Christmas Grace: Part I

Luke 4:16-22 (NLT)
    When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. [17] The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him, and he unrolled the scroll to the place where it says:
 
        [18] "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
            for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.
        He has sent me to proclaim
            that captives will be released,
            that the blind will see,
            that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
            [19] and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."
 
    [20] He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently. [21] Then he said, "This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!"
    [22] All who were there spoke well of him and were amazed by the gracious words that fell from his lips. "How can this be?" they asked. "Isn't this Joseph's son?"

1.  Jesus has come to set the captives free and to offer us a more abundant and joyful existence in Him in the midst of our realities

Jesus accompanies us through the shadows of life and gives us His presence, power, hope and victory

2 Kings 6:17 (NLT)
    Then Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!" The Lord opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
    The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

2.  Encounter God's grace fully revealed in Jesus - experience and receive His grace in your life

John 1:16-17 (NIV)
    From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

3.  Don't miss and bypass Jesus in the midst of our busyness – build the consistent habit of pausing and being still before the presence of Jesus

Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)
    See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.