2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,
2:12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to
live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,
2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2:14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and
purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
At this holiday season when many gifts are exchanged, the greatest gift ever given (Jesus Chirst, God's Son) was actually an exchange in the giving. "He gave Himself for us." Or in an other way of seeing it - He gave Himself in exchange for us. He came to give himself as a sacrifice for our sins (an exchange, or ransom) to redeem us.
JTF, PA
Nice three point outline emerged from text. God appeared in Christ and BRINGS salvation. He TRAINS us in godliness. We WAIT zealously for our final redemption. Almost too neat. The catch of course, is that the gift is not well received...that His entrance was barely noticeable, we have already been trained by the world in impiety/worldly passions, and we have little patience and zeal for the wrong things.
The birth narrative in Luke confirms the theme of redemption from iniquity. I reiterate the words from my posting for Luke 2. If any of you watched the new year come in throughout the world in 2000, you may recall in Bethlehem they released doves as the clock struck midnight. Then the fireworks went off. A posting by "JG" for the Gospel reading refers to this. The doves were franticly scurrying around trying to avoid the display of fireworks.
A thought struck me as I watched the frantic doves. Isn't it so with Christmas, a schizophrenic season of both peace and disturbance, of people seeking the "glory of our great God and Savior" amidst the impious and worldly, of both quiet shepherds and ruthless King Herod seeking the same Jesus, of the saint and the sinner wrestling within me? I pray that the dove will prevail. Indeed, it has.
For Christ has brought light and life to all, risen with healing in his wings. I think we, pastor and people, try to fit Christ into the world as if He fits somewhere. He doesn't fit. He is holy. He enters an unholy place and the "world received Him not". The light invades the darkness. I think my sermon for Christmas Eve will focus on our struggle with receiving the precious gift of a savior and with living lives that are holy. Still working on it. ARMY CH E, Ft Belvoir
