Christmas Sermon
-Sorry it's a bit late.
Last year, my parents brought me a really nice Christmas Present- they bought me a Satelite Radio, so I could get a whole bunch of Radio Stations-Commercial free. They first bought me a unit to put in my car. But I had a car with real high mileage that might last another few months. I also didn’t drive that much, since I was in seminary in Saint Paul at the time, and I had an on-campus job, so I didn’t really want a new radio in my car. Especially, since my car had been broken into earlier that fall.. So then the Satelite Radio was returned. So right before I came up here to Staples, I got another Satelite Radio unit that I could have in my Car or home. Well, I drive 2 miles to work, and I rarely listened to a radio at home. So then this unit was returned. Because, the Salesman said in a few months they were going to come out with a Satelite Radio that you could listen to while walking around, this would have been great for me, since I walk to work when it’s nice out. Well, then this satellite radio came out with a sky-high cost, sketcy reception and you couldn’t even listen to live radio programs, but only what had been already recorded and the process to record required more technoligcal savvy than I had. So this really nice Christmas Gift I received last year from my Parents, was of basically no-use.
Where on the other hand, the most valuable and precious gift I received and will ever receieve is something so ordinary, so common as a a little baby being born in a manage in the town of Bethelham -2000 years ago .
. It is because of this gift of Jesus Christ that whenever I do something wrong, I know that I am forgiven. It is this gift that when I experience pain, hardship, heartache, sadness, and death- I know that their is the hope of a better place, no matter what tomorrow should bring. Whatever present someone could give me today, it could give me enjoyment. But it will not bring the hope of Jesus Christ being Born of a Virgin, being born God in Human Flesh so he may overcome sin and death, so one day I may be with him in Paradise to comfort me all the days of my life. No gift, can be greater than to know-Jesus Christ came into the world to die for me, to die on the cross for my sins, and to rise again, so that I may live. It is this gift which gives me strength every day of my life.
For People often speak of God being so separate from them, so above them, so pure and so holy. But it is in the birth of Jesus Christ that are assumptions of God being so far above us are shattered, in that our Lord Jesus Christ lied in a manager as an infant, born of a virgin, no different than we lied in our bedrooms as a child.-
With that I ask the first Question: Why was Christ Born of a Virgin?
-Well everyone in this room who has created a child, with another person has found one similarity in all children and that is that they are not God. The similarity is that they have committed sins by their nature, for they are not perfect as God is perfect. The reason Christ had to be Born of a Virgin was because it was the only way-God could assume human flesh-. Let me tell you a Christmas story to illustrate this.
Well, I grew up in a Swedish family and I know it is quite similar in Norwegian Families to have Rice Pudding at Christmas dinners. I know many people in this congregation, love rice pudding. Well, one time about fifteen years ago, my Grandma decided to make Rice Pudding, she put the Rice Pudding on the table, but left out one important detail-She forgot to Cook the Rice, making it taste like Gravel.
So what is just one detail in how the Rice Pudding was made, led to a different non-delicious desert
Just as Jesus Christ is different then us in that he is God in human flesh, so this is why Jesus needed to be made different than us, so Christ needed a different birth than we had.
So when we confess the Apostles Creed and speak of Jesus being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit- This means the Holy Spirit created a child within Mary totally different from normal means of creating a child., apart from physical contact of a father, And Born of the Virgin Mary means that Jesus was born as every other child was born through a human mother. -
So Christ had to be born of a Virgin, because it was the only way the God could become human in Jesus Christ. –
The Next Question: Why is this important?
Let me put it this way, a lot of people here know the song “Santa Claus is coming to town” Which says “He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. This song speaks of people being well-behaved then Santa Claus will bring you presents. –
But Scripture contrary to the story of Santa Claus doesn’t describe anyone as being a good enough or well-behaved enough person to present of salvation. For Romans 3 states No one is righteous, not even one. For We have all commit sins, against God in thought, word, and deed. . So in other words, scripture states no one is going to be saved because they are a good person, because they did a few good things, or because they tried to live a good life.-
So the reason God needed to become human in Jesus Christ was because Christ alone was good enough to gain the gift of salvation Because Jesus could live a sinless life- as stated in 1 Peter 2 to overcome human sin, so then he overcome death-the penalty for sin as stated in Romans 6 by his resurrection. Christ met God’s standards for salvation on our behalf, so we may receive salvation through Faith-
It is in Christ’s resurrection that Christ overcame death, so we may one day overcome death, so God may bring us into heaven as stated in Philipians 3. –
So the reason, God had to assume human flesh by a Virgin Birth is because God had to what no human could do which was overcome sin and and overcome our sin’s punishment of death , by Jesus Christ’s sinless life and resurrection. So that we may one day , we may overcome death and be with God in paradise.
