The Sunday after Christmas

SERMON

In Nomine Jesu!

Text: Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

In Christ Jesus, whose birth brings meaning to the Christmas Season, dear fellow redeemed:

It was our privilege as a family this past Wednesday afternoon to attend the Chanhassen Dinner Theater’s special Christmas production. We had a delightful time. I must confess that when the tenor dressed up like a little boy to do a jazz version of “I saw Mother Kissing Santa Claus,” and the bass did an Elvis impression of “Blue Christmas” on his knee, while eating a banana he was dipping in a jar of peanut butter, I laughed until I almost cried. The production was decidedly secular in its orientation. Had I been looking for a message concerning the real meaning of Christmas, I would have been sorely disappointed. While Santa Claus, sleigh bells, snowmen, and presents are all part of our American Christmas celebration, they do not represent the real meaning of Christmas. Even family togetherness and the emotions projected by a song such as “I’ll be Home for Christmas” really do not reflect what Christmas means. The real meaning of Christmas transcends our individual emotions and activities. It involves God and man, sin and grace, time and eternity, heaven and hell. It proclaims a universal message, which applies to all people of all generations—both those in the past and those in the future. Consequently, I would invite you to review St. Paul’s words in our text, which express the truth that THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS FOUND IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE!

I.

It is found, first of all, in the past plan—God sent His Son! St. Paul writes, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” The words “when the fullness of time had come” speak to God’s control of history. The word “fullness” implies the idea of being full to the point of overflowing. When you fill a glass with water, there comes a point when it is so full that there is a slight convex curve on the top surface of the water. If you add just one more drop that surface will break and the water will drip down the sides of the glass. St. Paul compares time to a vessel and when everything that was necessary to happen prior to the time that God’s plan of salvation was to be effected, He “sent forth His Son.” Years ago, Professor Gurgel, who now lives here in Mankato, suggested in an Ancient History class that God permitted mankind to exhaust its potential to solve the problem of sin, before He stepped in to provide the only possible solution. Mankind tried false religions, human philosophies, government, law, brute force, and yet mankind’s inhumanity against his fellowman and his rebellion against the true God was still evident. God then stepped in and sent the One who would rescue mankind-—His Son! Notice that St. Paul says “God sent forth His Son,” which implies that Jesus was with God before His incarnation. Jesus is the eternal Son of God sent into the world as God had planned and promised. He was to be the One to crush the head of Satan and to deliver mankind from sin and its consequences, death and hell!

St. Paul says that God’s Son would be “born of a woman” referring to the miracle of the virgin birth (cf. Matthew 1:20,23). Imagine—lying in that cradle in Bethlehem was the Son of God—the Creator of this world. He was seemingly helpless and in need of protection, and yet He was and remains the Provider of our protection. Why did this happen? The reason is that in order to be our Savior, Jesus had to share in our human nature apart from sin. He became human for the path to our salvation was through suffering and death, by which He as the Son of God might pay the penalty we deserve because of our sins and thereby defeat our enemies (cf. Hebrews 2:9,14). But, why not come and appear as an adult conqueror? Why did Jesus begin His life as a Child? The reason is because God sent His Son to experience our existence, so that having been tempted as we are tempted, He might fulfill His role as our High Priest and Consolation (cf. Hebrews 2:18).

St. Paul says that Jesus was “born under the law.” As the Son of God, Jesus was not “under the law.” He, as part of the Trinity, had established the law and so was not subject to its demands or penalties. But in order to save us, that is in order to redeem every human being for we are all under the law’s curse (cf. Galatians 3:10-13), He placed Himself under those demands and met them perfectly. He endured its punishments, as He suffered the pangs of hell on the cross in our place and so gained our peace (cf. Isaiah 53:4-5). This is the real meaning of Christmas. It is found in the past, when God in accordance with His own gracious plan sent His Son into the world to be our Savior!

II.

THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS FOUND, secondly, IN THE PRESENT. Yes, it is found in the present result—we are His Children! St. Paul explains the goal of God’s plan of salvation and its result for you and me right now when he says, “that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out,'Abba, Father.’”

The world does not want to face the facts concerning mankind’s natural sinful state. They like to cloak the truth by blinding their eyes to fact that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). They like to think of people being neutral at birth, that everyone has some good within them, and that surely if they work hard enough they can overcome the effects of sin and redeem themselves before man and God. But that is not true, nor is it impossible, for the Scriptures testify, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one…by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:10-12, 20). By nature mankind is separated from the one, true God because of sin and are children of this world and this world’s ruler, the devil.

The present result of Christmas, however, its real meaning is that by God’s grace His Spirit can and does create faith in our hearts in the Lord Jesus. We, who by nature are children of wrath, are now raised from spiritual death and declared to be His adopted children (cf. Ephesians 2:3-5). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We need no longer fear His anger in view of our sins, for those sins have been removed for Jesus’ sake. We stand justified by grace and receive His blessed assurance of forgiveness by faith.

Beyond that, God “has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into (y)our hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father.’” The Bible assures us that our bodies are now the temples of His Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19). It also assures us that the Holy Spirit is a source of many fruits of faith, which we need and desire for our Christian lives—“love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, (and) self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). My dear friends, we need to know that we are God’s beloved children, and we need the Spirit’s presence as we day by day live our lives in this most difficult world. His presence gives us the confidence to cry out to our heavenly Father and ask Him for His blessings. The real meaning of Christmas is that the present result of God’s gift of Jesus is that we are children of our heavenly Father!

III.

Finally, THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS FOUND IN THE FUTURE—the future blessing that we will inherit eternal life! St. Paul writes, “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” What does the future hold for each of us, who by faith have been led to embrace Jesus as our Savior from sin? The fact that God has adopted us as His very own children can mean only one thing—we are heirs of His eternal kingdom, destined to spend eternity in His presence in His new earth and heavens (cf. 2 Peter 3:13).

What confidence the real meaning of Christmas then brings us! Our future is secure eternally. As for the here and now, we can say with St. Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). But what if I am facing severe challenges in my life? What if I do not feel happy and content as I draw near the close of yet another Christmas Season? Then I can and should say to myself, "Dear soul, look to Your Savior, for He became a true man just like you. He experienced trials and tribulations—the rejection of man, the severity of temptation, the pain of death so that He might help you overcome all these concerns. Know this, dear soul, nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. Should you face tribulation, distress, persecution, poverty, or peril, you are more than a conqueror through your dear Savior Jesus. Yes, dear soul, look to Your Savior and know that even though you may not feel happy and confident, He is beside you and able to protect and sustain you" (cf. Romans 8:35-37; Matthew 28:20).

My dear friends, as we draw near to the end of this holiday season, may our minds and hearts ever be drawn back to that manger in Bethlehem, for therein lies the real meaning of Christmas. Yes, in the past God sent His Son, so that right now in our present we might be His children, so that in the future eternal life would be ours. “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14). Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting