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Seeing the divineWhy is christmas different from other holidays? Is it the gift

giving? Gift receiving? Overall festiveness of the season?

This is one of the few moments during the year that most

people are celebrating. Different cultures may not celebrate

christmas the way we do, but during this time of year,

celebrations take place around the globe. So what really

separates christmas from the other celebrations, and why

is it so important to us?

Honestly, if we removed the divine aspect of christmas, it

would be just like any other celebration. It would simply

be a fun time of buying gifts for friends and family, and

returning gifts from friends and family. Fortunately, for

those of us who follow christ, the divine part of christmas

is alive and well. The divine nature of this season, the fact

that we celebrate christ becoming flesh distinguishes this

event from all others. There has been no event like this one,

and there never will be, and we get to celebrate this event

each year.

maybe the simple fact that we do celebrate every year

has removed some of the mystery and meaning from this

season. So this year, let’s take some time to pause and really

think through what Jesus did when He left heaven and

entered our world as a child. Let’s focus on the divine as we

celebrate this season. Through the story of christmas we

see a divine portrait of our God, and we learn how to live

with a divine focus even in our ordinary moments. We’ve

also received a divine invitation and direction for our lives.

Let’s remove the ordinary this year and focus on the divine.

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divine PortraitWhat Would a Picture of god look like?

changing the world seems to be something everyone dreams of and few actually do. Perhaps it’s

because we don’t have the right perspective, the right values. every day is filled with a thousand

things to do and only enough time to get to about seven of them. between relationships with the

ones we love, duties at the jobs we tolerate, and finishing chores that we hate—it seems there’s little

time left over for actually doing something important.

Perhaps that is why God spoke so poignantly in Isaiah 61. He wants us to get a view of life from His

perspective. He wants us to see the divine everywhere we look and in everyone we meet. We need to

see that people are important. Not just the “beautiful people” who can give us a better reputation by

being around them or the “powerful people” who can give us a boost in our careers. No, we need to see

the lowliest people on the earth from God’s perspective.

When we see those people as God sees them, it will change everything we value. It will start with

our own lives. When we recognize the divine portrait God is painting all around us, the very nature of

our salvation and the priority of His kingdom will shape everything we do.

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god valueS all PeoPleIsaIah 61:1-7

For more on this topic, download the sermon “We Are Here to Love the World” by Joshua Harris, available at covlife.org/resources.

Threads’ own Jim Johnston shows us what it looks like when we commit to love others in the article “Love Plus commitment equals community.” read the article for yourself at threadsmedia.com/lead.

Who is the most important person in the world? Not just the most important

person to you, but most important to everybody? It’s a question that has great

significance. That person controls the fate of millions—make that billions—

of people.

Now, answer this question: Who is the least important person in the world?

It’s a hard question to answer. It might be an impoverished child in Haiti or a war

criminal in Afghanistan or a cancer-stricken convict in a third-world prison. but

from the greatest political power to the most outcast person on the planet, each

person is valued equally by their creator.

We all pass by people who can add value

to our lives. We spend time with them—

on purpose—in order to gain something

from the encounter. but what if we flipped

the idea on its head? because of christ’s

example, we should look for those who can’t

add anything to our lives, but rather we can

bestow value upon their lives. If we only look

to associate with people who can benefit us in some way, how are we defining

value? God values us all simply as children, in the same way a father loves all

his children equally. His value and love isn’t based on performance but rather

relationship. We can learn a lot from the way God values all people.

christ’s costly descent in order to redeem us demonstrates our worth to

God. He gave up the rights and privileges of heaven in order to show value to a

woman at a well (John 4), a leper (matthew 8), and a desperate mother (mark 7).

When we watch Jesus interact with people, His value of them is unmistakable. I

wonder if the same can be said of us?

u When was the last time you built a relationship with someone without the

expectation of bettering yourself?

u How do you determine or assign value to those around you?

u What do you need to change in order to value people the way God does?

he gave uP the rightS and

PrivilegeS of heaven in

order to ShoW value to a

Woman at a Well, a lePer,

and a deSPerate mother.

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mid-Week reading 1

Listen to the song “Until the Whole World Hears” by casting crowns from the album Until the Whole World Hears, available on the Winter 2010-11 imix found at threadsmedia.com/lifematters.

