First Sunday After Christmas
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Lesson 1: Isaiah 61:10-62:3 (E); Isaiah 63:7-9 (C, L)
The prophet counts Israel's many blessings. When the Exiles returned to Jerusalem, conditions were far from good. In today's Lesson 1, the prophet recalls God's blessings on Israel in the past and asks, "Why not now?" On the basis of past "steadfast love," the nation should take courage and hope that Yahweh's blessings will continue. The covenant made at Sinai means they were the people of Yahweh, and as such he saved them from the bondage in Egypt because of his love and pity. Their sufferings were his, and in steadfast love he carried them during the good old days.
Lesson 1: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (RC)
Children's responsibilities toward their parents.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18 (C); Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
Christ was made like us that we might become like him. In every respect Christ identified with humanity. By his suffering he completed our salvation. By taking our nature he destroyed Satan who had the power of death. Being one of us, he showed his mercy and faithfulness in dying for our sins. Because he suffered and was tempted, Christ is able to help people in those conditions.
Lesson 2: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); Galatians 4:4-7 (L)
At the right time God sent his Son that we might become sons and daughters of God.
Gospel:
John 1:1-18 (E); Matthew 2:13-23 (C); Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (L, RC)
The holy family flees to Egypt and returns to Nazareth. Matthew sees Jesus as the second Moses. He went to Egypt and by the direction of God was brought back to Galilee. Matthew emphasizes the fact that what happened to Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy. He goes too far, however, when he says, "He shall be called a Nazarene." This is not in the Old Testament. Probably he had in mind the saying about Samson, "The boy shall be called a Nazarite." Jesus was born in a hostile world. Not only was there no room in the inn for his birth, but before he was two years old, he had to be carried to Egypt to escape death at the order of King Herod. Again, because Herod's successor, Archelaus, was equally as dreadful, the family had to settle in Nazareth.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 148 (C); Psalm 147 (E); Psalm 111(L) - "He sent redemption to his people" (v. 9).
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ who came to share our humanity."
Hymn Of The Day
"All Praise To You, Eternal Lord"
Theme Of The Day: A Loving God Shares Human Suffering
Gospel - God protects his people in a hostile world - Matthew 2:13-23.
Lesson 1 - God's steadfast love has blessed us in the past - Isaiah 63:7-9.
Lesson 2 - God uses suffering for our good - Hebrews 2:10-18.
In the afterglow of Christmas day, we confront the trauma of suffering, death-threats and persecution of the helpless and innocent. The Lessons remind us what kind of world to which Jesus came - a hostile world which did not only not want him, but tried to kill him. In the Gospel, the holy family was forced to flee to Egypt to avoid death by King Herod. In Lesson 1 the prophet gives the lament over adverse conditions faced by the Exiles in Jerusalem. He recounts the many times Yahweh blessed the nation in past ages. Lesson 2 tells us there was a good reason for Jesus' suffering: our salvation. The Prayer accentuates the point in Lesson 2 that Jesus identified with humanity by means of the incarnation. The First Sunday After Christmas seems to tell us that, like Jesus, we are born in a hostile and threatening world, but that God is with us and will use the suffering for our good.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 2:13-23
1. Flee (v. 13). Is not fleeing a bad situation and an act of cowardice? Why not take a stand, confront the enemy and fight it out? If Jesus is the Messiah, none other than the Son of God, why should he flee from a worldly king? Does God not have legions of angels to protect his new-born Son? There is a time to flee and a time not to flee. When Jesus was grown, friends urged him to flee from Herod who sought his life. But, Jesus refused to run and said, "Tell that fox ..." In this case to flee was the right thing to do. There was no way at that time to oppose Herod. But, there will come a day, a day of return to battle the enemy. In World War II, MacArthur had to flee from the Philippines only to return later to conquer.
2. Destroy (v. 13). The king was determined to kill the baby Jesus. It tells us the kind of world a baby enters. It is a hostile world into which we are born, a world out to get us. Today a child faces "death" in terms of child pornography, child abuse by parents and adults, and incest. It is a rough and tough world with tyrants, murderers and molesters.
