Teaching Tuesday: This is Christmas - Love

Series: This is Christmas
Sermon: Love (12.15.24)
WATCH THE MESSAGE

I've received a few requests for the text of the poem I presented on Sunday, and given that it wasn't a traditional sermon message, I figured I'd just share it here as today's Teaching Tuesday. Here ya go:

Welcome to Minier Christian Church this morning
We come together worshipping, honoring, adoring
The babe in a manger, tender and mild
The savior of mankind, the little Christ child

I very much love the Christmas time of year
The trappings of the season, the ring of good cheer
The carols, the lights, family, and food
All of it puts me in the holiday mood

But for Christians, Christmas is more than cultural tradition
The Son of God came to earth in humble submission
He demonstrated obedience to his Father’s will
Perfecting the covenant he came to fulfill

His earthly ministry was just three years long
But everything was different after he came along
He challenged the customs, he said he was God
He taught and he healed every place he trod

He performed miracles, he calmed the storm
He loved the little children, gently and warm
He told parables of mustard seats and wheat
He multiplied bread and fish, he washed his disciples’ feet

He was tried and found innocent and still sentenced to death
He forgave his killers with his dying breaths
The earth began to shake, the temple veil was torn
This was the beautiful, horrible plan since before he was born

He died on a cross, he walked out of the tomb
But before all of that, the Spirit placed him in Mary’s womb
A teenage virgin, faithful and brave
Carried her baby into the world he would save

The prophesied messiah, born in a stable
To parents chosen by God, but willing and able
On the Lord, through faith, they were reliant
And despite the beloved song, that night was not silent

The cattle were lowing, of course the baby would awake
And the little Lord Jesus, plenty of crying he did make
For he was fully human, God in the flesh
He cried and he pooped and all the rest

In the town of David, where the census was taken
The very pillars of history were shaken
Joseph and Mary, looking down at their boy
That somehow, some way, the whole world would enjoy

They couldn’t have known what all would take place
But they knew there were looking God in the face
From lowly beginnings, in a bed made from hay
Came the man who would rescue a world gone astray

The star up above led the shepherds and magi
They traverse afar to come say hi
They were afraid, at first, when the angel appeared to them
But the heavenly hosts said get on down to Bethlehem

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill
All these years later, the wise seek him still
Good news of great joy, heaven and nature sing
They brought precious gifts, because this baby was a king

He is born! He is born! We sing with one accord
The King of kings and Lord of Lords
Immanuel, the Prince of Peace, the Promised One
Noel! Noel! Come and see what God has done

Soon all the nations would celebrate this birth
The arrival of Jesus who brought heaven to earth
It’s appropriate that the messiah was born at night
The dark of the world overcome by everlasting light

Centuries before the first Christmas, Isaiah foretold
The coming of this savior for all to behold
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given
And by his wounds and God’s grace, our sins are forgiven

Through the incarnate deity, mercy had spawned
Isaiah says in the deep darkness a light has dawned
We waited, we prayed; “God, save us from our plight.”
The hopes and fears of all the years were met in him that night

The story we’ve heard, time after time
Though sure, from the pulpit, it usually doesn’t rhyme
Even though it’s familiar, it’s evermore true
The blessing of Advent for me and you

December isn’t just for prepping and planning
It’s not just for buying toys our kids are demanding
We’re not getting ready for any old holiday
We’re not looking for more nostalgia to accommodate

Advent and Christmas is a time to reflect
And this is the part we cannot neglect
In the hustle and bustle of parties and fun
That in the manger that night a victory was won

In the greatest paradox, our King became a servant
He paved the road to life for those who don’t deserve it
Our best falls short, only he is sufficient
Because of God’s love for us, the infinite became an infant

During Advent we anticipate the ending of fear
At Christmas we celebrate Christ coming here
But one night in Bethlehem is not the end of the story
The birthday of Jesus is just the start of his glory