On a cross-country road trip, rachel Starr Thomson discovers that one person can make a difference. read the article “The road to change,” available at boundless.org.

god loveS juSticeIsaIah 61:8-9

Justice seems to be a fairy-tale word these days. Only in the movies and on

television does anyone ever seem to get justice. The evening news is filled with

stories of corruption in banks, business, and politics. It almost feels as if justice

is an idea for a by-gone era.

but in our Scripture passage this week, God declares that He loves justice

(Isaiah 61:8). In fact, the next line of the verse goes on to say of God, “I hate

robbery and injustice.” Hate? God hates something? Perhaps you might think

it’s a weird translation, or our english language just can’t capture the nuances

of ancient Hebrew (the language Isaiah was written in). but, yes, God hates

injustice. He has a deep desire for justice to be found among the people He

created. Not only does God desire justice, He expects us to as well.

As believers, we have a responsibility to deliver justice even though it seems

too large for us to do. Honestly, it is, but that’s the beautiful part. It requires us to

depend even more on God. Look around your

community and you’ll find people who need

an advocate. Search your heart to see how

the Holy Spirit is prompting you to use your

passions and skills for someone else this week,

this month, and this year. What’s that one

thing that makes your heart grieve or burn? It could be serving as an advocate

for abused children, ministering to invalids in a nursing home, or helping

immigrants learn english. Find that one thing.

most likely, if you look for it, you’ll find a cause that God has birthed in your

heart. God wants to use you in His fight against injustice. You may not win a

Nobel Peace Prize, but you’ll connect more closely with the heart of God.

u Do you have a genuine desire for justice?

u Will you take the time to look around this week and ask God to show you areas

of injustice?

u Are you willing to step up when He opens your eyes?

“i hate robbery and

injuStice.” —god

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mid-Week reading 2

god deSireS righteouSneSSIsaIah 61:10-11

For a reminder of why we celebrate christmas, listen to or read the sermon “The Son of man came to Give His Life a ransom for many” by John Piper in the Desiring God resource Library at desiringgod.org/resourcelibrary. click “Sermons” and search “by Title.”

The video “by Definition” gives an excellent word- by-word explanation of the gospel. Watch it at threadsmedia.com/store.

“righteousness” sounds like an old word. but as christians, it’s a word that we

wear. It defines us.

When the apostle Paul was corresponding with the church in corinth, he

wrote about christ in his second letter: “He made the One who did not know

sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”

(2 corinthians 5:21). God so desired for us to be given the gift of righteousness

that the Son—a full member of the Trinity—came to earth to take our sin onto

Himself on the cross so we could “become the

righteousness of God in Him.” It’s a mystery

worth pondering.

righteousness essentially means that we

are in right standing with the perfect standard.

because of christ’s work on the cross, christians

have been given righteousness. In essence, we

have the right standing before the holy God,

and we can be in a relationship with Him. That’s the truth of our eternity. but is it

the truth of how we live our every day?

Isaiah 61:10-11 directs the people of God to put our righteousness on display.

We have no room to be arrogant because it’s righteousness given, not earned.

but by living out the standard we’ve been given, we’re bragging on God. It’s

a way that we can “cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the

nations” (Isaiah 61:11). God requires righteousness and desires it to be on display

among all the nations. And that includes each of us. Today, live out the gift

you’ve been given.

u What does it mean to live out righteousness?

u What will need to change in your everyday life for you to actually begin living out

your righteousness?

u Do you often think of righteousness like a gift? A gift to be shared?

righteouSneSS meanS

We are in right Stand-

ing With the Perfect

Standard.

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mid-Week reading 3

What Would a Picture of god look like?

hoW good are you at Putting thingS together? Anytime I have

to put something together, instructions are great; pictures are even better. It’s

one thing to read about something, but when you can actually see it and how

it’s put together, things seem to make much more sense. maybe the same can

be said of our faith. The bible is full of instructions on how to live, but if we had

a picture of God it might help us connect the dots. Thanks to Isaiah, we have

something very close. Let’s see what picture he paints in Isaiah 61.

god valueS all PeoPle { iSaiah 61:1-7 }

1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. and they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify him. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

5 strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers. 6 But you will be called the LORD’s priests; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will eat the wealth of the nations, and you will boast in their riches. 7 Because your shame was double, and they cried out, “Disgrace is their portion,” therefore, they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs.

Isaiah begins by highlighting the fact that God loves all

people. The poor, brokenhearted, captives, and prisoners

aren’t outcasts in God’s eyes.

u Who are the people in our society who are considered

outcasts?

The Lord was showing how He valued even the poor and

despised. The big question is, do we?

u Discuss some of the reasons that we don’t find value in the

poor, brokenhearted, captives, or prisoners.

