Witness His Majesty – Christmas Day
The shepherds hear the good news of the birth of Christ
Saved by God’s love
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
There is one truth about Christmas that does not seem to get any air-time in songs or adds or common chat. The truth of Christmas is that it changes everything; it changes everything about how you live and love in this life that you have been given.
That seems to be Paul’s message to his co-worker in this new way as he writes to encourage Titus to lead and shepherd his people.
How has this God becoming us changed us? Here’s how: completely!
We have come from one thing to this new thing even if we don’t remember when it happened,
Paul says to Titus,
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
So, our default setting, with which we still struggle, even though we live under this new King Jesus, is to rebel against being told what to do by anyone and everyone, including the Lord Jesus; to be self-made, not ‘subject;’ or submissive to others – even those closest to us.
We are so often overtaken by the constant search for quick fixes to our deep problems in pleasures and passions which usually get us into those hurtful spaces of malice and slandering people – audibly or just internally with great bitterness.
All those destructive things seem to be a two way and therefore cyclic deepening problem. As Paul puts it bluntly;
… being hated and hating one another
The cycle deepens and the pain increases.
But then Paul moves from the ugly truth to the beautiful news; news that announces what God has done and what has come in this Christ-child …
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle towards everyone.
How can we change like this? How can he just tell this Pastor to just tell the people “Don’t do bad things or use bad words!”.
That would not do any lasting change in is. If we all just tried a bit harder to ‘do no harm’ and ‘not hurt anyone’, at best it would temporary and at worst just fake.
The cycle would continue, and we would not have any hope of real love and hope and a life of purpose and meaning and great contribution.
But something makes change possible. Something has happened and God did it. Only he could. We can’t. We are locked into these defaults in ourselves, even though we try to convince ourselves that we can improve, the world is getting better, we are now so much wiser and stronger than those people of old ever were and etc …
This is what happened.
Kindness. Christmas kindness – not ours but God’s; not our being good and trying to make ourselves improve and make the old places a better place, but God making us new in his space, and making a community by which he actually is making the world his better place!
Here’s how the kindness came …
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Kindness appeared on the ground; our ground, in our air, under our stars in words we can hear by people just like us – God with us.
It was his faith and love and wisdom and holy status that did the kindness for us and to us. It was his love for us, is kindness lavished on us, his mercy poured out in all our troubles and painful stories that changed us.
It all came to a head and ‘got real’ in a moment most of us did not choose or even know what was happening – like Shepherds in the paddock, a young woman able to conceive, a fiancé ready to commit, parents and relatives who were quietly waiting.
God moved first without their knowledge and understanding, like he always has to do for us. Baptism! Baptism, or, the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit was the Spirit’s light pouring into our being as the water poured over our bodies.
What changes me, helps me change, give me power to love and forgive and restore and keep hoping and giving is not me and my wisdom or rightness or discipline or smarts, but this generous God in this baby born to heal all my shame and struggle and pain.
It is his grace that is the only thing that ever really makes me even want to change. Not your expectations or guilt or fears or shame or over-pious words that create them. Grace. Undeserved love for me when I don’t love me or you don’t love me. Grace. Acceptance when I should not be but am.
Because he loves me when I can’t or don’t, I dare to try and love. Because he forgives, I dare to try and forgive. Because this Jesus is my peace with my Creator, I dare to try and make peace as much as it is up to me.
Because he has raised me and inoculated me against my own never-ending death, I dare to live above death and trust I will be after death as he promises.
Because I have a permanent place on his staff, according to his promises, not my goodness, I live as his employee, his son, taking what I receive from his table of grace with my sisters and brothers, to wherever I can in his grace.
I have to speak and sing with you, his local community of sinner/saints who know his kindness.
This church is good. This life is only any good because this Saviour is good. 2022 is good because he is still here, and I am too and so are you.
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores of this big island, Australia, rejoice.
4 His lightning of kindness lights up the world;
6 The skies and their angels proclaim his righteousness,
and some see his glory.
7 All who bow down to the chase for their own meaning and life end up in shame,
8 We hear and rejoices in all our Barossa towns.
9 You, Jesus, King of the world, are our highest pride.
10 You guard the lives of your faithful ones
and keep us from the hand of the Accuser and his many consorts.
11 Light shines on us this day and this year
Your joy is among us.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name. (Psalm 97 adapted)
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