25 December 2022. Sermon notes.
Introduction
Good morning, and merry Christmas! I hope you are having a great Christmas so far and that you are enjoying some much deserved time off and rest. And to that end, I promise we won’t be long this morning.
This morning I want us to read a brief passage that will help us to not only think about Christmas but will help us live in Christmas and after Christmas. The passage is Titus 2:11-14. Just four verses. Let’s read it together.
Titus 2:11-14
[11] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, [12] training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, [13] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
This probably doesn’t seem like much of a Christmas passage, but in fact, it is. Like Christmas, Paul is thinking about the arrival of Jesus, and if you look at it closely, you’ll see he even lays out his description in a way similar to A Christmas Carol. Have you all watched A Christmas Carol this year with Ebenezer Scrooge? Do you recall in the story that Ebenezer Scrooge encounters three visions that change him. He is shown a vision of Christmas Past, and then a vision of Christmas Present, and then a vision of Christmas Future. Well, in the same way, Paul here talks about Christmas past, present, and future. And he does this to remind us how to think and live rightly.
Let’s briefly consider each reality and how it changes our lives.
Christmas Past: God has rescued us.
Verse eleven, Paul says, “[11] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…” This is Christmas past.
At that first Christmas, the grace of God appeared. Now, God has always been gracious. He says that from the beginning: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exodus 34:6). The Lord God is gracious. But on that first Christmas, his grace appeared in a unique way. It’s like this great, big Christmas present finally got to be unwrapped. We knew God was special; we knew he must have something great in store, but at that first Christmas, we finally got to open the biggest present under the tree. We finally got to see the full flowering of God’s grace. And what did we see? Jesus. Jesus is the grace of God appeared. Jesus is described in the Gospel of John as the one who is “full of grace…” And here, in Titus, Jesus is described as himself being the very grace of God. Jesus is the grace of God now visible. Jesus is grace made flesh. Jesus is the grace of God in human form. Jesus is the grace that you can hug. Jesus is the grace of God that we can now see and hear and know in a personal way.
And what did his arrival mean? What did the grace of God in Jesus do? Jesus rescued us. Jesus brought salvation for all people. Jesus was born to die. This was the ultimate form that his grace would take. Jesus would live in perfect obedience to God, as we were intended to do, and he would offer his perfect self in exchange for sinners like us. The debt we owed, Jesus would pay. The punishment we deserved, he would bear. Why? That we might be rescued from hell and eternal punishment, that we might be forever forgiven and at peace with God, that we might live eternally with God in everlasting joy.
So, when we look back to Christmas Past, we remember that we have received the best gift ever, the ultimate gift, the gift that keeps on giving: Jesus our savior who rescues us through his death and resurrection. So, I hope you all have received some great gifts this Christmas, but don’t forget about this ultimate gift, Jesus, the very grace of God and salvation for all who believe in him.
That is Christmas past. But there’s more! Onto Christmas present…
Christmas Present: Jesus is renewing us.
This passage is so fitting for today because Paul doesn’t stop at that first Christmas when the grace of God appeared in Jesus bringing salvation for all. Paul quickly moves to what’s next. And that’s perfect for this moment because Christmas morning has already come, so how do we live in Christmas now?
In the present, Paul says Jesus and the salvation he has brought is now “[12] training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…” So, we are looking back to that first Christmas and remember the great good news of God’s grace appearing in Jesus and bringing us salvation, but as we look back, we are instructed in what we should be doing in this present Christmas. And it’s two things…
First, we put off ungodliness and worldly passions. When we remember Jesus, what he taught and what he did, we remember that we are supposed to turn from sin. We’ve all strayed from God in various ways, but in Christmas present we remember to turn back to our savior, grace made flesh. We have been given God’s very Spirit, and so we should live by the Spirit and in ways that are consistent with the Spirit. You know, if you get a new Xbox controller this Christmas, you put away your old controller. If you get a new jacket, you put away your old jacket. And so if you’ve been given a new life in Jesus, you put away the old life, with its sin and selfishness.
