Good News Weekly Message

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. Today we see how Jesus disrupted social, religious, and political order from the very day of his birth. The people, rulers, and religious leaders who were closest by and should have been the first to worship him stayed far away. Meanwhile men from distant lands were brought by God to worship the newborn king. Jesus demands to be the king of our lives as well. Thankfully, it is still God’s grace that brings us to his side and causes us to see him and worship him for who he is.

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God provides us with Christmas gifts that are unbreakable. In his Son, he gives us peace, joy, and hope that nothing can destroy. Today we see how the Christ child gives us an unbreakable home. Though even the highest heavens cannot contain God, God sees fit to make his dwelling among us. He wants us to know where and how to find him—not just the presents he gives us but his abiding presence among us. Though we won’t always know what we need from God or when we need it, we know who meets our every need and where we can find him.

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God provides us with Christmas gifts that are unbreakable. In his Son, he gives us peace, joy, and hope that nothing can destroy. Today we see how the Christ child gives us an unbreakable family. Though he was God’s only begotten Son from all eternity, in time he became our brother. As a result, we are adopted into God’s family and made children and heirs of eternal life. Though we may not be able to gather with loved ones this year, all those who gather around Christ’s manger belong to his eternal family.

Good evening and welcome! I am honored that you have joined us this evening to celebrate Jesus’ birth. I know you don’t need to hear from me what a difficult year 2020 has been. The usual role the holiday season plays at the end of the year as a time of celebration and joy doesn’t quite seem to fit after a year like the one we’ve had. However, I’m certain that Christmas can deliver exactly the gifts we need tonight—especially after a year like the one we’ve had. May the word of God proclaimed and sung tonight fill your hearts and your homes with peace, joy, and hope, and may the birth of Jesus give you the gifts you need to have a truly “Unbreakable Christmas.”

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God gives us the perfect wish list for a year like this. He shows us what to ask for in order to have a Christmas that is truly unbreakable. This week we are reminded that God always keeps his promises. Though it often takes a long time (from our perspective) and even when his promises don’t make sense to us, God always delivers. Therefore, while we are often tempted to ask God for what we want him to do, we can always confidently ask him to do what he has promised to do: Keep your Word!

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God gives us the perfect wish list for a year like this. He shows us what to ask for in order to have a Christmas that is truly unbreakable. This week we see how God’s Word teaches us to realize the true condition of our world and our hearts. Just as our eyes adjust when it is dark, it is easy to get so used to the spiritual darkness of our world and of our own hearts that we forget about it. Thankfully, God’s Word doesn’t just show us we are in darkness. It points us to Jesus, our true and only light. As a result, we pray this Christmas: Shine on us!

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God gives us the perfect wish list for a year like this. He shows us what to ask for in order to have a Christmas that is truly unbreakable. This week we see how Jesus provides us with a gift that is often elusive around Christmas time: preparation. Because he will one day come to judge, we need him first to come to save. As a result, we need to be prepared. This preparation, however, is not something we are responsible for. He sends messengers to announce his arrival, prompting us to eagerly pray: Come to us!

A year like this proves that just about everything in life is fragile. Like a delicate Christmas ornament, our lives can shatter at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, God gives us the perfect wish list for a year like this. He shows us what to ask for in order to have a Christmas that is truly unbreakable. This week we start a new church year with a prayer that is appropriate for every season and every year of life: Save us! Jesus’ presence in our lives can bring all kinds of benefits and blessings. Ultimately, however, we need him to be our one solution to our greatest need. We need to him to rescue us from sin and death. And so we join our voices with the crowds on Palm Sunday: Hosanna! Save us!

It’s frustrating when the time, energy, or resources we put into something doesn’t seem to make a difference. Thankfully, when it comes to God, that’s by design. Everything we put into our relationship with God acts like a seed that a farmer plants in the ground. If it doesn’t seem like it makes a difference, just wait for it. This week we see how Jesus will gather those who seem to be separated. During life, God’s people live scattered among the people of the world. Death further separates us from those we love. However, when Jesus returns, he will gather those who belong to him, living and dead, to receive the eternal inheritance prepared for them.

It’s frustrating when the time, energy, or resources we put into something doesn’t seem to make a difference. Thankfully, when it comes to God, that’s by design. Everything we put into our relationship with God acts like a seed that a farmer plants in the ground. If it doesn’t seem like it makes a difference, just wait for it. This week we see how Jesus invests in us by giving us work to do and time to do it while we wait for his return. He generously takes what is his and shares it with us. Though the work we do in Jesus’ name often appears to make no discernible difference in our world, we can be certain that Jesus sees it and that Jesus will generously and graciously reward it.

It’s frustrating when the time, energy, or resources we put into something doesn’t seem to make a difference. Thankfully, when it comes to God, that’s by design. Everything we put into our relationship with God acts like a seed that a farmer plants in the ground. If it doesn’t seem like it makes a difference, just wait for it. This week we see how Jesus will keep his vow to return for his people like a groom who comes for his bride. Though we face the uncertainty of knowing when Jesus will return, we take comfort in the certainty that he will. Though preparation for that day doesn’t seem to make an immediate, visible difference in this life, it makes us ready for the eternal banquet Christ has prepared.

