The Most Incredible Message Became the Most Incredible Gift!
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Reverend Larry Deering
Scripture
John 1:29
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:32-34
32Then John gave this testimony: I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
34I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One.
Genesis 22:7-8
7Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
8Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together.
Isaiah 53:1-12
1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8By oppression Or [From arrest] and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. Or [generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?]
9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes Hebrew [though you make] his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11After he has suffered, he will see the light of life Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have [the light of life.] and be satisfied Or (with Masoretic Text) [[11] He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied]; by his knowledge Or [by knowledge of him] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, Or [many] and he will divide the spoils with the strong, Or [numerous] because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Romans 8:17
17Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Revelation 7:9-12
9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
10And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12saying: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!
Revelation 7:16-17
16'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'