3. Died (v. 19). The Holy Family stayed in Egypt until Herod "died." Rulers come and go, but God remains. When ruthless dictators straddle the earth, the day is coming when they are no more. Where are those who frightened and cursed the earth in the 20th century? Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Tojo? "This too shall pass" - things will get better if we have the patience to wait.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 63:7-9
1. Steadfast love (v. 7). It is a frequently used phrase in the Old Testament. In Hebrew the word is chesed. Sometimes it is translated "loving-kindness." Chesed is comparable to the New Testament word, grace. It refers to the faithfulness of Yahweh to the covenant he made with his people. Chesed embraces the kindness and goodness of God to his people through the ages. Though we are faithless, God is faithful. Though we disown him, he never disowns us. God is trustworthy, never changing in his beneficent attitude toward his people.
2. Afflicted (v. 9). Yahweh suffers in all the afflictions of his people. Because of his love, he feels what we feel, he hurts when we hurt, he suffers when we suffer. When Yahweh called Moses, he said that he heard the cries of his enslaved people in Egypt. No one ever suffers alone, no one ever walks alone, no one ever dies alone. "In all their afflictions he was afflicted."
3. Carried (v. 9). This is a tender picture of God's care of his children. Every parent can identify with this. What child has not cried out to a parent, "Carry me?" When the child gets tired of walking, "Carry me." When the going gets rough with a creek to cross or a ravine to jump over, the child begs, "Carry me." The people are God's children and like a loving parent, Yahweh carries his people because he loves and pities them in their adversity.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18
1. Perfect (v. 10). Is there any good in suffering? In Jesus' case, there was. Through his suffering he was made "perfect" in bringing sinners to glory. The word, "perfect," does not mean here moral perfection but rather completion and fulfillment. When one fills his purpose, or corresponds to what one was intended, the person is "perfect." Jesus came to seek and save the lost. To do this, he had to suffer the pangs of death on the cross.
2. Same (v. 14). Hebrews teaches us that Jesus has the "same nature" as humanity. Jesus came from the Godhead of Heaven to sinful humanity on earth. He identified with sinners. He was like us in every respect except sin. He knew joy and sorrow, tears and laughter, success and failure, life and death. He is one of us. We are his brothers and sisters in God. By the incarnation, Jesus was totally and completely human.
3. Help (v. 18). Jesus' identification with us humans has a practical effect on us. Because he came to be one of us, he knows our frame, our weaknesses, temptations and struggles. Jesus understands our human plight. Consequently, he sympathizes and helps us in our infirmities.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Preaching Problems
1. Anticlimax. Christmas 1 may come but a few days after Christmas. This regular Sunday may suffer by comparison with Christmas Eve or Day services which were characterized by special music, abundant flowers and joyous festivities. Christmas 1 is in the afterglow. People are weary from the Christmas parties, cleaning up the house, exchanging gifts and removing decorations. By this time many are fed up with Christmas. The preacher faces the problem of maintaining the Christmas glow and enthusiasm for at least one more Sunday. The letdown on Christmas 1 reflected in decreased music, excitement and attendance may be an opportunity for the preacher to lead his people in quietly reflecting upon the Christmas event.
2. Student Recognition Sunday. Christmas 1 may fall on the last Sunday of the month. In many churches, this Sunday is observed as Student Day, a time to recognize students home for the holidays. The preacher faces the problem of relating the Lesson to higher education and to the life experiences of students. What is the solution? Choice of a text not in the Lections for the day? Asking a student to bring the message? It seems that Christmas 1 could blend with Student Day because it is a day to think about the meaning of the incarnation and to try to understand what happened in the Christmas event.
3. Last Sunday. Christmas 1 may be the last Sunday of the calendar year. If a New Year's Eve Watchnight service is not planned, the people may expect a message on ending the old year and beginning a new one. The theme of Christmas 1 , the goodness of God, is appropriate for the end of a year. Lesson 1 is especially relevant: "I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord." At the end of a year, it is wise to take inventory and count our blessings of the past year.
THREE LESSONS
Isaiah 63:7-9; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23
Christians in a Non-Christian World.