It’s frustrating when the time, energy, or resources we put into something doesn’t seem to make a difference. Thankfully, when it comes to God, that’s by design. Everything we put into our relationship with God acts like a seed that a farmer plants in the ground. If it doesn’t seem like it makes a difference, just wait for it. This we see how everything that is now hidden will one day be revealed. That includes our status before God as saints. Through Jesus our sins have been washed clean and we are robed in absolute perfection. Though that status remains hidden underneath a cloak of continuing sin, we can be confident that it is real and will one day be revealed.

Our world is permeated by the struggle for power. Countless kings vie for a seat on countless thrones. This power struggle includes the battle for our hearts. Thankfully, Jesus is a king rules differently from all the rest. This week we see how Jesus’ rule is unlike any other because it allow us to be unafraid. If Jesus ruled his kingdom the same way the kingdoms of this world are ruled, the members of Jesus’ kingdom would have every reason to fear rival kingdoms and rival powers. However, as we have seen during the past few weeks, Jesus rules alone. Not only does he operate his kingdom with different principles, but by those principles he has conquered every other kingdom. Every citizen of his kingdom can face life unafraid, confident that Jesus’ victory is their victory.

Our world is permeated by the struggle for power. Countless kings vie for a seat on countless thrones. This power struggle includes the battle for our hearts. Thankfully, Jesus is a king rules differently from all the rest. This week we see how Jesus’ rule is unlike any other because it is undemocratic. Living in a democratic nation, it’s second nature to us to think that we get a say or a vote in determining how things work and how our lives are run. We apply these democratic instincts to our relationship with God as well. But Jesus shows us that God has given us his holy Scriptures, the Bible, to tell us all we need to know about our sin and our Savior from that sin. His kingdom—and thus the lives of his people—follow Scripture alone.

Our world is permeated by the struggle for power. Countless kings vie for a seat on countless thrones. This power struggle includes the battle for our hearts. Thankfully, Jesus is a king rules differently from all the rest. This week we see how Jesus’ rule is unlike any other because it is unmerited. Because God’s grace is for all, the only way for someone to approach God is through faith. Any trust in our own merits is mutually exclusive with God’s gracious call. Only complete trust in the merits of Christ makes us worthy to stand before God as holy and acceptable in his sight.

Our world is permeated by the struggle for power. Countless kings vie for a seat on countless thrones. This power struggle includes the battle for our hearts. Thankfully, Jesus is a king rules differently from all the rest. This week we see how Jesus’ rule is unlike any other because it is unfair. God does not treat us as we deserve. Rather he deals with us according to grace. He shows the same love and offers the same forgiveness and salvation to all. It’s easy for us to think that only some deserve these things from God. However, God treats us all equally and unfairly. We all deserve nothing but his wrath and punishment. We all receive grace and every blessing instead.

It’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t matter. It’s easy to lose focus on the things that do. Thankfully, Jesus helps us take a step back, tune out the noise, and make sure we are on the same frequency as God. This week we see Jesus help us get “dialed in” on our enemies and allies. In our secular, materialistic world, it’s easy to forget about the unseen realities that surround us every day. On the one hand, we have terrible, fearsome enemies who are hell-bent on our physical and eternal destruction. On the other hand, however, Jesus has already brought about their defeat and employs his angel armies to protect us from them. When we open our eyes to see these enemies and these allies, we also see that those who are for us are greater than those who are against us.

It’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t matter. It’s easy to lose focus on the things that do. Thankfully, Jesus helps us take a step back, tune out the noise, and make sure we are on the same frequency as God. This week we see Jesus help us get “dialed in” on politics. When Jesus talks about politics, he doesn’t steer us left or right. He doesn’t ask us to adopt one party’s platform or another’s. Instead, he wants to make sure we are giving both God and government their proper due. Government is good. It deserves our honor, respect, and obedience. But government is not God. There are gifts and blessings that only he can provide and therefore ought to be sought only from him.

It’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t matter. It’s easy to lose focus on the things that do. Thankfully, Jesus helps us take a step back, tune out the noise, and make sure we are on the same frequency as God. This week we see Jesus help us get “dialed in” on suffering. The popular assumption in a world where so much suffering has been eliminated is that all suffering can and eventually will be eliminated. When that proves to be more challenging than people think, God is often blamed, criticized, and even denounced. Thankfully Jesus helps us see that a world without suffering is no longer possible (until it is destroyed). Instead, he helps us see the priceless blessings that a life with suffering can bring.

It’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t matter. It’s easy to lose focus on the things that do. Thankfully, Jesus helps us take a step back, tune out the noise, and make sure we are on the same frequency as God. This week we see Jesus help us get “dialed in” on exclusiveness. The Christian faith is known for being exclusive. Rather than claiming that any and all religious paths lead to God, the Bible asserts that Jesus is the only way to heaven. However, because faith in Jesus means trusting in what he has done rather than trying to do what he has done by imitating his example, what Jesus offers is available to all. There is no person whose life is so broken or whose sins are so great that they will be excluded from heaven. Though Jesus is the only way to God, the blessings he freely offers include everyone.