Do you have someone in your life who doesn’t choose Jesus? Is there tension there around the holidays? Why is that? If the message of Christmas is good news of great joy, then why does not everyone say yes to it? And why do we feel this tension and anxiety, and what do we do with it?

Luke 2:25-33

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

Which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

A light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

Have you ever felt distant from God—as if His holiness and your brokenness can’t meet? For the people of ancient Israel, priests bridged that gap through sacrifices and prayer.

But at Christmas Jesus came to be the perfect bridge - experiencing life as we do, though without sin.

Through Him, we can come to God with confidence, receiving mercy, grace, help, healing, and forgiveness.

Matthew 2:10–11

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Hebrews 10:10

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 4:14–16

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We only search for something when we come to the realization that that something is lost. The question isn’t whether something’s lost… it’s who we’ve lost sight of.

Luke 2:41-52

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.