Worshipping Our God of Unconditional Love (Together, in a Variety Ways)
“Love Wins” – Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-20
Peter Wehner, an opinion writer for The New York Times, writes this about Philip Yancey’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace? Wehner writes,
In his book What’s So Amazing About Grace? Philip Yancey describes a conference on comparative religions where experts from around the world debated which belief, if any, was unique to the Christian faith. C.S. Lewis happened to enter the room during the discussion. When he was told the topic was Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions, Lewis responded: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.[1]
It is true. Only Christianity places “grace” at the theological core of its belief system. And that is important, my friends. That is the good news of Christmas. It is when we are embraced by God’s unmerited favor and embrace God who loves us unconditionally that we see life in a new way. The Light (Love) of God has vanquished the Darkness (Hate) that the world and others hurl people’s way on a daily basis.
Isaiah 9:2-7 describes a people who once walked in great darkness and saw a light which increased their joy, released their burden and removed their oppressor. Why? A child was born. And this child had a name. In the naming of a child, great care is taken to choose the name that will bring distinction to the new life. Jesus’ name derived from the Hebrew Yehoshua means “Yahweh is salvation.” Jesus is the name given to the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus is the promised Messiah who as God incarnate is God’s self-revelation who brought salvation to the world. Isaiah 9:2-7 states other names for Jesus. They are Immanuel: This Jesus is God present with his people, Wonderful Counselor: This Jesus is God who shows humanity show the way to new life, Mighty God: This Jesus is God who brings salvation and justice., Everlasting Father: This Jesus is God who provides and cares for us, Prince of Peace: This Jesus is God who is the One who brought and continues to bring the Reign of Peace on earth, and Son of Man: This Jesus is the “Son of Man” which is derived from the Hebrew ben adam. Ben Adam designates a collective humanity or an individual within the collective humanity. The first Adam is representative of you and me; the second Adam is Jesus, which is representative of whom we become through faith in Jesus.
The readings from Luke lift up the implementation of Isaiah’s prophecy. Again, Peter Wehner writes, “Grace is different. It is the unmerited favor of God, unconditional love given to the undeserving. It’s a difficult concept to understand because it isn’t entirely rational. There’s a radical equality at the core of grace. None of us are deserving of God’s grace, so it’s not dependent on social status, wealth, or intelligence.”[2] This Light (Love) of grace vanquishes the Darkness (Hate) of exclusion. We worship the Christmas Child, Jesus, tonight. Jesus is calling you by name. Wehner remarks,
If you find yourself in the company of people whose hearts have been captured by grace, count yourself lucky. They love us despite our messy lives, stay connected to us through our struggles, always holding out the hope of redemption. When relationships are broken…it’s grace that causes people not to give up, to extend the invitation to reconnect, to work through misunderstandings with sensitivity and transparency.[3]
When you respond to God’s calling, it is good news for you and the rest of the world.
You then represent what a human can look and behave like as envisioned in God’s desire. Isaiah’s voice on Christmas Eve reminds us that salvation is not merely a spiritual victory that works like a lullaby and lulls us into an individualistic complacency. To the contrary, the Christ Child took on the power of darkness, the tools of war and injustice, unjust laws, and the rod of the oppressor. And in the name of Jesus, we join that mission.[4] Believe in Jesus. Embrace the Light (Love). It vanquishes Darkness (Hate). This is the good news of Christmas. Love wins! Merry Christmas. Amen!
This sermon was preached on Christmas Eve 2024 by the Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh
in the Sanctuary at Grace Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kansas
Copyright © 2024
Steven M. Marsh
All Rights Reserved.
[1]Peter Wehner, The New York Times, December 23, 2018.
[2]Ibid.
[3]Peter Wehner, The New York Times, December 23, 2018.
[4]This paragraph was influenced by Thomas G. Long, David J. Schlafer, E. Elizabeth Johnson, and Paul Simpson Duke in Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery, and Cynthia L. Rigby, editors, Connections, Year C, Volume 1 (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018), 63-66, 66-67, 75-77, and 77-79.
Share
DEC