When my wife was becoming a Lutheran teacher through the colloquy program, part of the requirements for that, along with doing a theological and personal interview, was taking 10 one-month classes on a variety of topics. They were mainly Lutheran theology and church history. The most common assignment that she had to do was an assignment called, “crafted sentences.” Crafted sentences were supposed to be a one sentence summary of the unit or lesson that was just covered. I remember trying to help Dawn on a few and struggling. Trying to capture everything in a sentence is hard. How do you cover 300 years of a church history in a single sentence? How do you cover the nuances and importance of baptism, the end times, or the person of Jesus, when a single sentence is your only tool? Summarizing important things in one sentence is quite hard. What do you keep? What do you drop? Today, we celebrate the birth of Christ. If you had to write a “crafted sentence” on the Christmas story and its significance, what would you do? What would you keep? What would you leave out? Think about it for a moment. In the Epistle reading, Paul gives it ago. In fact, in Greek, and in English, it is one long sentence. In the text, Paul summarizes the Christmas message and its significance in a single sentence. Similar to last night, let’s savor this verse in chunks, like a Christmas cookie, hot cocoa, or today’s Christmas meal. Let’s see how Paul summarizes and explains it.
He starts, with “When.” In 2018, we were house shopping, and I remember it being an exciting and stressful experience. Our townhouse lease was ticking down, housing inventory was decreasing, and the prospect of a bidding war was increasing. I remember seeing a house on Good Friday at 7:45 a.m., and we were the second showing for that day, with one being done on the heels of our look around. I remember going to many houses where you would see on the kitchen table over 20 realtor cards. Our realtor, Jonny, said, “Unless you really want it, let’s not leave one. Let’s keep looking.” I began to wonder after a few months, “Will this ever happen? Will we ever get one?” We did, and it was the perfect house. The timing was perfect, and everything fell into place. Have you ever had those moments where God orchestrated everything? Have you ever had those moments where it couldn’t have gone better if you tried? Have you ever looked back and said, “Man, did God do a great job. Why did I worry?” Paul captures this with the little word “when.” Jesus was sent into the world at just the right time.
Think about it for Mary and Joseph. You have heard the saying, “Babies come on their schedule,” but God had it happen on His. He timed the trip to Bethlehem with the census and breaking of Mary’s water. He kept Mary and Joseph in the lineage of David, and brought them together in marriage. He orchestrated their lives to bring the birth of Christ-His time was perfect.
But, think about it for the world, too. The time was right politically. Politically, the ancient world was united under one ruler and king, Caesar. This created a sense of peace and unity in the world, and provided a great atmosphere for easier travel and spread of the Gospel. The time was right socially, too. There was a common language in the world at that time, Koine Greek. It was used throughout Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. It allowed for the Gospel to be easily spread throughout the world since language would not be a barrier. But make no mistake, the time was right spiritually, too. God’s people were oppressed under the strict interpretations and observance of the Law by the Pharisees. The Ten Commandments were hard enough to keep on their own, and the Pharisees added over 600 more. The fulfilling of the Law by Jesus would be a welcomed, needed, and longed for freedom.
The time was right! In fact, it was perfect. When. God’s timing is perfect. It was perfect in their lives then, and it is perfect, now. God restores and uplifts His people at just the right time, like with the prophet Job. He strengthens and preserves at the perfect moment, like He did with Paul the Apostle. He shares His forgiveness when we see the sin we have committed, or when it hauntingly comes to mind, like it did with Peter. He does His perfect timing in us as He uses us to share words of encouragement, hope, and grace to those in need. Sometimes, when I have been at my most discouraged, God has used someone to send a kind email, or do a kind gesture. God’s timing is always perfect. “When.”
