Christmas 2004
Text: Titus 3:3-7
Jesus Was Born On Christmas that We Might Be Born Again
Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the arrival of the long-awaited
message of the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to
you; He is Christ the Lord.” Today we join the angels praising God,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour
rests.” (Luke 2:10, 14)
Today we have another reason to celebrate: Helen Tang Hong and May Zhou
Yumei will be baptized! What better day to be baptized than today! For
Jesus was born that we might be born again as God’s children. On this
day that we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, Helen and Yumei will also
celebrate their new birthday as children of our heavenly Father. Today they
join us as fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus.
The text for our Christmas Day message is from Titus 3:1-8. Here the
Apostle Paul writes how God brings us into His family: “He saved us
through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (5). Paul is
referring to Baptism. In the book of Acts the Apostle Peter says,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit” (2:38). Jesus also teaches us: “I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…born of water and the
Spirit” (John 3:3, 5). In His parting words Jesus gave His disciples a
wonderful promise: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”
(Mark 16:16).
Now you may wonder how a few drops of water can do such great things? I
shall answer in the words of Dr. Martin Luther (Small Catechism): It is
not the water that does them, but the word [and promise] of God which
is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in
the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no
Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a gracious
water of life and a “washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit”
(Titus 3:5).
But do we really need Baptism? Can God not save us without it? Well,
let me ask you, can you live together without being married? Of course
you can. But if you could marry the person you love, why wouldn’t you? Or
could you as a teenager choose to grow up without your parents? Of
course you could. But you don’t because you know your parents love you.
Marriage and parents are gifts God gives, gifts with which to bless us and
help us to enjoy life to the fullest.
What marriage and parents are to your lives physically and socially,
Baptism is to you spiritually. Through Baptism God commits Himself to you
as your spiritual Bridegroom and Father—to never leave or forsake you;
to give you His Holy Spirit, so you may be filled with joy and peace;
to give you hope and eternal life. If this is what you want then open
your heart to God’s promises and taste the joy and peace He offers you.
And when you have tasted and know that He is good why should you still
hesitate to be received as His child in Christ?
God has touched the hearts of Helen and Yumei and they have responded
in faith. For this we give praise to our Lord Jesus! Were He not born
they would not be here today; nor would there be anything for us to
celebrate. We would still be lost in our sins and without hope. Although we
might not like to admit it, our lives would be exactly as the Apostle
Paul described his life before he met Jesus: “At one time we 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”
(Titus 3:3). That was Paul without Jesus. That was you without Jesus.
That was I without Jesus.
Thank God that is not how our lives must end. Paul goes on to say, “But
when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 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
whom He poured out generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that
having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the
hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).
You may wonder, ‘If I am baptized and become a Christian, what
difference will it make in my life?’ Again, Baptism is like a wedding. A
wedding does not a marriage make. It is only the beginning of a marriage—of a
relationship that continues to grow and develop. Baptized, you begin a
relationship with God as your Heavenly Father, a relationship that
develops and blossoms as you grow in faith, hope and love, as you increase
in knowledge and wisdom, as you experience God’s joy, peace and
freedom.
And although a wedding does not a marriage make, it is still necessary
and important. On our wedding day, Tingyu and I exchanged solemn vows
before God, committing ourselves to love each other. This has helped us
to remain committed to our marriage and work through our differences.
Marriage works! Studies show that on average married couples live much
happier lives and stay longer together than couples just living together
that choose not to get married.
In your Baptism God gives you His promise to remain with you forever.
This helps lay to rest any doubts that may lead you to question His love
and good will towards you. Baptism works! Studies also show that people
who are active in church tend to have much fewer health-related
problems.
Finally, some may be reluctant to become a Christian because of the
commitment involved. First, the Christian faith is not so much about a
commitment you make, but about the commitment God made for you. God loved
you so much that He came to earth and was born for you this day—born in
a barn and laid in some animal’s feed box!
Second, receiving God’s love, you become a changed person. God’s love
changes you so you are able to joyfully and easily do things that before
you did unwillingly and with great difficulty. Why? Because now you are
motivated by God’s love—the greatest love of all.
And this is the secret of happiness: Happiness is not doing whatever
you want to do, but wanting to do what you should do. That is the secret
to true happiness and Jesus is the key to finding it. Baptized into
Jesus you receive God’s love and God’s love has the power to change you.
No longer must you blindly follow your own desires. Now you have a
choice; now you are freed to desire what God desires.
And that is good for you. God made you—He designed you—and He knows
best what can truly satisfy you. So if you want to know your purpose in
life, you must consult the One who made you. A few days ago I purchased a
used car. With the car comes an owners’ manual. It tells me how the car
works and how I should care for it. Now, if I choose to disregard those
instructions my car will not perform as well nor will it last as long
as it might otherwise. God made you and gave you an operating manual,
the Bible. If you choose to ignore it and to follow your own ideas you
will fail to experience the full measure of happiness God intended you to
enjoy.
The key ingredient to happiness is God’s love. Today we celebrate God’s
love coming to us in the baby Jesus. Today we experience that love as
Jesus comes to us with His body and blood given in His Holy Supper.
There He offers us His fellowship in the forgiveness of our sins. Today we
witness God’s love extended to Yumei and Helen. Today they are adopted
as His children in the waters of Holy Baptism. Today we hear God say to
them, “Yumei and Helen, I love you so much that I sent my one and only
Son into the world that you will not be lost, but find eternal life and
joy.”
And God says this to all who put their trust in Jesus. Jesus was born
on Christmas so that all who receive Him, who believe in His Name, might
become children and heirs of God having the hope of eternal life. Amen.