The Christmas story is familiar. We have nativity scenes and special services that help even the non-Christian be familiar. But it is easy for us to miss the real meaning of Christmas, letting it slip by as we let the world distract us with the secular version of the holiday.

When you think of Christmas passages, Mark 6 is not one of them. Instead we see Jesus and his disciples coming back to Jesus' hometown. Much like when we return home for the holidays, Jesus faced astonishment, contempt, and criticism. Much like us, they were bored with the Jesus they thought they knew, but we can follow Jesus' instructions to John in Revelation 2:5 to get our zeal back.

John 3: 1-18 When Nicodemus came to speak to Jesus, he wasn't just your average, ordinary Jew. He was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin... the top 70 decision makers in the Jewish world. He wants to confirm for himself how he can save himself from death... he has the knowledge, but he wants to make sure. In His answer, Jesus provides the cornerstone verses that sum up the whole Bible in John 3.