Need: On Christmas Day we celebrated the coming of Christ into the world. What kind of a world was it? Is it? It is a threatening world of a Herod. It was not a safe place to raise a child. This world finally got Jesus - "Crucify him!" Do parents today have a right to bring a child into this kind of world - nuclear arms, over-population, poverty and hunger? Add to this child abuse, child pornography and incest. It is the first Sunday after Christmas and now we get down to the brass tacks of living, paying the bills for the gifts, dieting from over-eating, sobering up from too much alcohol, getting back to school and work. It is a real world of suffering, trials and tragedies. Can one be a Christian in a non-Christian world?
Outline: Questions to ponder after Christmas -
a. Can Christians survive in a hostile world? - Gospel.
b. Where is God's help now? - Lesson 1.
c. Any good is suffering? - Lesson 2.
Gospel:
Matthew 2:13-23
1. How Good of God! 2:13-23
Need: After Christmas the question is often asked "Was Santa good to you?" Then we tell of the many gifts received. This makes Christmas only a materialistic holiday. Should we not ask, "Was God good to you?" This would make us think of the spiritual gifts received at Christmas. In the Gospel we see how good God was to his Son and how good he is to us today.
Outline: How good of God.
a. He cares about the helpless - "the child and his mother" - v. 13.
b. He provides a way to escape - "Rise and flee to Egypt" - v. 13.
1. A place to go - Egypt.
2. An obedient servant - Joseph.
c. He brings us back home - "go to the land of Israel" - v. 20.
2. Pity the Children! 2:13-23
Need: As far as children are concerned the world has not changed. From Herod's to our day, children are victims of violence. Our people need to be made aware of this growing problem in America and motivated to relieve the situation as far as possible.
Outline: Today's children -
a. Are threatened with destruction - v. 13: "to destroy him."
1. Incest is at an epidemic stage.
2. Children are used for pornography and prostitution.
3. Parents physically bruise and abuse children.
4. Children are neglected by working parents.
b. Need to be rescued - vv. 14, 21.
1. By people who obey God - vv. 14, 20.
2. By taking children to safety - vv. 14, 22.
3. A Friend of Little Children. 2:13-23
Need: In today's Gospel, Joseph proved to be a friend of the little child, Jesus. What would have happened to the baby if Joseph had not been a willing worker for God? Here we see a great truth: God's concern, compassion and aid come through cooperative believers. In today's world of cruelty to and exploitation of children, God is still concerned about the threatened and oppressed little ones. He looks to his obedient servants to be friends to afflicted children.
Outline: The marks of a friend of children.
a. One who is open to God's guidance - vv. 13, 19, 22.
b. One who is aware of the world's threats - v. 22.
c. One who immediately obeys God - v. 14.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 63:7-9
1. God Loves You - Really? 63:9
Need: There is a common saying, "God loves you and I love you." This is often said by a religious person to one who barely knows the greeter. He secretly asks, "How can you say you love me when we are practically strangers?" If there is any doubt about your loving me, how could I accept the greater claim that God loves me? Christmas is the answer; it is God's non-verbal message to the world, "I love you people." The First Lesson recounts God's love, goodness and mercy to his people. This was demonstrated and personified in the coming of Christ. Can we not see Jesus in Isaiah's description of God's love for his people?
Outline: God really loves you in Christ.
a. In Christ God came in person to us - "the angel of his presence" - v. 9.
b. In Christ God shared our humanity - "In their affliction he was afflicted" - v. 9.
c. In Christ God redeemed us - "he redeemed them" - v. 9.
d. In Christ God sustains us - "he lifted them up" - v. 9.
2. Another Year of Grace. 63:7-9
Need: This Sunday is probably the last Sunday of the calendar year. Our people are conscious that another year has passed and preparations are being made for a gala celebration of a new year. This is an appropriate time to review the past year, as the news media does, not merely to recount the top 10 stories, but as Christians, to recount the good things that come from God.
Outline: As the old year comes to a close -
a. Realize that God is good - vv. 7-8.
b. Recount the ways God was good to us - v. 9.
