Once upon a time, it was expected for pastors to preach on four specific topics in the weeks leading up to Christmas: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. These days, those topics are hardly popular for the Christmas season—or any season, for that matter. Three are often dismissed as too dark, while one is seen as too distant. But their lack of popularity shouldn't surprise us. After all, we aren’t exactly living in the wisest of times. Ironically, one of the reasons our age seems so foolish is our refusal to think deeply about these weighty truths.
This December, as we celebrate Christmas, we’re going to retrace the old paths. Together, we will think deeply about death, judgment, heaven, and hell, and you’ll find that meditating on these "last things" ought not to be morbid or gloomy. In fact, when we confront the Bible's weightiest truths, we begin to see with clarity why the birth of Jesus truly makes Christmas merry!
