27“Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you. 31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die. (John 12:27-33)

• The rulers/authorities – power, self-preservation
• Chief priests

9Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” 10For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. (Mark 15:9-10)

• Pilate

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:15)

• The disciples – fear, confusion, self-preservation

-Left Jesus’ side.
-Followed from a distance.
-Sat with the opposition.
-Denied even knowing Jesus.

But Jesus knew who he was and would not deny it…

60Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 61But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death. 1As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” (Mark 14:60-64, 15:1-2)

The Hope of Christmas – the Peace of Christmas – the Joy of Christmas are all made glorious because of the LOVE of Christmas. That is, the love of God seen in the cross of Jesus!

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Because relationship with one another is at the core of being a disciple of Christ, we invite you to find community and experience spiritual transformation through LCC’s groups, classes, events, and service opportunities.

CLICK HERE to see what's happening with the Lighthouse family.

THIS WEEK
• Christmas Eve at Lighthouse: Join us for a special celebration of the birth of our Savior! Services at 2pm, 4pm (ASL), and 6pm on Tuesday, December 24. Childcare 0-3 years provided at our 2pm and 4pm services.

NEXT WEEK
• Special Services on December 29: Plan to join us for a special time of worship during our one-hour, family-oriented services on Sunday, December 29. Kids 4 years and up will attend services with their parents. Stay after for treats and some family fun!

COMING UP
• Ministry Fair: After each worship service on Sunday, January 5. Come on over to Building 2 and see all that is planned for the winter season at LCC, discover how you can get involved, and connect with others. No need to register. Visit www.lighthousehome.org/connect.
• End-of-year Giving: Please note that year-end giving may be completed online through our website or postmarked by December 31.

ENEWS
Sign up for LCC's weekly eNews. Get special announcements and messages from our pastors and Leadership Team, updates and emergency notices, and a first look at upcoming groups, classes, and events. Visit www.lighthousehome.org/enews to sign up.

Discussion questions are updated/posted each Monday morning for the previous Sunday’s sermon.

See discussion questions for the teaching recorded on December 22.

**Please note: We are taking a short break from questions over the holidays. The next set of discussion questions will be posted on January 13 for the sermon recorded on January 12.