Lesson 1: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (RC)
Children Owe Anything to Parents? Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Need: The focus of this pericope is upon the children's obligations to their parents and the children's blessings resulting from fulfilling their obligation. In current society, children no longer feel obligated to care for their parents. No longer do children house their aged parents but often they are put in homes for the elderly or nursing homes. Parents are often forgotten by children and they die in loneliness. This lection may prove uncomfortable to some grown children who are neglecting their aged parents and to younger children who fail to honor and respect their parents. Today's children need to hear this sermon on the obligations of and blessings for obedient children.
Outline: Our text tells us -
a. What our parents deserve from their children.
1. Honor to the father - v. 2.
2. Mother's rights recognized - v. 2.
3. Care for them in their old age - v. 12.
b. What children will receive for their obedience -
1. Made happy by their future children - v. 5.
2. Long life - cf. "Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long ..."
3. God's rewards - vv. 5, 14.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18 (C)
1. Any Good in Suffering? 2:10-18.
Need: Can there be any good in suffering? Is our pain all in vain? All of us have or will suffer. When we do, how shall we take it? If some good will come out of it, we may be able to take it patiently. In today's Gospel we find that Jesus had to suffer, even as a child, the rigors and deprivations of a refugee in a foreign land. When he became an adult, he was known as a "suffering servant." In this passage what good can come out of suffering is shown.
Outline: The good Jesus' suffering did for us -
a. Jesus' suffering resulted in our salvation - vv. 10, 17.
b. Jesus' suffering of death destroyed death for us - v. 14.
c. Jesus' suffering makes him merciful and helpful to us - vv. 17, 18.
2. Because He Came. 2:10-18
Need: We have just celebrated Christ's coming to earth. His birth was the miracle of incarnatiom God became a human. He came in Jesus to share our humanity. Jesus was one of us, thoroughly and perfectly human. Because he identified with us, we are the beneficiaries. Our text tells us what his coming can mean to us today.
Outline: Because Jesus came as a human -
a. We are brothers and sisters of Christ - v. 11.
b. For us death was conquered - vv. 14, 15.
c. Our sin has been forgiven - v. 17.
d. We are understood and helped - v. 18.
Lesson 2: Galatians 4:4-7 (E, L)
1. When is the Right Time? 4:4-5
Need: Success usually depends on saying and doing the right thing at the right time. In our text Paul says God sent Christ at the right time ("When the time had fully come"). Centuries of revelation took place through the acts of history and through priests and prophets. John the Baptist did the preparatory work for Messiah's coming. The Roman world was ready for a new epoch - a Pax Romano, a universal language, fast travel on Roman roads, a corrupt culture and a bankrupt religion. Put it on a personal level: when is the right time to let Christ come into your life? When Paul preached to Felix, it was not a convenient time for Felix to embrace Christianity. Paul kept urging, "Now is the acceptable time."
Outline: When is the right time -
a. To be freed from the curse of the law? - v. 4.
b. To be adopted as a son of God? - v. 5.
2. What Does Christmas Have to Do with Me? 4:6-7
Need: So God sent his Son to the world as a baby! That was about 2,000 years ago. What does that have to do with me? Of course, Christmas did touch me in recent weeks: shopping, bills now to be paid, lively Christmas parties, getting the family together, a lovely tree, good food and fun. Is that all there is to Christmas? You don't have to be a Christian to have that kind of a Christmas. What is the real significance of Christmas? How is my life affected by the birth of Christ? This sermon is needed to show the person in the pew that one's whole status with God depends on the Son's coming.
Outline: How Christmas changed my life.
a. I was once a slave - v. 7.
b. I am now a son - v. 7.
c. I now have the Spirit - v. 6.
Lesson 2: Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
How Holy is Today's Family? Colossians 3:12-21
Need: In today's family there is a confusion of roles and responsibilities. In some cases the wife is the leader of the family and the man is the house-husband. Children seem to be on their own with little guidance because parents are both working outside the home. In verses 12-17, Paul lists the virtues of people in Christ and then applies them to the family. On this Holy Family Sunday, it is appropriate to consider God's prescription for a family. One hitch in the description of a godly family is the injunction that wives should be "subject" to their husbands. This may take some explaining as to what "subject" involves and implies lest the admonition is not acceptable.
Outline: For yours to be a holy family -
a. Husbands love their wives - v. 19.
b. Wives follow their husbands - v. 18.
c. Children obey their parents - v. 20.
d. Parents encourage their children - v. 21.