Second, we are to now enjoy these new gifts. Paul says we ought to now live lives of self-control. We ought to live upright lives. We haven’t always been upright, but now that we have received Christ, we should live upright lives. And we ought to live godly lives. That is, we ought to live lives that look like God, that look like Jesus.
What Paul is saying is perfectly reasonable. He’s just saying if God gave you a coat for Christmas, you ought to throw out the old one and wear the new one now. If God freed you from the sin and guilt of lying, you ought to tell the truth now. Why would you put back on the old stuff? That’s how you live in Christmas present. You enjoy the gifts. You put away the old stuff.
So, Christmas past: The incredible gift of God has been opened – Jesus, the grace of God in person, bringing rescue to us all. Now, in Christmas present, we are simply to enjoy this incredible gift and all that comes with it, putting away the old, rusty stuff that wasn’t working great and hurting us anyway. Now, finally, Christmas future…
Christmas Future: Jesus will resolve history
In verse 13, Paul looks to Christmas future. Remember, the church at Christmas is meant to remember Christ’s two advents, his two arrivals. We look back at Christmas past, but we are also supposed to look forward to Christmas future, when Christ comes again and resolves all things. And that is what Paul does here. He looks forward to that future advent. Verse 13:
“[13] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”
Part of our duty now is to look to that future Christmas. The word “waiting” here in verse 13 has connotations of “welcome” and eager anticipation. It’s like our phrase “looking forward to.” Looking forward to just literally means your anticipating that thing, but in our language, it has the connotation of eagerness and excitement. If I say, “I’m looking forward to seeing you,” I mean I’m excited about it. And that’s what Paul means here with the word “waiting.” We are looking forward to the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
And this looking forward part is so important. Why? Because life is really hard. And sometimes are days are still very dark. And some of your biggest prayer requests and deepest longings will not be fulfilled in this current version of life. And now, even our biggest miracles and answered prayers and best days succumb to time and death. No, our ultimate, final, unchanging hope is in the future, when Christ our God and Savior returns in glory, the conquering lion of Judah, to make all things new. On that day, he will reward his children and welcome them into his new earth where you will no peace and joy in his presence with his people forevermore.
And so at Christmas, we look back at Christmas past, remembering all God has already done, to encourage us to look forward to Christmas future. So, this Christmas, whatever may comfort your heart this year, be it gifts, family, remembrances, scripture, eggnog, or whatever else, let it be to you as a foretaste of what is to come. When your heart is lifted and you long for more joy, let it remind you that these joys are real and will increase and that Christ is returning and will fulfill these longings.
So, have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light. Someday soon we all will be together because the Lord allows. Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow. So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
Conclusion: You are Christ’s prized present.
I want to conclude with this last verse, verse 14:
“[14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
In this last verse, Paul pretty much does a recap. He talks again about Christ’s salvation and our renewal, but he adds one really important concept. What is it? Paul says you are Christ’s own Christmas present. You are Christ’s “own possession.” Plot twist! What is the Christmas present we receive? Christ! What is the Christmas present that Christ receives? Us! You!
You are Christ’s present. Paul says you are Christ’s treasured possession. What a turn of a thought.
We’re thinking about all the presents God gives us. But Jesus looks at you as his present. What is Jesus excited about at Christmas? What present is he looking forward to most? You. He is so excited about you this Christmas.
Jesus has loved you so much. He gave his life that he might have you.
Friends and family, as we end, please know this Christmas that you are greatly loved. Deeply loved. Truly loved. Treasured. Sought after. Desired. Top of the list. I mean, that’s literally what Paul says here. Christ died on the cross for you that you might be his “own possession.” You are his “treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6). “The apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). You are God’s prized present.
It would seem crazy to say that, the height of hubris to say this, if it wasn’t right there in the text: Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession…”
No one on this planet will ever treasure you like that. How do you respond to such love? Give in it to it. Believe it. Embrace it. Get rid of all other hopes, and hope in this God and Savior, Jesus, who has loved you, treasured you, and given himself to redeem you from sin and make you pure that you might be his and live for him.
May that be your story this Christmas. May that be your hope this Christmas. Merry Christmas, past, present, and future. Amen.
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