Talk

The Birth of Christ and the Death of Death

Louie Giglio

December, 17, 2023

Highlighting the detail of “the myrrh” in the Christmas story, Louie Giglio shows listeners how death’s place in the story is that of a defeated enemy. Our God is acquainted with death and very familiar with its sting, but He has also conquered it once and for all through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus has defeated death.

Isaiah 53:4-6

He was pierced.

Death + pierced tied together in the context of myrrh.

The birth of Christ and the death of death.

God shares your loss for loved ones passed, and holds you with hope until you see them again.

The myrrh comes out in a tear.

When the tree is punctured, it “bleeds” and sheds “tears.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Grieving is a part of life and faith. Grieving is the authentication of love.

Revelation 21:1-5

God is going to provide everything you need for what He has called you to do.

People are on the way with what you need and His timing is perfect for you.

He is going to bring you what you need so you can remember what He has done.

“

"God shares your loss of loved ones passed and holds you with hope until you see them again."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

What are your Christmas plans?
What makes this Christmas season ‘wonderful’ for you? What makes it one of the most difficult times of the year?
Have you lost anyone close to you recently? Do you feel comfortable sharing about this loss?
How is the manger of Jesus about both life and death?
Try to recall what the three gifts of the wise men represented.
What does the inclusion of the types of gifts in the Christmas story teach us about the inclusion of details in Scripture?
What is the significance of the Commifora Tree in this talk?
What does it mean that Jesus defeated physical and spiritual death?
If someone were to ask you, “How come we do not live forever if Jesus defeated death?” what would you say in reply?
Louie said that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 teaches us that both hope and mourning can be held at the same time. Read back through this passage and talk about what this means for how we should live and think.

Scripture References

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

28Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said,

“I am thirsty.”

29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

30When he had received the drink, Jesus said,

“It is finished.”

With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.

33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”

37and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.

39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

40Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

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.

34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.