Wise Men Still Seek Him

This article is adapted from a message preached on December 21st, 2025. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.

Christmas is celebrated across the world, but its meaning is often overlooked. This message reminds us that everything centres on one Person—Jesus Christ—and presses the urgency of responding to Him while there is still time.

Christmas points to one child

You cannot go very far in Ottawa—or anywhere in North America—without seeing signs of Christmas. Lights, trees, shopping, crowds, and constant activity surround us. It is not just here. Roughly 160 of the world’s 197 countries celebrate Christmas in some way.

The Bible itself testifies to this focus. Over five billion copies have been printed, and in recent years Bible sales have been higher than at any point in recorded history. All of this centres on one child born about 2,000 years ago.

That child is Jesus Christ. The entire story of the Bible rests on Him.

On a recent evening downtown, amid the noise and rush of Christmas shopping, a man stood preaching with a loudspeaker. His message was simple: people may be sad, lonely, burdened by sin, or anxious about what comes next—but the answer is Jesus Christ. As people walked past, surrounded by Christmas yet not thinking about Christ, the words of Scripture rang out:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

That is the real story of Christmas. Christ Jesus came into the world so that sinners could be saved.

A gift that must be received

The first object to remember is a gift. Scripture states plainly:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

People generally reject gifts for two reasons. First, they do not think they need them. A winter parka is useless on a hot summer day. A life jacket seems unnecessary until you are drowning. When the need is not felt, the gift is ignored.

That is how many respond to the gospel. They do not recognize their need. As the message is preached clearly, most simply walk by because they do not think it applies to them.

Why did God provide a Saviour?

God did not wait for us to reach Him. He came to us.

See what God has done

The second reason people reject gifts is because they do not value the giver. When a gift comes from someone we do not respect or trust, we often refuse it—regardless of its worth.

This is the deeper issue with the gift of God. To reject His gift is to turn your back on God Himself. Yet God’s heart is revealed in this: He loved the world enough to give His Son. Eternal life is offered, not earned. It is a gift.

A cup filled with sin

The second object is a cup, representing a life.

We often imagine our lives being filled with things—education, work, relationships, possessions. Yet when God looks at a life, He sees something else first.

From birth, we carry a sinful nature. Sin begins early and accumulates over time. Disobedience. Wrong words. Pride. Anger. Dishonesty. One by one, sin is dropped into the cup. Years pass, and the cup fills.

God sees a life meant for Him, now blocked by sin. There is separation—a gap so great that we cannot cross it ourselves. No amount of good works can outweigh what fills the cup. Scripture is clear: the wages of sin is death.

That is why the gift of God cannot be received without dealing with sin.

God did not ignore sin. At exactly the right time, Jesus Christ came into the world to deal with it fully. He did not minimize it or excuse it. He paid for it. He, who had no sin of His own, bore sin on the cross. The payment was made once and forever.

When a person trusts Christ as Saviour, that payment becomes theirs. Sin is covered. The separation is removed. Eternal life is given.

The question remains: are you still living under the first part of the verse, or have you received the gift described in the second?

A candle that burns briefly

The third object is a candle.

A small flame seems fragile, yet it burns steadily for a time. We know when it was lit. We do not know when it will go out.

Life is the same. We know when it began. We do not know when it will end. Scripture describes it this way:

“For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14

God gives life to be enjoyed—to see His creation, to experience His goodness—but also for a greater reason: so that we might come to know Him. Every moment is precious. Every hour is an opportunity to be made right with God.

When life ends, nothing else will matter. Not success. Not education. Not position. Only this: are your sins covered? Has the payment been applied? Have you received Christ?

To be saved transforms life. It does not remove all difficulty, but it gives you Christ—One who walks with you now and for eternity. The gift of God is taken from the hand of a loving God who says that whoever will may come.

These are the three lessons to remember: a gift to receive, a life filled with sin that must be covered, and a life that is short—like a candle—given so that you might trust God’s Son.