| Order of Service | The Order of Morning Worship, Page 5. |
| Old Testament Lesson | Isaiah 7:10-14 |
| Epistle Lesson | Titus 2:11-14 |
| Gospel Lesson | Luke 2:1-14 |
| Sermon | “In The Birth of Christ, The Grace Of God Appeared To All Men.” Titus 2:11-14 |
| Hymns | 87, 94, 91, 105 |
Dear Friends in Christ,
On this blessed Christmas Day, we are here to celebrate the greatest miracle of all ages. We are here the celebrate the fact that the Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came into this world as a true man. The Bible says, “And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” (I Tim. 3:16)
Let us ponder this for a moment. In the Person of Jesus Christ, God became a man. A true man. He had normal flesh and blood as you and I have. He ate food, drank drink, slept, felt hunger, pain, fatigue, and sorrow. He even suffered and died. Thus, when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem or on the roads of Galilee, people saw a true man. Yet He still remained true God. As the Bible says, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Men saw this glory as Jesus performed His miracles and as He spoke as no other man ever spoke.
What is more, even the manner in which Christ became true man was miraculous. Christ was not born by way of a man and a woman, but of a woman alone. And not not just any woman, but a virgin, a woman who had not known a man. How could that be? How could a Virgin woman be with child? Scripture tells us that Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost, and this enabled Him to be born without sin. As the Angel Gabriel said to Mary, “But the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Likewise, the angel of the Lord informed Joseph saying, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 1:20)
Now then, even though we rightly celebrate the miracle and the awesomeness of Christ’s birth, our chief concern is what the birth of Christ means for our faith and life. Our text says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Very simply, Christ’s birth was God bringing salvation to all the world. Nothing could be more wonderful than this!
Based on the words of our text, our Christmas sermon will bring two things to our attention: 1) That Christ’s birth is all grace; for all people; and 2) What this grace teaches us.
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we must not lose sight of the fact that His birth was God’s grace in action. It was God’s undeserved love and favor unfolding. How is this so? Christ’s birth was all grace for the simple reason that He was born to save a totally unworthy world of sinners. The world into which Christ was born was a totally fallen world which was an offense to God and deserving of eternal damnation. Of course, this is not new information for us. We have learned this over and over again. Yet it is not superfluous knowledge to which we can say, “O I know that!” Indeed, we do not fully understand nor appreciate grace unless we also understand our sins which caused us to need grace. So, let us hear it again. From the Fall of Adam, all mankind fell into sin. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” We also know this from the Scripture which says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Psalm 14:2-3 says, “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Early proof that man’s sinfulness was passed on is that the first child born into this world was Cain, the first murderer. Also, the world became so wicked that God sent the Flood which destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family. Was sin extinguished? No, just 110 years after the Flood, the people of the city of Babel rose up in pride and defied God by building the Tower of Babel.
What is more, we know from Scripture and secular history that even at the very time of Christ’s birth, the world was a world of sin and evil. The world-power at that time was the Roman Empire whose Caesars were idol worshipers who even permitted themselves to be worshiped. Except for the Jews who were God’s chosen people, the rest of the world was in heathen darkness. The world at large was without hope, and without God in this world. Even among the Jews themselves were many who became earthly-minded.
And in case we need any additional proof that the world into which Christ was born is still the same sinful world, let us look around. Sin and wickedness still abound. Just this year alone our country experienced several terrible mass murders. A most heinous crime! We still see most of humanity embracing false religions, worshiping false gods, even outright idols. We see a continuation of Sodom and Gomorrah where men are with men and women with women. We see some who defy how God made them and seek to change their gender by surgery. We see corruption in governments at all levels.
Yet we need not just look around to see that this is a fallen world. All we have to do is look at ourselves! We, too, must confess, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) By our own sin and guilt, we deserve eternal damnation. Indeed, even as Christians, we can look into our very own hearts and see the effects of sin which remain in our Old Adam. Each day we cannot but conclude with Paul, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” (Romans 7:18)
All this being true, the question is this: Why would a just, holy, righteous God have anything to do with such a miserable, sinful world? How could God even stand to look at us? Why would God even desire to save you and me? He could not and would not were it not for His grace in Christ. Even in eternity, God saw fallen mankind through His Son. Even in eternity God planned our salvation. Even in eternity He planned to send His Son to be our Savior. Even in eternity, God saw Christ as already crucified for us. The Bible says,”slain before the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) In and through His Son, God has no pleasure in the damnation of the wicked world. God said through the profit Ezekiel, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)
All this explains why Christ’s coming into the word was the unfolding of the amazing grace of God. As soon as Mary brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped Him swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, God’s grace began to shine into this dark world of sin. The Bible says, “The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) This is why the angel said to the shepherds, “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Yes, the birth of Christ was the birth of the Savior from sin. As the angel told Joseph, “And thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)
Indeed, this wonderful grace of God in Christ was not intended for a select few. Our text says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” (v. 11) Christ was born to save all mankind from their sins. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Thus, the goal and purpose of Christ’s birth was that He might grow up to suffer and die on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world. The Bible says, “and that he died for all.” (II Cor. 5:15) Again the Bible says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2) By these words of Scripture, we know that God’s grace is not a limited grace as taught by John Calvin, but universal grace. No human being, not one sinner, is excluded from the grace of God! To any and all troubled souls, Christ comes and says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mat. 11:28)
This is why we can and should appeal to any and all people to repent and believe in Jesus. The very fact that God’s grace is universal is why no sinner should exclude himself. The very heart of the Gospel, what makes the Gospel Good News, is that God’s grace is for all. Truly, “God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (I Tim. 2:4) This is why we should not stop praying for wayward souls. So many families in our fellowship have family members who have strayed from the sheepfold. Yet God’s universal grace in Christ is so wonderful that even those who have strayed or even fallen from grace can be restored! Just as the Prodigal Son came to himself and repented and returned to his father who welcomed him with open arms, so even today any prodigal son or daughter can repent and return to the waiting arms of God the Father. For Jesus’ sake, God beckons unto all prodigals to return to the wonderful grace of God.