The prophet counts Israel's many blessings. When the Exiles returned to Jerusalem, conditions were far from good. In today's Lesson 1, the prophet recalls God's blessings on Israel in the past and asks, "Why not now?" On the basis of past "steadfast love," the nation should take courage and hope that Yahweh's blessings will continue. The covenant made at Sinai means they were the people of Yahweh, and as such he saved them from the bondage in Egypt because of his love and pity. Their sufferings were his, and in steadfast love he carried them during the good old days.
Lesson 1: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (RC)
Children's responsibilities toward their parents.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18 (C); Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
Christ was made like us that we might become like him. In every respect Christ identified with humanity. By his suffering he completed our salvation. By taking our nature he destroyed Satan who had the power of death. Being one of us, he showed his mercy and faithfulness in dying for our sins. Because he suffered and was tempted, Christ is able to help people in those conditions.
Lesson 2: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); Galatians 4:4-7 (L)
At the right time God sent his Son that we might become sons and daughters of God.
Gospel:
John 1:1-18 (E); Matthew 2:13-23 (C); Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (L, RC)
The holy family flees to Egypt and returns to Nazareth. Matthew sees Jesus as the second Moses. He went to Egypt and by the direction of God was brought back to Galilee. Matthew emphasizes the fact that what happened to Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy. He goes too far, however, when he says, "He shall be called a Nazarene." This is not in the Old Testament. Probably he had in mind the saying about Samson, "The boy shall be called a Nazarite." Jesus was born in a hostile world. Not only was there no room in the inn for his birth, but before he was two years old, he had to be carried to Egypt to escape death at the order of King Herod. Again, because Herod's successor, Archelaus, was equally as dreadful, the family had to settle in Nazareth.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 148 (C); Psalm 147 (E); Psalm 111(L) - "He sent redemption to his people" (v. 9).
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ who came to share our humanity."
Hymn Of The Day
"All Praise To You, Eternal Lord"
Theme Of The Day: A Loving God Shares Human Suffering
Gospel - God protects his people in a hostile world - Matthew 2:13-23.
Lesson 1 - God's steadfast love has blessed us in the past - Isaiah 63:7-9.
Lesson 2 - God uses suffering for our good - Hebrews 2:10-18.
In the afterglow of Christmas day, we confront the trauma of suffering, death-threats and persecution of the helpless and innocent. The Lessons remind us what kind of world to which Jesus came - a hostile world which did not only not want him, but tried to kill him. In the Gospel, the holy family was forced to flee to Egypt to avoid death by King Herod. In Lesson 1 the prophet gives the lament over adverse conditions faced by the Exiles in Jerusalem. He recounts the many times Yahweh blessed the nation in past ages. Lesson 2 tells us there was a good reason for Jesus' suffering: our salvation. The Prayer accentuates the point in Lesson 2 that Jesus identified with humanity by means of the incarnation. The First Sunday After Christmas seems to tell us that, like Jesus, we are born in a hostile and threatening world, but that God is with us and will use the suffering for our good.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 2:13-23
1. Flee (v. 13). Is not fleeing a bad situation and an act of cowardice? Why not take a stand, confront the enemy and fight it out? If Jesus is the Messiah, none other than the Son of God, why should he flee from a worldly king? Does God not have legions of angels to protect his new-born Son? There is a time to flee and a time not to flee. When Jesus was grown, friends urged him to flee from Herod who sought his life. But, Jesus refused to run and said, "Tell that fox ..." In this case to flee was the right thing to do. There was no way at that time to oppose Herod. But, there will come a day, a day of return to battle the enemy. In World War II, MacArthur had to flee from the Philippines only to return later to conquer.
2. Destroy (v. 13). The king was determined to kill the baby Jesus. It tells us the kind of world a baby enters. It is a hostile world into which we are born, a world out to get us. Today a child faces "death" in terms of child pornography, child abuse by parents and adults, and incest. It is a rough and tough world with tyrants, murderers and molesters.
