Christmas midnight Mass 2004

Christmas midnight Mass 2009

Christmas Day= II

Rev. Ken Wratten

Isaiah 62:6-12

Titus 3:4-7

Luke 2:8-20

A friend of mine is visiting relatives in Oregon this= week. He knows I am a priest; and he knows I am firm in my belief in Jesus Christ. But we don’t talk very much about religion. A few days ago he sent me= an email from Oregon, and closed by saying, ‘Merry Christmas. Remember, it’s all about Sa= nta Claus.’ So what is the purpose of all this attention to Christ’s birthday? Why did he come? = Why does it matter? How does it affect you and me, other than our being togethe= r at a service at 11 o’clock at night? There are fives things= that Jesus came to do by becoming God-made-man on Christmas morning.<= /span>

First, Jesus came to teach us w= hat God is like. Many of us, maybe all of us let their lives be filled with fea= rs, not just fears of spiders, but big fears. Many of your fears and worries and problems are caused by not knowing what God is really like. If you knew God’s personality, you would worry less, you would be afraid less, you would have less stress in your life, you would not be afraid of Him, you wo= uld bring your problems to Him more quickly, and you would stop trying to solve every problem on your own.

There is another reason it is important to learn what God is like. You can’t love somebody you don’t know, and you can’t trust somebody you don’t know. Jesus said in John 14:9-10, “Anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father.” He was telling us that he is God, coming to earth so we know what God is like; so we can relate to Him.

Jesus is God who came to earth = in the form of a human baby. There are thousands of really spectacular ways God could have entered the world, ways that would have wowed everyone, and prob= ably scared them to death. But God came as a baby, to identify with us, and to s= ave us without scaring us.

We know some things about God f= rom looking at nature. We know God loves variety (people); that He is very organized (fractals); and He is powerful (volcanoes). But there are other attributes of God that we ONLY know through Jesus Christ. We know that God = is loving because of what Jesus taught. We know God is forgiving because of Je= sus. And we know there is an afterlife, and we will all go to heaven if we accept Christ in our life, because of Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Colossians (<= /span>1:15), “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” That is the first reason he came. <= /o:p>

Second, Jesus came to tell us a= bout God’s plan. The plan is spelled out in Ephesians 1:9-11, “God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago… And this is His plan: At the r= ight time God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we= have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and a= ll things happen just as He decided long ago.”

This tells us that history is moving toward a climax, culminating in the rule of Jesus Christ; that God h= as an inheritance waiting for you and me in heaven; and that God chose each of= us for a reason, a purpose. The reason God created you, the reason you are ali= ve right now, is that God wants to love you. God knows you and loves you and w= ants you to know Him and to love Him back. That’s God’s plan, and we learn it by studying and knowing Jesus Christ.

Third, Jesus came to light our = path in life. In John 8:12<= span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%'> Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. If you follow me, you won’t= be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” As children, and= even as an adult, we can be afraid of the dark. Why? Because we can’t see what’s ahead. And in life we can let fear of what is ahead for us overtake us; fear over our job security, a new job, a move, our finances, illness, or death. But Jesus was telling his followers that he can see furt= her than we can see. If we follow him, he can lead the way for us, and we don’t have to worry about what is going to happen in 2010 or beyond. = The Light that Jesus brings is called Faith. We can control our fear of the fut= ure by saying, ‘Lord, I can’t see where this is going, but I trust = you in this’.

Fourth, Jesus came to heal our hidden wounds. Everybody has places that hurt, but we become very, very goo= d at looking sophisticated and successful to everyone else. Jesus said (John 12:47), “I did not come to jud= ge the world, but to save it.” He didn’t come to remind us w= hat a bad person we are, or how we fail. He came to save us for what God wants us= to be. He came to free us from anything that separates us from God’s des= ire for us; from worry; from doubt; from bitterness; from guilt; from habits, hurts, hang-ups that mess up our lives. Jesus came to be your personal Savi= or from all this.

Finally, Jesus came to transform our lives. Paul wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:17), “When anyone becomes a Christian, he beco= mes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!”

Jesus came to teach us about th= ree kinds of life; new life, abundant life, and eternal life. He has the power = to wipe clean our mistakes, and to give us a fresh start with a new life. Ther= e is no reason to feel guilty or unworthy. Jesus lets us just start over. <= /o:p>

You and I were made for more th= an survival. We were created to live abundant life, the life that God meant us= to live; one of significance and purpose. And in addition, Jesus promises us eternal life. When we come to the point of faith that we can realize and ac= cept what Jesus has brought to us; new life, abundant life, and eternal life, how could we respond in any other way than with deep gratitude, knowing that we have been transformed?

The wise men saw the light and followed it to Jesus. You and I are amidst the lights of Christmas here ton= ight. Are you letting Jesus light up your life from the inside-out? Be alive with Christ’s light.= Jesus comes to teach you what God is like; to tell you God’s plan, and your part in the plan; to light your path; to heal your hidden hurts; and to transform your life. This Christmas, tear open these gifts that await you, = and may you carry them in your heart through the New Year. Merry Christmas.