We have a responsibility to bring change by showing

compassion to all people. When God opens the door, He

also equips.

u Can you describe a time when you felt unprepared for a

task, but then God did an amazing work?

The first picture Isaiah paints of God shows how He deter-

mines value and who He values.

u What has to change first—who you value or how you

assign value?

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god loveS juStice { iSaiah 61:8-9 }

8 For I Yahweh love justice; I hate robbery and injustice; I will faithfully reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their posterity among the peoples. all who see them will recognize that they are a people the LORD has blessed.

If we all work together we can accomplish a

lot. check out the video “Warped motives” at

threadsmedia.com/store. How will you make a

difference?

The next part of Isaiah’s picture is justice. In verse 8, it says,

“Yahweh love[s] justice” and hates injustice.

u How do we define the word “justice”?

u Is our modern definition the same as what’s being

proclaimed in this passage?

God desires for us to live out the gospel by both telling the

gospel and being a physical representation of the gospel

to those in need.

u Discuss some of the groups in our city who are in need of

God’s compassion.

u How can you live out the gospel among these people?

Of course, we have a lot of distractions: work, hobbies,

and even other religious activities. but we should love

what God loves more than the minutia that often

becomes our priorities.

u How can we as a group begin fighting injustice together?

u Can a group like ours actually make a difference?

The ultimate means for christians to deliver justice is

to talk about God’s universal rule over all people and

nations. We should happily seek justice for those who

are unable to defend themselves. but ultimately, our

greatest call for justice is the call for all to submit to the

King of Glory.

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god deSireS righteouSneSS { iSaiah 61:10-11 }

10 I greatly rejoice in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth produces its growth, and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Isaiah finishes his portrait of God by focusing on His love

of righteousness. Our relationship with God because of

christ’s work on our behalf is the ultimate symbol of God’s

desire for righteousness in humanity.

u Describe how the saving work of Christ displays justice

demanded and met in our lives.

We’ve been clothed in salvation and righteousness. because

of what christ has done, we now have righteousness “sown”

into us.

u Based on what verse 11 says, what should be the result of

the righteousness planted in us?

u The question was raised during the mid-week readings,

“What does it mean to live out righteousness?” How did

you answer this question?

We can celebrate the gift of righteousness through our

gatherings of worship as the church, in bible study groups

like this one, and through engaging in God’s mission in

the world.

u How have you recently celebrated (with the church or in

private) God’s righteousness in your life?

As God has bestowed righteousness into our lives,

our activities should reflect it. We should “wear” our

righteousness with joy as described in verse 10. As a bride

isn’t ashamed of her wedding dress, we should count it as

a joyful privilege to wear righteousness in our daily lives.

u Does your life exhibit a love for righteousness or a love

of self?

u You know God desires righteousness. How can you begin

moving your life in that direction?

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and finally . . .

Values often precede actions. When we get a picture of the heart of God, we’ll understand how we ought to live.

The issue of value for every person is rooted in God’s heart, yet it’s rarely in the hearts of people. We’re better

at putting people into a hierarchy of importance based on how they can help us. Yet justice demands that we

value those who can’t do anything for us, and we may even have to sacrifice a few personal comforts to help

them. Living the gospel and wearing our righteousness leads us to give all we have for the least among us, and

that’s beginning to look like the picture we see in Isaiah.

u How can you seek to better understand God’s heart for all people?

u Where is justice missing in your community?

u Before you can live the gospel or wear God’s righteousness, you must truly know Him. Where do you stand before

Him today—child or stranger?

u How does living out the righteousness we’ve been given by God lead to joy? Is there joy in your life?

connect . . .

With your World The world is filled with places that are in need of justice for the poor and oppressed. In

our own country and around the world, there are many who don’t make enough money to purchase food for

their families each day. When we consider the vast poverty in many places around the globe, we’re tempted

to think that making a difference is improbable. but any impact made means another person is helped. When

you consider that God will enable us with His Spirit and anointing, the possibilities are endless. It all begins with

you helping one person. Whether it’s sponsoring a child in a foreign country or one in your local community,

it makes a difference. Don’t make changing the world your goal; make changing one life your goal. check out

these sites for ideas and opportunities to change a life:

candle Wishes: candlewishes.org

big brothers big Sisters: bbbs.org

Feeding America: feedingamerica.org

These three ideas are simply to begin pointing you in the right direction. maybe these organizations will inspire

you, or maybe you need to start something new in your community.

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