Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is important that we are here this evening. The Christmas Eve service is the first vigil of the appearance of Jesus in the world that we celebrate on Christmas. Celebrating Christmas here in the church is of great importance as we focus on our faith reception of the amazing gospel truth that Jesus is born for us.
The world may celebrate Christmas in its own way, but to the world the birth of Jesus does not matter. Instead, the world focuses on the Christmas Spirit developed by stories, where love peace, generosity and caring are seen as what Christmas is all about.
“Give the gift of love” -one department store advertised with a banner across the ceiling conveniently placed near the jewelry department. To the world Christmas is clearly about giving and about Jesus in a footnote type of way.
Our Epistle reading tonight from 1Titus uses a different slogan about Christmas: “For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people.” This is a message well beyond generating sales figures or lifting up family togetherness. This is a message of the world changed through and through by the abundant gift of God’s grace in the Lord Jesus’ appearance among us in his birth at Bethlehem
St. Paul’s letter to Titus does not center the definition of Christmas on how we give to one another over the season of good cheer or what Christmas magic we can spread to our neighbors. Instead, the focus is on what God does for us in the birth of Jesus, and what his birth was for.
The birth of Jesus is of immeasurable significance because it brings salvation for all people. Not just to the Jews or the very religious people, but for all people. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone” Christ was born and Christ died on the cross so that all people could no longer walk in deep darkness, but could instead through God’s perfect wisdom, see the light of salvation in Christ.
Verse 12 continues: bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled upright and godly lives in the present age,
The birth of Jesus is of tremendous significance in how we live our lives. Because of the birth of Jesus, ungodliness and worldly passions that the world approves of and celebrates, we chose not to celebrate- for we chose to worship God rather than man. We recognize that if we live according to the passions of the world, if we do not follow how Jesus trained us to live, then we would be acting as if Jesus’ birth is just an extra bonus about our lives that gives us the opportunity for a nice holiday once a year.
The scripture makes clear that the appearance of Jesus is not just a special birthday for us to celebrate, but the key to our salvation.
“For unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David!”
We receive the gift of a Savior who is the anointed one, who fulfills the scriptures, who is before all things , and in him all things hold together. Who is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, who is preeminent in everything, and in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
The birth of Jesus is a gospel gift to us, yet we would be taking the gift for granted if it did not reach us with great thankfulness and gratitude and hope for the way we live our lives.
The world goes on living with life priorities as if the Savior long promised of old, of the line of David was not born, as if God did not come to our world, as if the great light had not come to those who walked in darkness. When we immerse ourselves in God’s Word the things people find so important outside of worshipping our Savior appear so trivial and petty.
Instead of rejoicing in the undoing of the curse of sin and paradise restored by the relationship with God restored as Adam and Eve were destined to have, people instead try to find in Christmas their own false idols to celebrate.
Unbelievers seek to create paradise for themselves- but this is always temporary and fleeting and disappointing. The world says there is no time like the present to make your dreams come true. The best laid plans of man are always an insult to what God has planned for us through the riches of His kingdom.
We are called by God not to make things happen, but instead as our reading from Titus continues: “to wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 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.”
We are called to worship and adore the God who gave himself for us to purify for himself a people for his own possession to do good works. The birth of Jesus is of greatest importance to us because it purifies us to live as God designed.
The birth of Jesus was not so that we would be obligated to do good works in Jesus name. Our worship life as Christians is not about fulfilling obligations. Worship as obligation is the focus of the church down the road that will not meet tomorrow morning because they feel they have put their time in with their production of a worship service tonight.
We are here celebrating Christmas in church not out of obligation, but out of eagerness to receive the Lord’s gifts. And in receiving His gifts we respond in faith out of zealous desire for good works that comes from thanksgiving of all the Lord has done for us.
Tonight, we celebrate that the grace of God has appeared! We will continue singing and celebrating this great news. The grace of God has appeared, “unto us in a born in the city of David a Savior.”
This is a time not to fulfill obligations, but to be glad and to rejoice in what the Lord does for us: as we prayed in our Collect prayer. “O God, you make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your only begotten Son”
And our joy is not just for the purpose of being happy and lighter than usual this time of year as an end in itself. Our gladness is a way to be vigilant and ready to behold Jesus when he returns to become our judge.
We are going to sing “Away in a Manger” yet tonight and “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.”, and “Silent Night” to help us put our joy into flesh, to build memories of joy and celebration at what the Lord has done for us, and to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, and prepare us to wait in hope for the day when our Lord shall return, so that we may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge. Amen.