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A Great Christmas Sermon
Growing up, my brother and I had the entire lower floor of the house to ourselves. It was awesome.
Titus 2:11
Growing up, my brother and I had the entire lower floor of the house to ourselves. It was awesome. Down there it was just my room, his room, a bathroom, and a little den area where we had a TV and video games and stuff. It was great. That entire space was just ours. Everything else the kitchen, living room, my parents room was all upstairs.
Being brothers, we often fought and caused a ruckus, so my dad would have to yell down at us from time to time, don’t make me come down there with, of course, the implication that it wouldn’t be good for us if he did, and we’d be better off trying to resolve our differences by ourselves.
At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus coming down to earth and being born as a baby. This isn’t God following through on the threat of don’t make me come down there. Rather, as the Apostle Paul writes,
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11)
This is a really short verse, but it’s also a really great Christmas sermon because each phrase is packed with comfort. Let’s take a moment and unwrap this gift together.
So first of all, the verse starts, the grace of God has appeared. Not God’s strict righteousness, which would make demands of us in our lives, not even the love of God. Which would maybe sound nice, but even loving parents have to discipline their children, as my brother and I knew far too well. Note the grace of God, God’s unmerited, undeserved love given freely as a gift. This is what has appeared in Christ Jesus.
What did Jesus come to do? The verse continues bringing salvation. That baby in the manger would grow up and live a perfect life in your place. He exchanged the wood of the manger for the wood of the cross and suffered an innocent death in your place. Christmas is the beginning of the plan and the story of salvation, which culminates in Jesus suffering and death on the cross, whereby he forgives all of your sins and puts you in a right relationship with God our father.
Who is this for? The verse continues: all people. Not just some people. Not just those who deserve it or those who are on God’s nice list. No, this Christmas message that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation is for all people, including you. That’s a really great Christmas sermon for such a short verse. Amen.