Christmas is a special time of year for many reasons whether it is being with family, big meals, Christmas cookies, but what many of us look forward to from the time, that we are young children is the gifts, we receive. Some of you have or will receive gifts this Holiday season, that will bring you great joy. But the greatest gift we will ever receive is the gift of Jesus Christ and his salvation. The gift that Jesus Christ became God in human flesh, so he may save us from our sins by his life, death, and resurrection. . It is this gift that shows us God loves us. It is this gift that shows us that God can wors all things for good. It is this gift that offers hope from our Baptism to the day we are on our death bed. It is this gift that reveals the wonderful grace of God, in doing for us what we didn’t deserve. It is this gift that so when we sin and do something wrong, we know because of Jesus Christ we are forgiven by faith. It is the gift that makes all the difference in our life and death. It is because of this gift I can wish you all a - very
Merry Christmas-
Amen
Last year, my parents brought me a really nice Christmas Present- they bought me a Satelite Radio, so I could get a whole bunch of Radio Stations-Commercial free. They first bought me a unit to put in my car. But I had a car with real high mileage that might last another few months. I also didn’t drive that much, since I was in seminary in Saint Paul at the time, and I had an on-campus job, so I didn’t really want a new radio in my car. Especially, since my car had been broken into earlier that fall.. So then the Satelite Radio was returned. So right before I came up here to Staples, I got another Satelite Radio unit that I could have in my Car or home. Well, I drive 2 miles to work, and I rarely listened to a radio at home. So then this unit was returned. Because, the Salesman said in a few months they were going to come out with a Satelite Radio that you could listen to while walking around, this would have been great for me, since I walk to work when it’s nice out. Well, then this satellite radio came out with a sky-high cost, sketcy reception and you couldn’t even listen to live radio programs, but only what had been already recorded and the process to record required more technoligcal savvy than I had. So this really nice Christmas Gift I received last year from my Parents, was of basically no-use.
Where on the other hand, the most valuable and precious gift I received and will ever receieve is something so ordinary, so common as a a little baby being born in a manage in the town of Bethelham -2000 years ago .
. It is because of this gift of Jesus Christ that whenever I do something wrong, I know that I am forgiven. It is this gift that when I experience pain, hardship, heartache, sadness, and death- I know that their is the hope of a better place, no matter what tomorrow should bring. Whatever present someone could give me today, it could give me enjoyment. But it will not bring the hope of Jesus Christ being Born of a Virgin, being born God in Human Flesh so he may overcome sin and death, so one day I may be with him in Paradise to comfort me all the days of my life. No gift, can be greater than to know-Jesus Christ came into the world to die for me, to die on the cross for my sins, and to rise again, so that I may live. It is this gift which gives me strength every day of my life.
For People often speak of God being so separate from them, so above them, so pure and so holy. But it is in the birth of Jesus Christ that are assumptions of God being so far above us are shattered, in that our Lord Jesus Christ lied in a manager as an infant, born of a virgin, no different than we lied in our bedrooms as a child.-
With that I ask the first Question: Why was Christ Born of a Virgin?
-Well everyone in this room who has created a child, with another person has found one similarity in all children and that is that they are not God. The similarity is that they have committed sins by their nature, for they are not perfect as God is perfect. The reason Christ had to be Born of a Virgin was because it was the only way-God could assume human flesh-. Let me tell you a Christmas story to illustrate this.
Well, I grew up in a Swedish family and I know it is quite similar in Norwegian Families to have Rice Pudding at Christmas dinners. I know many people in this congregation, love rice pudding. Well, one time about fifteen years ago, my Grandma decided to make Rice Pudding, she put the Rice Pudding on the table, but left out one important detail-She forgot to Cook the Rice, making it taste like Gravel.
So what is just one detail in how the Rice Pudding was made, led to a different non-delicious desert
Just as Jesus Christ is different then us in that he is God in human flesh, so this is why Jesus needed to be made different than us, so Christ needed a different birth than we had.
So when we confess the Apostles Creed and speak of Jesus being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit- This means the Holy Spirit created a child within Mary totally different from normal means of creating a child., apart from physical contact of a father, And Born of the Virgin Mary means that Jesus was born as every other child was born through a human mother. -
So Christ had to be born of a Virgin, because it was the only way the God could become human in Jesus Christ. –
The Next Question: Why is this important?
Let me put it this way, a lot of people here know the song “Santa Claus is coming to town” Which says “He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. This song speaks of people being well-behaved then Santa Claus will bring you presents. –
But Scripture contrary to the story of Santa Claus doesn’t describe anyone as being a good enough or well-behaved enough person to present of salvation. For Romans 3 states No one is righteous, not even one. For We have all commit sins, against God in thought, word, and deed. . So in other words, scripture states no one is going to be saved because they are a good person, because they did a few good things, or because they tried to live a good life.-
So the reason God needed to become human in Jesus Christ was because Christ alone was good enough to gain the gift of salvation Because Jesus could live a sinless life- as stated in 1 Peter 2 to overcome human sin, so then he overcome death-the penalty for sin as stated in Romans 6 by his resurrection. Christ met God’s standards for salvation on our behalf, so we may receive salvation through Faith-
It is in Christ’s resurrection that Christ overcame death, so we may one day overcome death, so God may bring us into heaven as stated in Philipians 3. –
So the reason, God had to assume human flesh by a Virgin Birth is because God had to what no human could do which was overcome sin and and overcome our sin’s punishment of death , by Jesus Christ’s sinless life and resurrection. So that we may one day , we may overcome death and be with God in paradise.
Christmas is a special time of year for many reasons whether it is being with family, big meals, Christmas cookies, but what many of us look forward to from the time, that we are young children is the gifts, we receive. Some of you have or will receive gifts this Holiday season, that will bring you great joy. But the greatest gift we will ever receive is the gift of Jesus Christ and his salvation. The gift that Jesus Christ became God in human flesh, so he may save us from our sins by his life, death, and resurrection. . It is this gift that shows us God loves us. It is this gift that shows us that God can wors all things for good. It is this gift that offers hope from our Baptism to the day we are on our death bed. It is this gift that reveals the wonderful grace of God, in doing for us what we didn’t deserve. It is this gift that so when we sin and do something wrong, we know because of Jesus Christ we are forgiven by faith. It is the gift that makes all the difference in our life and death. It is because of this gift I can wish you all a - very
Merry Christmas-
Amen
posted by Stew at 9:58 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home