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In this first week of our new Christmas series, Is He Worthy?, Pastor Neil Silverberg invites us to begin a journey of rediscovering the true nature of Jesus and the eternal worthiness that sets Him apart. From this point forward, we’ll simply call him Neil as we explore these profound truths together. He begins by posing a simple yet provocative question inspired by a familiar Christmas carol: can something as humble as a well-known melody awaken a deeper spiritual awareness within us? At first glance, it may seem unlikely, but Neil encourages us to remain open to the possibility that even familiar traditions can spark new revelations about who Jesus really is. Too often, we let our spiritual lives slip into predictable patterns, overlooking the vibrant life that faith in Christ offers. Just as the woman at the well went about her daily routine until she encountered Jesus in a way that shifted her entire perspective, so too can we be surprised by moments of divine encounter if our hearts remain ready.

Neil references the insights of Martin Lloyd-Jones, who challenged believers to approach God with an expectation of meeting Him. Without this expectation, our faith can become stale, losing the freshness that originally drew us to Christ. The idea that we might encounter God in ways that enliven our understanding of who Jesus is forms the cornerstone of this new series. As we reflect on the eternal worthiness of Jesus, we’re reminded that He isn’t merely another religious figure or historical personality. Instead, He stands at the center of a divine mystery, the visible image of the invisible God, a truth set forth in Colossians 1:15 and illuminated by John 1:18. Through Jesus, we gain access to understanding the nature of God, the One who can be truly known only by looking to the Son.

Neil guides us deeper into these mysteries, inviting us to consider what it means for Jesus to be eternally worthy. Long before the first Christmas morning, before the manger, shepherds, and star-lit skies, Jesus was in fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This eternal communion, expressed in passages like John 17:5, shows that He existed in perfect unity within the Trinity long before creation itself began. Drawing on the Hebrew concept of “echad,” we discover that God’s oneness is a unity that encompasses Father, Son, and Spirit together, a divine fellowship that cannot be confined to a simplistic understanding of singularity. In this unity, we begin to see that Jesus didn’t just appear in the world as a good man or even as a prophet; He is the eternal Word who was with God and is God, as John’s gospel proclaims. The relationship and unity within the Godhead reveal a depth of divine love and purpose that stretches beyond time, and Jesus stands at the heart of it.

As we ponder these truths, Neil encourages us to consider how Jesus makes the intangible nature of God tangible to human minds and hearts. Without Jesus, we’re left with abstract concepts and distant notions of divinity. Through Him, however, God steps into history, clothing Himself in flesh so that we might see, touch, and understand aspects of the divine nature that would otherwise remain shrouded in mystery. Jesus shows us the heart of God not just in grand miracles or transcendent visions, but also in His kindness, His teachings, and His willingness to engage with ordinary people facing ordinary struggles. This is precisely why the earliest Christians were so captivated by Him. In Jesus, they recognized the very God who formed the heavens, assigned boundaries to the seas, and shaped the world from nothing, as depicted in Proverbs 8 and reflected upon by countless theologians, including Charles Spurgeon.

Neil draws our attention to the profound implications of these truths. If Jesus is indeed eternally worthy, if He is God’s own revelation of Himself, then His claims inevitably challenge conventional expectations. In John 10, we see that some who encountered Jesus found His claims shocking enough to consider them blasphemy. Yet this response underscores just how radical His identity really is. Jesus is not merely one voice among many but the divine Son who takes upon Himself the authority to make known the Father’s will and character. The earliest followers of Jesus, understanding this radical claim, were willing to see Him as the eternal King, the One who not only shares God’s nature but acts as the creative agent through whom all things that exist have come into being.

Reflecting on passages like Psalm 33:6 and Hebrews 1:1-2, Neil urges us to grasp that Jesus is not a later addition to God’s plan, but central to it from the start. Through Him, the world was fashioned and set into motion. Through Him, the divine narrative of redemption unfolded—an eternal plan in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit agreed together. By entering our world, Jesus makes known what God is like, not as an aloof sovereign watching from afar, but as the personal, engaged, and loving Lord who cares deeply for humanity. His eternal worthiness is not simply a doctrinal point or theological abstraction; it is the very anchor of our faith, inviting us to encounter God as He truly is.

Neil’s approach to these truths encourages us to move beyond stale routines and familiar religious habits. The Christmas season, too often reduced to mere sentiment, can become a fresh canvas upon which we encounter the living Christ anew. Instead of settling for a distant memory of a baby in a manger, we’re invited to embrace the fullness of who that Child really is: the eternal Word, the exact imprint of God’s nature, and the One who has been at work since before time began. Recognizing Jesus’ eternal worthiness transforms how we relate to Him. No longer do we approach Him as a distant figure of the past. Instead, we experience Him as a present and living reality, drawing us deeper into the heart of God and awakening us to the possibility of divine encounters in our everyday lives.

This perspective challenges us to break out of spiritual complacency. Rather than being content with a faith that fits neatly into scheduled services and predictable prayers, we learn to anticipate moments in which God might speak to us personally and unexpectedly. We may find Him in the words of Scripture as we reflect on how Jesus shares divine glory and essence with the Father, or in those quiet times of prayer where, if we listen, we might sense the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit. We may discover Him in the compassionate actions of believers who, having encountered the divine love of Christ, can’t help but share it with others. By engaging with these truths, we open ourselves to faith that is alive, dynamic, and transforming.

At the heart of this Christmas series lies the invitation to meet Jesus not as a distant idea but as the eternal King who graciously reveals God’s heart, nature, and purposes. As we celebrate His coming, we can look beyond the familiar carols and cherished traditions, allowing them to spur us toward genuine discovery. Jesus is eternally worthy, and this worthiness is a reality that transcends time and cultural boundaries. It is the reason we worship, the reason we trust, and the reason we dare to believe that the routine patterns of life can be interrupted by divine encounters that awaken our souls. This Christmas, as we begin the series Is He Worthy?, may we find ourselves responding to that question with a resounding yes, not only because we’ve learned more information about who Jesus is, but because we’ve opened our hearts to encountering Him in a transformative, deeply personal way.