Title: Merry Christmas / Matthew 2:1-12
Content Merry Christmas / Matthew 2:1-12
As we celebrate a Merry Christmas today, I pray that God's grace and peace will come to our church and family.
I'm back after a good visit to this mission field. First of all, thank you for God's grace. And thank you for your prayers and love.
What impressed me during this missionary trip was the baptism and sacramental service for the students who were evangelized by the missionaries there and were nurtured by the Word. The students are receiving master's and doctoral degrees as elites of the university there.
However, the thrill of being saved by believing in Jesus was more and more intense as they received this baptism. They said they had never before been so nervous and reminded as when preparing for a baptismal question-and-answer session.
After they were baptized and finished the service of the Lord's Supper, they saw their joy. And one student said that he was so happy that night after being baptized that he couldn't sleep.
What would you say to be the happiest and most enjoyable day so far?
Is it your birthday? Is it your wedding anniversary? Or is it New Year's Day? Is it Chuseok? Then what is it?
Christmas is a really fun and happy day. So, Christmas is a holiday all over the world. It is a day for the whole world to rejoice and rejoice. Why?
1. Because it is the day our Savior came.
Luke 1:47 says, "My heart rejoiced in God my Savior."
Luke 2:11 says, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord.” We rejoice in the Lord and call it a joyful day because He is our Savior.
Ladies and gentlemen, words cannot express how grateful I am to say that I was rescued by firefighters in the midst of fire. Or if I said I was rescued from the water, I will never forget that day in my life.
In fact, we are people who have been saved from the destruction of sin, which is scarier than fire and scarier than water. Therefore, this day cannot but be the most enjoyable and joyous day for those of us who have been saved.
In John 3:17 it says, "God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
It is incomparable to the fact that a person who is about to die has come to life again, no matter how happy or joyful the person is in the world. His excitement is indescribable. But it has nothing to do with anyone else. In this way, the joy of salvation can only be possessed by those who have been saved.
2. Because it is the day that He came to give us peace.
In Luke 1:79, Jesus said, “He will give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and he will guide our feet in the way of peace.”
Our Lord has come to bring peace to us, who have no choice but to groan and suffer in the shadow of darkness and death.
The birth of Jesus is the day he came to take on all our sorrows, pains, poverty, and diseases, and instead to give us God's grace and peace.
Matthew 8:17 says, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, saying, He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
And it is because it is the day that He came to bear the eternal curse and misery of mankind and to give us eternal joy and happiness.
Isaiah 53:4-5 says, "Surely he has borne our sorrows and borne our sorrows, but we thought that he was chastised, smitten by God, and afflicted. He was pierced for our transgressions, and he was bruised. was because of our iniquities; by his chastisement we have peace; by his wounds we are healed."
Therefore, Christmas is a holiday that should be greatly rejoiced and rejoicing for everyone, whether rich or poor, healthy or sick, a well-educated doctor or an illiterate shepherd.
Moreover, our members who have received Jesus Christ should give thanks and glory to God with insatiable joy and thanksgiving. Therefore, like the wise men and the shepherds, we should worship God with great joy and thanksgiving.
How grateful and happy I am to say that the One who will save the poor people who are lost in the abyss of sin and destruction while living with their heart without knowing God, love, or self has come to me
Let's say I'm sick and lying down to death. I have no money, no one to help me, so I am dead now, and when I was resigning, if I heard that someone is coming to heal and help me, everyone! Words cannot express how happy this is.
It's nice and happy that a neighbor is coming, but this is the greatest joy and the greatest blessing because Jesus, the Lord of life, the doctor of all diseases, and the Lord of all, has come. So, what could this news be if not great joy?
So the angels of the heavenly host also praise and glorify God together and rejoice.
Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”
That's right. With the coming of our Jesus, he atoned for all the evil sins that separated us from God on the cross and purifies us so that believers who believe in him can enjoy true heavenly peace. Therefore, this amazing work is a great honor to God.
That's why the angels sang, "Glory to God, and peace to those who have found favor." This wonderful blessing of salvation is not given to anyone, but to those whom God delights in, that is, to the chosen people.
Dear saints, On this merry and merry Christmas, I would like to share this joyous and wonderful fact with all nations. This is the way to share the joy and peace of salvation with all people. And I pray in the name of the Lord that joy and abundant grace will come to all of you who worship and glorify God with all your heart, mind, and devotion like the wise men.