3. Died (v. 19). The Holy Family stayed in Egypt until Herod "died." Rulers come and go, but God remains. When ruthless dictators straddle the earth, the day is coming when they are no more. Where are those who frightened and cursed the earth in the 20th century? Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Tojo? "This too shall pass" - things will get better if we have the patience to wait.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 63:7-9
1. Steadfast love (v. 7). It is a frequently used phrase in the Old Testament. In Hebrew the word is chesed. Sometimes it is translated "loving-kindness." Chesed is comparable to the New Testament word, grace. It refers to the faithfulness of Yahweh to the covenant he made with his people. Chesed embraces the kindness and goodness of God to his people through the ages. Though we are faithless, God is faithful. Though we disown him, he never disowns us. God is trustworthy, never changing in his beneficent attitude toward his people.
2. Afflicted (v. 9). Yahweh suffers in all the afflictions of his people. Because of his love, he feels what we feel, he hurts when we hurt, he suffers when we suffer. When Yahweh called Moses, he said that he heard the cries of his enslaved people in Egypt. No one ever suffers alone, no one ever walks alone, no one ever dies alone. "In all their afflictions he was afflicted."
3. Carried (v. 9). This is a tender picture of God's care of his children. Every parent can identify with this. What child has not cried out to a parent, "Carry me?" When the child gets tired of walking, "Carry me." When the going gets rough with a creek to cross or a ravine to jump over, the child begs, "Carry me." The people are God's children and like a loving parent, Yahweh carries his people because he loves and pities them in their adversity.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18
1. Perfect (v. 10). Is there any good in suffering? In Jesus' case, there was. Through his suffering he was made "perfect" in bringing sinners to glory. The word, "perfect," does not mean here moral perfection but rather completion and fulfillment. When one fills his purpose, or corresponds to what one was intended, the person is "perfect." Jesus came to seek and save the lost. To do this, he had to suffer the pangs of death on the cross.
2. Same (v. 14). Hebrews teaches us that Jesus has the "same nature" as humanity. Jesus came from the Godhead of Heaven to sinful humanity on earth. He identified with sinners. He was like us in every respect except sin. He knew joy and sorrow, tears and laughter, success and failure, life and death. He is one of us. We are his brothers and sisters in God. By the incarnation, Jesus was totally and completely human.
3. Help (v. 18). Jesus' identification with us humans has a practical effect on us. Because he came to be one of us, he knows our frame, our weaknesses, temptations and struggles. Jesus understands our human plight. Consequently, he sympathizes and helps us in our infirmities.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Preaching Problems
1. Anticlimax. Christmas 1 may come but a few days after Christmas. This regular Sunday may suffer by comparison with Christmas Eve or Day services which were characterized by special music, abundant flowers and joyous festivities. Christmas 1 is in the afterglow. People are weary from the Christmas parties, cleaning up the house, exchanging gifts and removing decorations. By this time many are fed up with Christmas. The preacher faces the problem of maintaining the Christmas glow and enthusiasm for at least one more Sunday. The letdown on Christmas 1 reflected in decreased music, excitement and attendance may be an opportunity for the preacher to lead his people in quietly reflecting upon the Christmas event.
2. Student Recognition Sunday. Christmas 1 may fall on the last Sunday of the month. In many churches, this Sunday is observed as Student Day, a time to recognize students home for the holidays. The preacher faces the problem of relating the Lesson to higher education and to the life experiences of students. What is the solution? Choice of a text not in the Lections for the day? Asking a student to bring the message? It seems that Christmas 1 could blend with Student Day because it is a day to think about the meaning of the incarnation and to try to understand what happened in the Christmas event.
3. Last Sunday. Christmas 1 may be the last Sunday of the calendar year. If a New Year's Eve Watchnight service is not planned, the people may expect a message on ending the old year and beginning a new one. The theme of Christmas 1 , the goodness of God, is appropriate for the end of a year. Lesson 1 is especially relevant: "I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord." At the end of a year, it is wise to take inventory and count our blessings of the past year.
THREE LESSONS
Isaiah 63:7-9; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23
Christians in a Non-Christian World.