In wisdom and stature, he learned and he grew
At 12 he schooled the rabbis who marveled at what he knew
At 30 he recruited his team of disciples
And filled the pages of the gospels we read in our bibles

He preached on a mountain and 5,000 listened
He said human worth isn’t due to position
Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek
They will inherit the kingdom they seek

Blessed are the mourners, the peacemakers, the merciful
For those who sow righteousness, their harvest will be bountiful
Turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies
The kingdom of heaven belongs to the least of these

From the line of Abraham, David, the Israelite nation
He lived a sinless life, he resisted Satan’s temptations
His reign unites peoples that had been dispersed
We love him because he loved us first

He said we cannot live on bread alone
And let those without sin cast the first stone
He ate with the outcasts: prostitutes and tax cheats
He healed lepers and cast out demons right there in the street

A new command he gave us, to love one another
To think of God’s people as sisters and brothers
To love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength
And to treat others the way we want others to treat

We follow the lead of the first disciples, those twelve
To love our God and to love our neighbors as ourselves
The law came through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus
The sacrificial Lamb of God made animal offerings unneeded  

At the last supper, he broke the bread
“Eat it,” he said, “tomorrow I’ll be dead.”
He took the wine and had them drink
“I’m going away, but not like you think.”

He cried in the garden, “Please God, not like this.”
Then Judas betrayed his Lord with a kiss
Jesus said “Father, I’ll do what you say.”
He showed us what it means to trust and obey

Up on the cross, bloody and bruised
It’s for our sake that he was abused
He took the nails etched with our name
He wore our sin and bore our shame

We wonder together, how could this be?
How could he love sinners this much? Even me?
Scars on his flesh, iron through his wrists
I put him to death, I did this

The darkness is back, he’s dead, we were wrong
He wasn’t the messiah we’d awaited so long
All this time, he was just an imposter, performing
But then came, yes then came, then came the morning!

There goes the stone, out comes the man
Again living and breathing, the great I am!
Sin lost its shackles, death lost its sting
Hell is defeated, the grave could not hold the king!

To the two Marys he first appeared
They ran to tell the others they needn’t fear
The tomb isn’t occupied, it’s empty instead
He’s not here, he is risen, just as he said

Easter is what makes Christmas meaningful
All of this hinges on that great miracle
Jesus our savior, rose from the dead
The Messiah, God’s Son, resurrected

He stayed 40 more days for encouragement and admonition
Then in Galilee he gave his followers the Great Commission
Go make disciples, baptizing and teaching
All nations and tribes and people need reaching

So we weren’t left alone, he gave us his Spirit
Go tell it on the mountain so people will hear it
He’s still with us, right now, in the hearts of believers
In the Spirit we are one with the blessed redeemer

He ascended to Heaven, to rule and reign
But the scriptures tell us he’ll return again
The army of the Lord will thwart Satan’s attack
Jesus died, he lives, and he’s coming back!

Heaven and earth, he’ll make it all new
The promises of God have always been true
Rivers and mansions, streets of gold
There’ll be no more tears and we will not grow old

For those with faithful faith, this is the reward
Our relationship with God has been restored
His mercies go on, they will end never
We’ll spend an eternity in glory with him, forever

Through his disciples he established his church
A new family available for all who search
The family of God, saved by the Son
Though we are different, in him we are one

The church! The church! His holy church!
The bride of Christ, his kingdom on earth
Every knee bow, every tongue proclaim
Praise his goodness, worship his name!

The story of Christmas is the good news of the gospel
The invitation to relationship which Jesus made possible
To follow Christ, our old selves must die
We are buried with him, then rise to new life

So this Christmas, to Jesus we turn our eyes
He is our portion, we are his prize
The baby in a manger, God’s gift from above
The deepest, perfect, fullest meaning of Christmas is love

God, hear our prayer, this precious season
May we all be reminded that you are the reason
The reason for hope and salvation, for all born-again
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, amen

To know God and to make him known!

- Pastor Brady