered every day by the priests as a means to commune with God and pay for the sin of the people. But not even the sacrificial lambs were enough to redeem humanity from sin. Thankfully, Jesus became the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and stood in our place. Today, we will look at what His sacrifice means for us, as we make Him known to others this Christmas.
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ, โ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ!โ ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ:๐ฎ๐ต
In Jewish tradition, as commanded by God, the sacrificial lamb must not have any defect or blemish. The lamb would take the place of someone who disobeyed God and would be a means for forgiveness and fellowship with Godโuntil the next sin. The truth is, human effort and sacrifice are insufficient to completely remove sin. This is why God was the one who provided the perfect Lamb for us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to bring us back into a right relationship with Him. Jesus lived a life without sin, fully God and fully man. How did Isaiah describe the coming Messiah centuries before Jesus came (Isaiah 53:7โ8)?
๐ฎ. ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ, โ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ!โ ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ:๐ฎ๐ต
The priest had to sacrifice lamb after lamb regularly because the people would sin. The purpose of the sin offering was eventually lost and became a ritual more than a space for people to be with God. Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, came to dwell with us so that He could once and for all redeem humanity from sin. He accomplished this by being the ultimate and perfect sacrifice to die for us. He took away all of our sins, since we are totally incapable of doing it ourselves. He came to take our place and die for us. Why is the gospel about Christโs death and resurrection, not just His birth and life?ย
๐ฏ. ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ, โ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ!โ ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ:๐ฎ๐ต
Jesusโ death and resurrection was not only meant for the Jews, but also for all who believe in Him. The Book of Revelation shows us how Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain so that His blood would ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). It will be a glorious sight: One day, people from different cultures and backgrounds will praise Jesus, the Lamb of God who sits on the throne as the righteous Judge and King. How do you think your family and community would be different if they understood and believed this truth?ย
๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
โข Jesus is the perfect sacrifice who takes away the sins of humankind. We can have a relationship with God because of Jesus, and not by our own efforts. How will this truth affect your relationship with God, beginning today?ย
โข Christmas can easily be overshadowed by other things apart from Jesus. What is something you can do this week to make Jesus the center of Christmas?
โข Jesusโ death on the cross meant light and life for all men. Take some time to tell someone about Jesus this weekโthat He is the best gift we can receive this Christmas.
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ
โข Thank God that He has given us Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Pray that you fix your eyes on Jesus as the ultimate gift this season and in every season of your life.ย
โข Jesus Himself, as the grace of God, is the free gift whom we have received. Knowing this truth, pray for boldness to proclaim the gospel to your family and friends.ย
โข Ask God to cause you to be a channel of His blessing and an encouragement to those you encounter in the next few weeks. Pray for opportunities to minister to and serve others.ย