Need: On Christmas Day we celebrated the coming of Christ into the world. What kind of a world was it? Is it? It is a threatening world of a Herod. It was not a safe place to raise a child. This world finally got Jesus - "Crucify him!" Do parents today have a right to bring a child into this kind of world - nuclear arms, over-population, poverty and hunger? Add to this child abuse, child pornography and incest. It is the first Sunday after Christmas and now we get down to the brass tacks of living, paying the bills for the gifts, dieting from over-eating, sobering up from too much alcohol, getting back to school and work. It is a real world of suffering, trials and tragedies. Can one be a Christian in a non-Christian world?
Outline: Questions to ponder after Christmas -
a. Can Christians survive in a hostile world? - Gospel.
b. Where is God's help now? - Lesson 1.
c. Any good is suffering? - Lesson 2.
Gospel:
Matthew 2:13-23
1. How Good of God! 2:13-23
Need: After Christmas the question is often asked "Was Santa good to you?" Then we tell of the many gifts received. This makes Christmas only a materialistic holiday. Should we not ask, "Was God good to you?" This would make us think of the spiritual gifts received at Christmas. In the Gospel we see how good God was to his Son and how good he is to us today.
Outline: How good of God.
a. He cares about the helpless - "the child and his mother" - v. 13.
b. He provides a way to escape - "Rise and flee to Egypt" - v. 13.
1. A place to go - Egypt.
2. An obedient servant - Joseph.
c. He brings us back home - "go to the land of Israel" - v. 20.
2. Pity the Children! 2:13-23
Need: As far as children are concerned the world has not changed. From Herod's to our day, children are victims of violence. Our people need to be made aware of this growing problem in America and motivated to relieve the situation as far as possible.
Outline: Today's children -
a. Are threatened with destruction - v. 13: "to destroy him."
1. Incest is at an epidemic stage.
2. Children are used for pornography and prostitution.
3. Parents physically bruise and abuse children.
4. Children are neglected by working parents.
b. Need to be rescued - vv. 14, 21.
1. By people who obey God - vv. 14, 20.
2. By taking children to safety - vv. 14, 22.
3. A Friend of Little Children. 2:13-23
Need: In today's Gospel, Joseph proved to be a friend of the little child, Jesus. What would have happened to the baby if Joseph had not been a willing worker for God? Here we see a great truth: God's concern, compassion and aid come through cooperative believers. In today's world of cruelty to and exploitation of children, God is still concerned about the threatened and oppressed little ones. He looks to his obedient servants to be friends to afflicted children.
Outline: The marks of a friend of children.
a. One who is open to God's guidance - vv. 13, 19, 22.
b. One who is aware of the world's threats - v. 22.
c. One who immediately obeys God - v. 14.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 63:7-9
1. God Loves You - Really? 63:9
Need: There is a common saying, "God loves you and I love you." This is often said by a religious person to one who barely knows the greeter. He secretly asks, "How can you say you love me when we are practically strangers?" If there is any doubt about your loving me, how could I accept the greater claim that God loves me? Christmas is the answer; it is God's non-verbal message to the world, "I love you people." The First Lesson recounts God's love, goodness and mercy to his people. This was demonstrated and personified in the coming of Christ. Can we not see Jesus in Isaiah's description of God's love for his people?
Outline: God really loves you in Christ.
a. In Christ God came in person to us - "the angel of his presence" - v. 9.
b. In Christ God shared our humanity - "In their affliction he was afflicted" - v. 9.
c. In Christ God redeemed us - "he redeemed them" - v. 9.
d. In Christ God sustains us - "he lifted them up" - v. 9.
2. Another Year of Grace. 63:7-9
Need: This Sunday is probably the last Sunday of the calendar year. Our people are conscious that another year has passed and preparations are being made for a gala celebration of a new year. This is an appropriate time to review the past year, as the news media does, not merely to recount the top 10 stories, but as Christians, to recount the good things that come from God.
Outline: As the old year comes to a close -
a. Realize that God is good - vv. 7-8.
b. Recount the ways God was good to us - v. 9.
Lesson 1: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (RC)
Children Owe Anything to Parents? Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Need: The focus of this pericope is upon the children's obligations to their parents and the children's blessings resulting from fulfilling their obligation. In current society, children no longer feel obligated to care for their parents. No longer do children house their aged parents but often they are put in homes for the elderly or nursing homes. Parents are often forgotten by children and they die in loneliness. This lection may prove uncomfortable to some grown children who are neglecting their aged parents and to younger children who fail to honor and respect their parents. Today's children need to hear this sermon on the obligations of and blessings for obedient children.