Now according to our text, this wonderful grace of God in Christ teaches us something. Our text says, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” (v. 12) As we realize how wonderful God’s grace is, as we think of how Christ left His throne on high to come down to save us poor miserable sinners, this should make an impact on our heart and life. Being delivered from sin and guilt, we should want to deny or forsake all ungodliness and worldly lusts. Faith in Christ should have a sanctifying effect on us. Having been washed clean, why should we want to re-pollute ourselves by ungodliness and worldly lusts? Sadly, many who have been washed clean have returned to the mud. II Peter 2:20-22 says to those who maliciously and willfully turn from the truth these words, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” It is tragic how many who were Christians, washed clean in the blood of Christ, chose to go back to a life of sin!
That God’s grace in Christ has saved us, should therefore induce us to live a life of sanctification. As our text says, “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” The only appropriate, God-pleasing response to the grace of God is a godly life. Often it appears that many Christians are uncomfortable with any urging from Scripture that we live godly lives. It is as if they fear a restriction on their freedom and being able to enjoy life. Actually, Christ’s grace is a freeing thing! It frees us from being a slave to sin into a life of freedom of the soul. Christ says, “If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 If a person is a true Christian, if he has repented of his sins and believes in Christ for forgiveness, that very faith wants to “live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Living a godly life should be our very desire and goal each day. Thus, as we leave church today and go spend the day with family and relatives, we should let our light shine. The birth of Jesus which we celebrate should influence how we act and how we talk, Think of how Christ must feel if He were to see us celebrate Christmas as the heathens do. Is Christ honored if we turn our celebration into a gluttonous, drunken affair that would put the Epicureans to shame? The best way to celebrate our Savior’s birth is to conduct ourselves soberly, righteously and godly.
All the more this should be our desire because of a hope that awaits us! Paul says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” (v. 13) As true believing Christians, we should have our sights set on the blessed hope that awaits us. What is that blessed hope that awaits us? It is of course heaven! For this reason we should be awaiting the glorious appearing of our Savior whom Paul declares to be the great God and Savior! Christ, the great God and Savior, is due back at any time! His return will usher in that blessed hope of eternal life in heaven. It was for the purpose of gaining this hope for us that Christ was born. He was born to bring us the hope of eternal life in heaven. As He Himself says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
To gain this hope for us, our text says that Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (v. 14) We have here five key points. First, it says, “Who gave himself for us.” When and how did Christ give Himself for us? He gave Himself for us when He sacrificed Himself on the cross. Out of His gracious love, Christ laid down His life. He did it of His own volition. He says, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:17-18)
The second point is this: by giving Himself for us, Christ thereby redeemed us, that is, He made a ransom payment to buy us back from all our iniquities. This ransom payment was His very lifeblood. Scripture says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold…, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (I Peter 1:18-19) Thirdly, by redeeming us from our iniquities, Christ purified us unto Himself. He made us His pure people by washing us clean with His blood. “And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) Fourthly, by purifying us unto Himself, Christ thereby made us His peculiar people. Here the word peculiar does not mean odd or strange, but special and distinctive. As Christians, we are a special people. The Bible says.”But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” (I Peter 2:9) Indeed, we are brand new people in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Cor. 5:17) We are now members of God’s spiritual family. The fifth point is this: we show we are God’s special people by being zealous of good works. To be zealous of good works means we cannot do enough to show our gratitude for God’s grace. Being thankful for God’s grace in Christ, we are eager to do good works. We are anxious and ever-ready to do good works, not to earn righteousness, but to show that we are truly grateful that Jesus won all righteousness for us. Yes, we should truly love to do good works. As the Bible says, “that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness, into his marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9) It should give us joy and happiness to do good works to demonstrate our love for our gracious Savior. As Jesus Himself says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)
On this Christmas Day, let us take home with us these two chief lessons of our text: 1) Christ’s birth was the appearing and unfolding of the grace of God for all men, and thus for you and me. 2) This should teach us to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, zealous of good works. By this we shall truly have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.