The Story of Christmas Begins in a Garden

In one paragraph

This was Tribe's outdoor Christmas Eve service, held in Jackson. Brian Hunter told the story of Christmas not as a holiday tradition but as a storyline running from creation to the present day, and invited anyone hearing it for the first time to receive what he called the gift it offers. Brian opened by saying the story of Christmas does not begin with Saint Nicholas or even with Bethlehem. It...

Read together

1. Isaiah 9 quoted at length as the prophetic cry for the Messiah, including the virgin birth and names of the coming son
2. Luke 2 quoted at length telling the birth of Jesus, the angels appearing to the shepherds, and the shepherds finding the baby in the feeding trough
3. John 3:16 paraphrased as 'for God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son so that whomsoever should believe in him will not perish but have eternal life'

What was said

• Visit tribejh.com to find out when and where Tribe meets on Sundays.
• Stop by the prayer booth and ask someone to pray with you about whatever you are carrying this Christmas, big or small.
• Pick up a Bible from the tent if you want one and read the passages Brian mentioned, Isaiah 9 and Luke 2, for yourself.
• If you have never done it before, take a moment this week to ask Jesus to forgive you, invite him into your life, and make him the leader of it.
• Bring someone with you to a Sunday service at Tribe and let them see for themselves what this community is about.

Talk about it

1. Brian said the story of Christmas begins not in Bethlehem but in a garden, where God gave mankind the gift of free will. What does it mean to you that God took that kind of risk with us?
2. The passage from Isaiah chapter nine lists names for the coming Messiah, including 'the mighty God' and 'the prince of peace.' Which of those names lands most personally for you this Christmas, and why?
3. Brian described the shepherds hurrying off to see for themselves what the angel had told them. When have you had a moment where you felt compelled to go and see something about Jesus for yourself rather than just take someone else's word for it?
4. Brian said God always goes one step further than what you expected, pointing to the gift of a savior being for the whole world and not only for Israel. Where in your own life have you seen God go further than you expected?
5. Brian closed by saying Jesus came once to establish his kingdom in our hearts and will come again to establish justice, righteousness, and peace on earth. How does that future hope change the way you are living right now?