Outline: Our text tells us -
a. What our parents deserve from their children.
1. Honor to the father - v. 2.
2. Mother's rights recognized - v. 2.
3. Care for them in their old age - v. 12.
b. What children will receive for their obedience -
1. Made happy by their future children - v. 5.
2. Long life - cf. "Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long ..."
3. God's rewards - vv. 5, 14.
Lesson 2: Hebrews 2:10-18 (C)
1. Any Good in Suffering? 2:10-18.
Need: Can there be any good in suffering? Is our pain all in vain? All of us have or will suffer. When we do, how shall we take it? If some good will come out of it, we may be able to take it patiently. In today's Gospel we find that Jesus had to suffer, even as a child, the rigors and deprivations of a refugee in a foreign land. When he became an adult, he was known as a "suffering servant." In this passage what good can come out of suffering is shown.
Outline: The good Jesus' suffering did for us -
a. Jesus' suffering resulted in our salvation - vv. 10, 17.
b. Jesus' suffering of death destroyed death for us - v. 14.
c. Jesus' suffering makes him merciful and helpful to us - vv. 17, 18.
2. Because He Came. 2:10-18
Need: We have just celebrated Christ's coming to earth. His birth was the miracle of incarnatiom God became a human. He came in Jesus to share our humanity. Jesus was one of us, thoroughly and perfectly human. Because he identified with us, we are the beneficiaries. Our text tells us what his coming can mean to us today.
Outline: Because Jesus came as a human -
a. We are brothers and sisters of Christ - v. 11.
b. For us death was conquered - vv. 14, 15.
c. Our sin has been forgiven - v. 17.
d. We are understood and helped - v. 18.
Lesson 2: Galatians 4:4-7 (E, L)
1. When is the Right Time? 4:4-5
Need: Success usually depends on saying and doing the right thing at the right time. In our text Paul says God sent Christ at the right time ("When the time had fully come"). Centuries of revelation took place through the acts of history and through priests and prophets. John the Baptist did the preparatory work for Messiah's coming. The Roman world was ready for a new epoch - a Pax Romano, a universal language, fast travel on Roman roads, a corrupt culture and a bankrupt religion. Put it on a personal level: when is the right time to let Christ come into your life? When Paul preached to Felix, it was not a convenient time for Felix to embrace Christianity. Paul kept urging, "Now is the acceptable time."
Outline: When is the right time -
a. To be freed from the curse of the law? - v. 4.
b. To be adopted as a son of God? - v. 5.
2. What Does Christmas Have to Do with Me? 4:6-7
Need: So God sent his Son to the world as a baby! That was about 2,000 years ago. What does that have to do with me? Of course, Christmas did touch me in recent weeks: shopping, bills now to be paid, lively Christmas parties, getting the family together, a lovely tree, good food and fun. Is that all there is to Christmas? You don't have to be a Christian to have that kind of a Christmas. What is the real significance of Christmas? How is my life affected by the birth of Christ? This sermon is needed to show the person in the pew that one's whole status with God depends on the Son's coming.
Outline: How Christmas changed my life.
a. I was once a slave - v. 7.
b. I am now a son - v. 7.
c. I now have the Spirit - v. 6.
Lesson 2: Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
How Holy is Today's Family? Colossians 3:12-21
Need: In today's family there is a confusion of roles and responsibilities. In some cases the wife is the leader of the family and the man is the house-husband. Children seem to be on their own with little guidance because parents are both working outside the home. In verses 12-17, Paul lists the virtues of people in Christ and then applies them to the family. On this Holy Family Sunday, it is appropriate to consider God's prescription for a family. One hitch in the description of a godly family is the injunction that wives should be "subject" to their husbands. This may take some explaining as to what "subject" involves and implies lest the admonition is not acceptable.
Outline: For yours to be a holy family -
a. Husbands love their wives - v. 19.
b. Wives follow their husbands - v. 18.
c. Children obey their parents - v. 20.
d. Parents encourage their children - v. 21.
