As we begin our Christmas series, “Who is This?”, we’re exploring the question that everyone must answer: Who is Jesus, and why does it matter? Like the days before Caller ID, when you’d nervously answer the phone and wonder, “Who is this?”, we all have to answer that about Jesus. Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV) gives Jesus four unique titles—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

These names are not just poetic descriptions; they reveal who Jesus is and what we can experience through Him. Everyone is searching for help, advice, and meaning—something or someone to guide us through life’s darkness and uncertainties. Isaiah warns that looking anywhere but God will lead us only to more distress and emptiness (Isaiah 8:21–22 ESV). But Jesus breaks into our darkness as the promised light (Isaiah 9:1 ESV).

He is the Wonderful Counselor who gives soul-deep healing and guidance, as when He forgave and healed the paralytic (Mark 2:5, 11 ESV). Jesus challenges our misplaced trust, as He did with the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21 ESV), offers real comfort in grief (John 11:25, 35 ESV), and brings clarity in confusion, as on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:15–32 ESV).

This season, the invitation is simple: draw close to the Wonderful Counselor. He is ready to guide, heal, and walk with all who seek Him—not just at Christmas, but every day.

The message focuses on Matthew 5:33–37 and Jesus’ teaching about oaths within the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew, writing to a largely Jewish-Christian audience, emphasizes Jesus as King and the character of His advancing kingdom.

In this section, Jesus challenges the traditional practice of swearing oaths to prove one’s honesty, teaching instead that kingdom people should be so truthful that oaths become unnecessary. He warns against swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or one’s own head because all belong to God, not to us.

Ultimately, Jesus calls His followers to integrity—letting their simple “yes” or “no” be enough—reflecting a transformed character rooted in God’s authority, holiness, and grace.

The sermon welcomed the congregation and introduced teaching from Matthew 5:27-32, where Jesus addresses lust and divorce in the Sermon on the Mount.

It was emphasized that Jesus’ message goes beyond outward actions to examine the attitude of the heart, challenging everyone to take personal responsibility for their own thoughts and desires regarding lust.

We talked about the dangers of unchecked lust, including issues like pornography, highlighting Jesus’ urgent call to remove anything that causes sin and to make a covenant with our eyes, following the example of Job (Job 31:1 ESV).

On the topic of divorce, it was explained that Jesus restores the biblical view of marriage as a sacred covenant and speaks up for those vulnerable in society, urging the church to respond to Jesus’ teachings with repentance, grace, and a genuine pursuit of purity in both thought and relationship.