Paul continues: “the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior…” Martin Luther, the famous reformer, gives a wonderful and insightful application of this verse that is worth sharing. He says, “[With the words, ‘goodness,’ and ‘loving kindness’] How could Paul have presented words conveying more love and graciousness? I venture to assert I have never read, in the entire Scriptures, words more beautifully expressive of the grace of God than these two.” What words would choose to express God’s love and graciousness? Compassionate? Unmerited? Faithful? He continues: “These represent grace not only as procuring for us remission of sins, but as God ever-present with us, embracing us in His friendship, ever ready to help us and offering to do for us according to all we desire; in short, as a good and willing friend, to whom we may look for every favor and accommodation. Picture to your imagination a sincere friend….” What person comes to mind for that? Someone who is present, ready to help at a moment’s notice, and always kind to you. Hold them in your mind, and let’s finish the quote. “Picture to your imagination a sincere friend, and you will have an idea of God’s attitude toward you in the person of Christ, though a very imperfect representation of His superabundant grace.” That beloved person is an imperfect example, but a tangible way in which we can begin to grasp what Christ is like to us. In Jesus, we have a God Who comes to us. He supports us greater than a friend could. He loves deeper. He empathizes greatly, understands completely, and forgives perfectly. “Goodness” and “loving kindness” are the best descriptors of God’s grace shown to us in the person of Jesus. They are the perfect descriptors of Him.
Paul writes on: “…appeared…” What Luke does in 1798 Greek words, what Matthew does with 873 words, and what John poetically pens with 252, Paul captures in just one: “appeared.” In that little word, there is the birth announcements, conversations with angels, joyous songs of heaven and earth, John the Baptist, miles of travel, the weight of prophecy, wondering shepherds, inquisitive Magi, a fearful king, a routine census, the panic of labor, no room at the inn, the joy of a safe delivery, and eventually, the cross and empty tomb. That is the summary of the Christmas story in a nutshell: appeared. God appears in human flesh for you and me. Jesus came for you and me. Jesus lived and died for you and me. At Christmas, He appears. John, although not as succinct, puts it this way: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” Appeared.
“…he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy….” One of the unique things about Christmas is that it is a season of distinctions. We make distinctions all the time during the Christmas season. “Who gets a card? Who is coming over? Who is invited?” “Who gets a present? How much will their gift be? How much will her gift be?” Kids worry about being on the “Naughty List” or the “Nice List.” Some of these criteria we make: we get cards, gifts, and invited to parties. Others we don’t: not everyone gives us a card or present. Paul says that at Christmas, God makes no distinctions! One commentator says, “No distinction of person, as prevails among me, is to be made: for divine love and kindness is not secured by human merit; it is of God’s grace alone and given to all that bear the name of man, however insignificant.” No one can boast of their worthiness of grace, and no one needs to despair because of their unworthiness. It is freely given to all! Our wisdom, power, status, standing, importance, wealth, looks, or value have nothing to do with it! God doesn’t care about any of that! He makes no distinctions! He saves us according to His mercy.
Paul then ends His Christmas summary by telling of his Christmas wonder: “…by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior….” One of the neat things about having an infant is to see what they get captivated by. Things that we have seen millions of times are fascinating to them: how a switch turns on a lightbulb, the reflection in the mirror, the sound a slap on the table makes, the taste of bread, or the texture of a cookie. When I see my daughter captivated by things, I try to turn my brain “off” to see the wonder of the object she is captivated by. Sometimes, we need to do that at Christmas. Each Christmas account has its own wonder that we have heard 1000s of times. Turn your brain off for a moment and hear each. Hear the wonder and significance that we can be see easily desensitized to, or take for granted. Hear it like a baby. In Luke, we hear that the King of Kings is born in a stable in the darkness of night. (Pause) In Matthew, a virgin, a virgin, gives birth to a child, and He will save us His people from their sins. In John, the Word Who has created everything now comes and dwells among us. In Titus, the Christmas wonder that Paul proclaims is that in Jesus’ birth is our birth.
In His life, is my life. In His death, is my death. In His resurrection, is my resurrection. United with Christ in baptism, everything that belongs to Jesus now belongs to me: His perfect life, His death for my sins, His resurrection for my justification. What is mine: my sin, my failings, my shortcomings, my fallen condition, He takes as His own. His birth becomes my spiritual birth through baptism-we are united with Christ-that is the wonder of Christmas and baptism!
But we aren’t just united with Him through baptism, we are being renewed and regenerated each day, becoming the man or woman God desires us to be in Jesus. We are given the Holy Spirit, generously, Who lives in us, sanctifying us, our words, lives, and actions. In baptism, we are justified, receiving the declaration that we are not guilty for our sins, and that God doesn’t hold them against us. In baptism, we are welcomed into God’s family, and declared heirs. Don’t miss the Christmas wonder that Paul proclaims!
So, how would you summarize the Christmas story and significance in a single sentence? I would be willing to bet it would sound like this: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”